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The Song of Bernadette Overview:

The Song of Bernadette (1943) was a Biographical - Drama Film directed by Henry King and produced by William Perlberg.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Franz Werfel published in 1941 (English trans 1942).

Academy Awards 1943 --- Ceremony Number 16 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActorCharles BickfordNominated
Best ActressJennifer JonesWon
Best Supporting ActressGladys CooperNominated
Best Supporting ActressAnne RevereNominated
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: James Basevi, William Darling; Interior Decoration: Thomas LittleWon
Best CinematographyArthur MillerWon
Best DirectorHenry KingNominated
Best Film EditingBarbara McLeanNominated
Best Music - ScoringAlfred NewmanWon
Best WritingGeorge SeatonNominated
Best Picture20th Century-FoxNominated
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The Song of Bernadette BlogHub Articles:

The Song of Bernadette (1943) (2)

on Dec 2, 2013 From Journeys in Classic Film

                                                                    Originally published April 17th, 2013 Easter’s come and gone, and I generally don’t celebrate the holiday by watching movies; that’s going to chang... Read full article

The Song of Bernadette (1943) (1)

on Apr 17, 2013 From Journeys in Classic Film

Easter’s come and gone, and I generally don’t celebrate the holiday by watching movies; that’s going to change today!  Twilight Time has released The Song of Bernadette, the 1943 Oscar nominated film that gave Jennifer Jones her first (and only) Oscar for Best Actress.  The win i... Read full article

The Song of Bernadette

By Alyson on Apr 13, 2010 From The Best Picture Project

In 1858 a young French peasant girl claimed to have seen a beautiful woman and miracles started happening in the little village of Lourdes.  Today, that young girl is a saint and this is her story. When we first meet Bernadette, she is always sick due to her asthma and one of the worst students in ... Read full article

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The Song of Bernadette Quotes:

Dr. Dozous: I asked her 'Do you know what a sinner is?' And she answered, 'Certainly, Monsieur. A sinner is one who loves evil'. That's quite a good answer. What pleased me is that she said 'loves', and not 'does'.
Sister Marie Therese Verzous: Are you pert, indifferent or only stupid?
Bernadette: I'm stupid, Sister. I have a poor head for study.
Mother Superior: Well, Doctor?
Dr. St. Cyr: Well, in addition to the large tumor on the knee, she has tuberculosis of the bone. She has never complained of pain?
Mother Superior: No. Sister?
Sister Marie Therese Verzous: [stunned by the news] She never mentioned it.
Dr. St. Cyr: I can't understand it. She's had this affliction for a long time, and the constant pain and suffering associated with this disease is almost too horrible to describe.
Louise Soubirous: Life goes fast, my child. It's hard to believe how fast.
Empress Eugenie: You're an atheist, Louis!
Emperor Louis Napoleon III: That's the most stupid thing a sovereign could be.
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The Song of Bernadette Facts
Other than The Wizard of Oz, "The Song of Bernadette" was one of the few pre-1950 major Hollywood films to be shown on American commercial network television before being sold to local stations. Others included the 1948 version of "Sorry Wrong Number", with Barbara Stanwyck.
Lee J. Cobb (Dr. Dozous) and Roman Bohnen (Bernadette's father) were both members of the famous Group Theater (1931-1940), the first ensemble in America to put Konstantin Stanislavski's acting theories into practice. They often performed together, most notably in the plays of Clifford Odets. Both actors were accused of being members of the Communist Party. Bohnen was blacklisted, but Cobb named names and was eventually exonerated by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Franz Werfel's book was published in 1942. 20th Century-Fox wasted no time in snapping up the rights. It was the studio's most ambitious and, at $2 million, its most expensive production of 1943.
Jennifer Jones had made other films before this, but only under her real name, Phyllis Isley. In an effort to make the public believe that she was "discovered" for this film, her screen credit reads "and introducing Jennifer Jones as Bernadette."
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 26, 1954 with Charles Bickford again reprising his film role.
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