User Reviews

I had often heard how this film was nominated for Best Picture and other important Academy Awards, so I was glad to see it on cable a few days ago. I was very pleased with it. The film builds up to quite an emotional, dramatic ending. There are some moments when Ingrid Bergman simply shines with a special radiance. Bing Crosby was excellent also, although I think he had many better songs to sing in his long career. The direction seems slow-paced at times, but in a way this measured pacing gives the audience a better chance to focus on the characters on the screen.

The story certainly touched upon some important issues of Catholic education in the 1940's and 1950's. There were always fine attempts to help children from the other side of the tracks to prosper in a private school, with assistance of various kinds. The postwar population boom, however, led to huge numbers of children being educated as cheaply as possible in crowded, old, unsafe buildings. It was not uncommon to have 70 pupils in one classroom. In this film the nuns are relentlessly polite, but in real life they had to be very strict to control large classes. The picture refers to "fire traps" and the fact that St. Mary's School was about to be condemned. How ironic this was, for just 13 years later -- on December 1, 1958 -- a fire swept through the antiquated Our Lady of the Angels elementary school in Chicago, killing 92 children and three nuns. That tragic fire led to sweeping changes in building code laws and the modernization of thousands of schools across America, both public and private.

This is a classic old holiday favorite, and quite deservedly so. It tells the story of a dilapidated parochial school, St. Mary's, that is facing condemnation. Sister Bendict, the Mother Superior and school principal, is struggling not only to save the school but expand it, with dreams of annexing the neighboring property owned by a shrewd businessman named Mr. Bogardus. She frequently clashes with St. Mary's new pastor, Father O'Malley, who has his own ideas as to how the school should be run and its fate.

First of all, I may make some enemies, however...I love Bing Crosby, but the part of Father O'Malley is not merely to serve as a foil for Sister Benedict, but to act much of the time as a veritable idiot! Likable but possibly a tad too clueless to ever have become a priest. For example, his opening stunt where he declares a holiday, can you imagine any Catholic priest actually doing this without first consulting the sisters? He's unrealistically lenient, apparently seeing no need whatsoever for discipline, and disregards standards, encouraging (with no apparent misgivings at all) Sister Benedict to pass a student who has failed the exams. However, he is kind, well intended, and nonjudgmental, as shown by his touching behavior toward young Patsy and her mother, and does sometimes achieve the desired results, I admit, with his relaxed, easy going, laid back style. Wonderful singing as always, with Bing's magnificent, effortless voice. (I didn't see Going My Way, I confess.)

This is Ingrid Bergman's movie. She gives Sister Benedict a sparkling inner light here as she portrays the devout and dedicated nun, trying to save her school while also ensuring its daily operation with kindness, fairness, and genuine concern but also meaningful standards and expectations. She appears strict at times, but has a genuine love for her students and a concern that they truly learn. She glows with pride at her little first graders' Christmas pageant. I love her method for helping young Eddie protect himself against the school yard bullies! Suffice it to say, if I had a child in a parochial school, I would want it run by Sister Benedict and not Father O'Malley!

Unfortunately, these days it's all the negative tales that draw headlines, but my own husband grew up with nuns as teachers during most of his Catholic school years, and he can't sing their praises enough. This movie is a touching, entertaining, and uplifting tale, something of a tribute to all the hard working, dedicated nuns who have taught in parochial schools through the years.

This was a just a plain, nice story, one of those kind I tend favor simply they don't have any "bad guys" in them and still keep the story interesting.

I expected Ingrid Bergman's character, "Sister Mary," from what the liners notes on the video box said, to be a sort-of villain portraying a hard-line rigid nun but that wasn't the case at all. In fact, in her several philosophical disputes the priest "Father Chuck O'Malley" (Bing Crosby) I sided with her because Crosby was a little too liberal regarding punishment. (He never wanted to scold or punish any misbehaving kid., for example. No discipline is not a good idea, as parents know.)

The story is a little unrealistic in that a strong-willed business tycoon would not abandon all his business plans and hand over a brand-new million-dollar (today it would be many millions) building to a church. However, it's nice to see! These kind of old-fashioned films are almost collector's items today but they are pleasant to watch and pretty good entertainment.

As the companion piece to "Going My Way", "The Bells of St. Mary's" shares the same pleasant, upbeat tone, and it has a similar story that, though stylized, has some worthwhile and thoughtful material. Besides Bing Crosby, the cast here features Ingrid Bergman and several solid supporting players such as Henry Travers and Rhys Williams.

As Sister Benedict, Father O'Malley's foil here, Bergman gives this movie its own feel, with themes somewhat different from those in O'Malley's debates with Barry Fitzgerald's character in "Going My Way". Everyone has their own preference between the two movies, but as fine an actress as Bergman is, it's really hard to match - much less top - the dimension that Fitzgerald added in the other film.

Probably each of the two Father O'Malley movies should just be enjoyed for its own merits. While the story here is hardly anything weighty, "The Bells of St. Mary's" offers good entertainment and some worthwhile, positive thoughts.

Father O'Malley is assigned to the Catholic school of St Mary's, once there it becomes apparent from the off that his methods and ways will clash with those of Sister Mary Benedict. However, with the school under threat of closure due to financial hardships, both Father and Sister must come together in faith that all will turn out right in the end.

The Bells Of St Mary's is the sequel to 1944s Oscar winner, Going My Way, tho not winning any awards other than for Best Sound Recording {it was nominated in the four main categories}, it is however a wonderful picture that firmly stands up straight in its own right. Obviously leaning heavy on the sentimental side in plot and meaning, Bells Of St Mary's is never stuffy, this is mainly down to the special performances of Ingrid Bergman {Sister Benedict} and Bing Crosby {Father O'Malley}, seamlessly working well off each other, even tho their respective characters are vastly different. Bing croons delightful tunes such as "Adeste Fidelis" and "Aren't You Glad You're You", whilst Bergman lifts the spirits in the art of pugilism!, I kid you not, it's a fabulous sequence.

This is a smashing and delightful holiday movie, I dare you not to be enchanted during the Christmas nativity scenes, nothing more needs to be said really, give it a whirl and I'm sure you wont be disappointed. 7.5/10

1944's "Going My Way" was a wispy-thin Oscar winner with only Barry Fitzgerald's adorable curmudgeon-ness to lift it out of sugary banality; this sequel drops Barry, so it shouldn't be of much use. However, director Leo McCarey actually pulls off a winner. Bing Crosby is back as Father O'Malley, and he's more human here than before, and his warm, witty battles with sister Ingrid Bergman are a delight (it helps that Bergman is possibly the most glowing, knowing, embraceable nun in Hollywood history!). Their smooth trials with the students and each other at St. Mary's have a seamless professionalism that, while not especially fresh, works the audience over with sheer good will. A sub-plot involving a troubled young girl (the excellent Joan Carroll) and her mother is a dandy heart-tugger, and the light music involved isn't such an obvious device as it was in "Going My Way"; the songs are there, but they're unobtrusive. A very good film, one that triumphs over its predecessor. Bing proves to be a solid actor here, not just a personality; he makes Father O'Malley a reachable character rather than just a holy rascal. Watch for his hesitation at the very end, and the thoughtfulness he gives to the scene. Admirably, Crosby gives back this time around. ***1/2 from ****

Leo McCarey and Bing Crosby had such a mega-hit on their hands with Going My Way that a sequel in this case really was inevitable. If The Bells of St.Mary's does not quite hit the heights of Going My Way it's got nothing to apologize for. One thing that I do like about it is that you don't have to have watched Going My Way to get into the spirit of this.

Bing repeated his Father O'Malley character and in doing so got a second Oscar nomination. Until Al Pacino was nominated for Michael Corleone in both Godfathers One and Two, Crosby was the only performer ever to have been nominated twice for the same role. Because of Father O'Malley, Bing Crosby became probably the most well known Catholic lay person on the planet. And for better or worse it's the Crosby that is remembered when the knives came out for him after he died.

With Ingrid Bergman the damage was more immediate. Today if you asked the average movie goer to quickly name the part Bergman is best known for it would be Ilsa Lund from Casablanca. Back in the late 40s however the answer would be Sister Benedict. How a Swede who is identified as Swedish in the film could be a Catholic, let alone a nun is a mystery to me. But that's how good an actress Ingrid Bergman was. She became the personification of holiness so when Ingrid Bergman announced she was pregnant with Roberto Rosellini's child the reaction of the public was swift and terrible. Banish her from Hollywood and she was. Such is the power of the mass media. Consider folks like Errol Flynn and Robert Mitchum who had reputations as hell-raisers before scandal hit them. Such is the power of the silver screen and the images it creates.

Bing has some good songs here, he sings the title tune with different lyrics for the screen then for his record. It's the school anthem and he sings it with a chorus of nuns to back him. Those nuns do sing well and in key. I wonder if it was the inspiration for Sister Act.

Crosby also has two of his patented philosophical numbers, Aren't You Glad You're You and In The Land Of Beginning Again. And in keeping with the nature of the film, he sings Adeste Fideles and O Sanctissima.

Among the supporting cast I would single out Joan Carroll as the girl boarding with the convent housekeeper and Martha Sleeper as her mother. Sleeper had both looks and talent, she should have had a bigger career.

The Bells of St. Mary's is what we would deem fine family entertainment. It's also how the Catholic Church likes to see itself. It's a milestone movie for the careers of its stars. But what a cost.

There are few more beatific images than the youthful Ingrid Bergman framed by her nun's habit, looking skyward and glistening by candlelight at the end of this 1945 holiday classic. Director Leo McCarey has Bing Crosby reprise his role as Father O'Malley from their film from a year earlier, "Going My Way". Both really reflect the type of films that would more likely show up as TV movies on the Family Channel if produced today, but wartime audiences were obviously in need of such cinematic salves. What is reassuring is how the films remain affecting today if rather unabashedly sentimental.

What sets this one apart is Crosby's natural ease in the role (certainly far more muted than he is with Bob Hope in the Road movies) and having the incandescent Bergman portray Sister Benedict. The pacing is leisurely, as the first part of the film establishes the two stars in their roles before going into the slim plot line, which has the sister hoping a rich curmudgeon named Horace P. Bogardus will donate a new, expansive building to St. Mary's Academy to take place of the rundown old building that the sisters and the schoolchildren inhabit.

McCarey - along with screenwriter Dudley Nichols - both pioneers of screwball comedy, focus on the lightheartedness of the story until a couple of sentimental developments occur. The first has to do with a lonely student named Patsy, who comes to idolize Sister Benedict, to the point of intentionally failing to graduate in order to avoid going back home to her concerned mother and estranged father. The second involves Sister Benedict's medical condition which forces Father O'Malley to make a difficult decision about St. Mary's.

There are fewer songs here than in "Going My Way" - the title tune and another one, "Aren't You Glad You're You?", both sung effortlessly by Crosby and a Swedish folk song performed in a warm alto by Bergman. The soft-centered philosophical discussions between the two leads generate some interesting conflict though nothing that feels irreconcilable by the end. There are also some amusing scenes as well, for example, the kindergarten class unaffectedly improvising the Christmas play and Bergman showing off her pugilistic prowess to a boy beaten up in a fight.

While I much prefer Bergman in her more outwardly seductive roles ("Notorious"), I can see why people wanted so much to see her as the glowing embodiment of good during WWII, even though it is this image that was the harbinger when she was caught in an extramarital scandal with Roberto Rossellini five years later. Crosby always seems to be playing himself, which in this case, is a good thing. Henry Travers, forever Clarence to me from Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life", plays Bogardus with appropriate stubbornness and compromised regret, and Joan Carroll, the least prominent of the Smith daughters in Vincente Minnelli's "Meet Me in St. Louis", gives a solid performance as the conflicted Patsy. This is an understandably well-loved film even if it runs a bit too long.

At a big city Catholic school, Father O'Malley (Bing Crosby) and Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman) indulge in friendly rivalry, and succeed in extending the school through the gift of a building.

Although generally associated with Christmas, there is really only about five or ten minutes directly related to the holiday season. Of course, being a feel-good movie, it is appropriate to watch at that time of the year, just the same. Especially with Bing Crosby in the lead... who captured Christmas in the 1940s and 1950s more than he did? This is also a great performance from Ingrid Bergman during her Hollywood years. The boxing scene is incredible and make the whole film worth watching.

A priest and a nun lead the effort to replace a crumbling church school. This pleasant sequel to "Going May Way" is a nice blend of comedy and drama. Although the earlier film won the Best Picture Oscar, this one is actually better, mainly because the script doesn't meander as much as the first film and because of the presence of Bergman. The actress is terrific and works well with Crosby, who continues his Oscar-winning role as Father O'Malley. This is the movie that's seen on the Bedford Falls movie theater marquee in "It's a Wonderful Life." Travers, who played an angel in that Frank Capra film, here plays a grumpy old man who changes his ways.

Ugh, this film is dull and tedious. It followed the huge box office success and heap of Oscars bestowed upon "Going My Way," and virtually sets out to recreate that film with some minor changes.

One of those changes is the addition of Ingrid Bergman, and thank God for her. I've never been much of a Bergman fan, but I'm so glad she was in this, or I would have slipped into a coma. The best scene in the film is when she teaches a young boy how to fight. I've never seen Bergman so breezy and happy-go-lucky on screen, and the sight of her in her nun's costume bouncing around her office in imitation of a boxer is the only moment of life and energy in this desultory film.

Bing Crosby plays the same role for which he won an Oscar the year before; that is, he plays himself. As in the previous film, he croons a sappy song (in this case "Aren't You Glad You're You"). As in the previous film, there's some attempt at dramatic tension built around a curmudgeonly old man who wants to tear down the church or something. Frankly, I wasn't paying that much attention. As in the previous film.....but you get the picture.

When I had my wisdom teeth removed, my oral surgeon prescribed a hefty dose of Xanax an hour before the surgery to send me into a loopy stupor. This film might have had the same effect on me, and would have saved me a pharmacy co-pay.

Grade: D

What has always attracted me to the oldest films starring Bing Crosby as a priest has been the ability he had to transfer to the viewer a tremendous warmth and tenderness. Certainly, his lines were written, but they were more than mere lines, for he embodied the attitude and intent of them so noticeably that it is hard not to end such a film without wanting to emulate such a man.

From his son, Gary, from his book "Going My Own Way," one can read a different story of his father. He claimed that Bing was cruel, cold, remote, and both physically and psychologically abusive -- such hard words to take in when one can be so deeply moved by his performances, especially as a priest.

His son, Philip, disputed his brother's claims, writing, " I loved him very much. He loved all of us too, including Gary. He was a great father." It is Philip's words I prefer to believe, for no man could give as much as his father did on the screen and it not come from his soul.

Ingrid Bergman's face in TBOSM was very beautiful, as though she came from heaven herself. Truly, she was one of the most gorgeous women that ever graced yesterday's films, and she too portrayed remarkably well the gentleness and kindness we envision God to be.

Watch this film and be blessed.

I've always said that had BOSM been the prequel to GMW, the former would have been more deserving of top honors in '44. Bing Crosby had been in pictures since 1930 and was enjoying unparalleled popularity (before or since), at the time, so the h'wood powers that be must have said, "well, why not...let's give ol' Bing an Oscar". In so doing, bing pulled in Mccarey and Fitzgerald also. GMW's sequel, BOSM, was more deserving of the Oscars, but didn't garner any. Ingrid Bergman gave a great performance as a nun (as in any part, she looked stunning). She should have won the Oscar, instead of Joan Crawford in "Mildred Pierce", a dreadfully shallow film. Someone asked how a swede could be a catholic nun, Sweden being totally lutheran. Mccarey did take some license here, but after all, she could have converted. Another license Mccarey took was Fr. O'malley's being sent from St. Louis, in both films, all the way to new york to work there. the catholic church really doesn't work like that. But, with such licenses, one must overlook them unless they are gross. Bing would have been hard pressed to beat out Ray Milland (Lost Weekend); so, in retrospect, it was good he did get top honors in '44. The supporting cast was miles better than GMW's, Henry Travers, Martha Sleeper, Rhys Williams, Una O'connor, Bill Gargan (he really didn't have much of a part here), and the child actors. The songs were pretty good, esp. the title song, Fr. Bing giving them his characteristic effortless renditions. Some reviewer at the time thought he noticed that Bing and Ingrid, such titanic personalities in the one movie, could be easily imagined to wink at each other in their scenes together. He was probably right. A thoroughly enjoyable film.

There's wisdom in the old saying, `All things in moderation,' though it's not, perhaps, an axiom that should be applied to filmmaking. the success of a movie-- any movie-- depends upon that spark of life the director, the actors or the combination of the two can bring to it. The magic they can make. `The Bells of St. Mary's,' directed by Leo McCarey is a prime example; a film that seemingly has all of the elements for success, and while it's a decent movie with some heart in the story, the presentation lacks that spark that would have made it truly memorable. It's like wanting to settle in on a cold winter's night with a good, steaming cup of hot chocolate; if the chocolate's only warm-- tepid at best-- you're left with a promise of what could have been, unfulfilled.

The story is fairly uncomplicated: St. Mary's school is in trouble; it's old and facing condemnation, and they haven't the money nor the resources to fix it. There is, however, a new building being constructed on land adjacent to that of St. Mary's, a building that would be perfect for a new school. And it's the hope of Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman), the nun who runs the school, that by some miracle Mr. Horace P. Bogardus (Henry Travers), owner of the new building, will see fit to donate it to St. Mary's. Toward that end, she has been praying fervently. She has not, however, contacted Mr. Bogardus, who happens to want St. Mary's so that he can raze the school and put in a parking lot. Enter Father Chuck O'Malley (Bing Crosby), who has been sent to St. Mary's to weigh the situation and ascertain whether or not it is feasible to keep the school afloat (a fact he does not share with Sister Benedict). As it is, once he sees the condition of the school itself, it's going to be a tough sell to keep it open. It just may take that miracle Sister Benedict is praying for.

A sequel to the Oscar winner for Best Picture of 1944, `Going My Way,' (for which Crosby earned the Oscar for Best Actor; McCarey for Director, as well as writer for Original Story), this one was greeted with some extremely high expectations. And while McCarey was obviously trying his best to recapture that same spirit that made the first one so engaging, he never quite seems to be able to ignite that same spark. For one thing, he doesn't have Barry Fitzgerald this time around. Ingrid Bergman takes on the role of Father O'Malley's sparring partner-- which is another part of the problem. Their conflict is simply not that pronounced, coming down to a slightly different philosophy as to how to run the school and how strict the guidelines should be for the students. It just seems rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things; if even half the problems we face in life were thus, we would call this place in which we live Paradise.

There's a touch of melodrama to the story, but mostly it's just mellow drama. Even at it's darkest point, the situation at St. Mary's still seems comparatively like a lazy day at the park. And it's the result of McCarey's moderation-in-all-things approach. He tries to convey how bad the situation is without wanting to make it `too' bad. The only real spunk in the film comes during a scene in which Sister Benedict gives a boxing lesson to a student named Eddie (Richard Tyler), who turns out to have a mean right hook in him. There's also a scene near the beginning in which Father O'Malley introduces himself to the nuns that is mildly amusing. Other than these, the magic lays fairly dormant throughout.

Crosby picks up the character of Father O'Malley without missing a beat, but in doing so he gives new definition to the phrase, `Laid back.' A real pipe-and-slipper part, Bing makes the good Father believable, but so easy going that his main purpose seems to be facilitating the progress of the story. He does manage to work in a couple of songs (Aren't You Glad You're You' and `The Bells of St. Mary's'), but his easy manner and McCarey's diluted approach to the material make this a less than absorbing experience.

Ingrid Bergman does a good job of bringing Sister Benedict to life (did she ever give a `bad' performance in anything?), but she has a hard time breaking free of the stereotypical mold of the nun in which McCarey seems bent on placing her, especially when attempting to exploit her natural beauty by setting her up in a number of `frieze' type shots, seemingly meant to establish her purity in all things. Not a bad ploy, perhaps, but less than effective; consider, for example, how much more of an impact Lilia Skala's nun in `Lilies of the Field' had. Still, capturing Bergman's classic beauty in these shots does provide for some reflective moments, even if it compromises the drama somewhat. Depth of character, it seems, was not what McCarey was striving for here, and unfortunately his methods give something of a superficial sheen to the film.

The supporting cast includes William Gargan (Patsy's Father), Martha Sleeper (Mrs. Gallagher), Joan Carroll (Patsy), Ruth Donnelly (Sister Michael), Rhys Williams (Dr. McKay) and the always delightful Una O'Connor (Mrs. Breen). A pleasant enough movie, but less than involving, `The Bells of St. Mary's' will be a satisfying experience for those of moderate tastes, but for those seeking the kind of drama to which they can really connect, it will be less than fulfilling. Overall, coming on the heels of `Going My Way' and with stars like Crosby and Bergman on hand, it makes a promise to which it never quite lives up. I rate this one 6/10.

A special day and a challenge appears at St Mary's convent...a young and inexperienced Father O'Malley (Bing Crosby) comes to its convent school. He does not know much about how to deal with school administration, how to put up with the nuns, how to take the biblical advice "Be sober and watch!" Nevertheless, little humor he has in advance, gifted honesty, imagination, and heart are able to make the bell ring out the joy of finding the sixth sense in both pupils and tutors, the sense so gloomily rooted in Hamlet's soliloquy - TO BE. In this movie, however, TO BE reveals a different incarnation, a very optimistic face...

This sixth sense, Father O'Malley memorably reveals to one of his pupils, is brought out not only by the leading characters, portrayed by wonderful Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby but also by vibrant, unforgettable supporting characters like Patsy's parents who reconcile after 13 years and once greedy and reluctant Mr Bogardus. Thanks to their optimistic, humane, subtle contributions to the movie, we can still be touched to tears and realize that, after all these years, we're watching a significant production that has really stood a test of time.

Apart from many reviews and viewpoints on this movie, the major point of praise is with its genuine depiction of life and the 'simplicity' of its complexities. Drama blending with comedy, intense struggle blending with ease, sorrow with laughter. Mr Bogardus (Henry Travers), perhaps, best embodies that idea. His life, with humorous and spiritual undertones, is transformed. He undergoes a unique change of heart, both humorous and serious, but a far more down-to-earth than splendid miracles and loud proclamations. The change is something that he shows in...deeds. The three key concepts of generosity, benevolence and dust leave us amused and positively loaded while watching the nice old fellow with a mind filled with quite concrete realizations of good deeds. Note the sweet dog he saves on the road which follows him. The actor's performance is worth noting.

Keeping in mind constant humor inserted to many scenes helps view the movie quite distanced from its convent setting and its conventional atmosphere. Spirituality is never too tense nor unbearable for a contemporary viewer but subtly contributes to the plots. That is partly achieved by its school context - we rather see priests and nuns teaching than praying. This 'education context' ranges from class humor, pupils' dramatic efforts to boys' fights which are the inevitable part of school life (never totally rejected nor severely punished by the most holy nuns). Meanwhile, music positively aids the mood of the movie, including such classical pieces as a glorious hymn of praise to Virgin Mary "O Sanctissima," (also known as "Mariners Hymn"); a lovely song sung by Bing Crosby "In the Land of Beginning Again," which beautifully goes with a plot; the charming song derived from the title "The Bells of St Mary's," the famous carol "O Come All Ye Faithful" sung in Latin ("Adeste Fideles") and the lovely Swedish folk song about the coming of the spring "Varvindar Friska" sung by Ingrid Bergman. This was the most memorable song from this movie for me. It sounds joyful, thrilling and mysterious.

Since the movie is deeply rooted in its Hollywood tradition and the specific period of star vehicles, the two greatest achievements are most visible through Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby. What a pairing!

INGRID BERGMAN, the Swedish star in Hollywood apart from Garbo (and unlike Garbo...not alone), is a 'grown up tomboy nun,' combines holiness with earthliness being equally captivating at praying earnestly to God with teary eyes and training a young boy Eddie in the art of skillful boxing. Her most unforgettable moments, however, include the terrific scenes with Mr Bogardus. The touch of these scenes is something you cannot describe but you must see.

BING CROSBY supplies the movie with an excellent picture of priest's model - a person of intellect but above all, a person of heart. He is ready to LISTEN to people around (not PREACH through monologue), to help the separated couples reconcile, to talk to the heart of young Patsy, to sing out his concept of living the life of love. A charming performance!

Sister Benedict and Father O'Malley, when we consider their characters as a sort of 'couple', differ in their attitudes about how to treat pupils, ideas of how to run the school, differ in their tempers, too - that is the contrast of 'fight your way through' vs 'think your way through' at certain moments. The leading female and the leading male ... Yet, with unique 'chemistry' they wonderfully complement each other. The typical old Hollywood farewell scene at the finale proves that assumption about leading couple most effectively.

THE BELLS OF ST MARY'S does not only bring sweet memories of Hollywood's heyday but still, through its unique depiction of the story, proudly inspires this sixth sense. Glad to BE aware of why you are here, BE able to lose nothing of yourself but find inspiration that sustains humanity in joyful existence. A wonderful example of a great old classic at which your heart wears a smile...

This is a very pleasant film for the Christmas season, worth its standing as a seasonal favourite, even if it's outdated and clearly a product of far more innocent times, which makes certain aspects of the plot quite unbelievable to 21st century viewers.

The story is fairly straightforward: the desire to save St. Mary's, an old and run down Catholic school run by nuns. Bing Crosby offers a good performance as Father O'Malley, sent in by his ecclesiastical superiors to run the school with a mandate apparently to sell the school to a businessman (Bogardus, played by Henry Travers) who wants to turn it into a parking lot for his new office building. Meanwhile the nuns, led by Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman, in what I thought was the standout performance of the movie,) are praying that Bogardus will actually donate his new office building for the school to relocate in, trusting that faith can, indeed, move mountains.

It's an interesting enough movie, even if the plot suffers from certain unrealistic elements - primarily the ultimate fate of the school and the subplot revolving around the relationship between young Patsy's (Joan Carroll) parents (Martha Sleeper and William Gargan) which just seems too "easy" given the history between the two. I have to say, without giving anything away to anyone who hasn't seen the movie, that the ending (revolving around the health of Sister Benedict) seemed to me unnecessary and neither fit with the rest of the movie nor added anything to it.

Still, watching this movie is a pleasant holiday tradition to start. 7/10

Who would've guessed a simple story of a new priest stopping by to re-shape a school run by nuns would be this...funny. Nothing is as legend as Ingrid Bergman in nun's habit teaching boxing lessons to a teen. Nothing! And now that I've seen it, my nun nightmares can end there. Bing Crosby plays an even keeled priest...warmly and calmly spinning wholesome lessons. A wonderful holiday flick from a bygone era.

this is the sequel and more famous cousin to Going my Way.Bing Crosby reprises his role of Father O'Malley.Ingrid Bergman co-stars.this movie is much deeper than it's predecessor,and has a much better,stronger story.Crosby and Bergman are both brilliant here.the story has some very touching moments.i welled up a few times.there are strong themes of hope and faith and miracles here,and the human spirit.wheres there are a quite a few lighter,comedic moments in Going my Way,there aren't that many here.it's much more serious in tone.i don't know if Bergman and/or Crosby won academy awards for their portrayals,but they give award worthy performance.the movie does feel a bit long and there are some slow moments,but overall,i liked it.i give The Bells of St. Mary's a 6/10