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.
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.