The Bells of St. Mary's

"The Whole World's in Tune... with Bing and Bergman together at their most brilliant best!"

1945 2h 6m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 155

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Father O'Malley is sent to St. Mary's, a run-down parochial school on the verge of condemnation. He and Sister Benedict work together in an attempt to save the school, though their differing methods often lead to good-natured disagreements.

“The Whole World's in Tune... with Bing and Bergman together at their most brilliant best!”

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Cast

Bing Crosby
Father O'Malley
Ingrid Bergman
Sister Mary Benedict
Henry Travers
Horace P. Bogardus
William Gargan
Joe Gallagher
Ruth Donnelly
Sister Michael
Joan Carroll
Patsy Gallagher
Martha Sleeper
Mary Gallagher
Rhys Williams
Dr. McKay

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Leo McCarey
Writers: Dudley Nichols, Leo McCarey
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

81 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Father O'Malley Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Leo McCarey, shot by George Barnes. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Robert Emmett Dolan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Harry Marker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman and Henry Travers carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Whole World's in Tune... with Bing and Bergman together at their most brilliant best!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0037536 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Leo McCarey directs. George Barnes behind the camera. Robert Emmett Dolan scores. Harry Marker cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Father O'Malley Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Leo McCarey, shot by George Barnes. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Robert Emmett Dolan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Harry Marker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman and Henry Travers carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The Whole World's in Tune... with Bing and Bergman together at their most brilliant best!".
8IMDB entry: tt0037536 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "nun", "priest", "school", "black and white".

The technical file

Cinematography: George Barnes
Original score: Robert Emmett Dolan
Editing: Harry Marker
Costume design: Edith Head
Runtime: 126 min · 2h 6m
Status: Released
Box office: $21,300,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Sound

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

Father O'Malley Collection

Also by

Leo McCarey

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-07-01
★ 7/10
With the possible exception of Julie Andrews, I don't think I've seen anyone more suited to the role of a nun than Ingrid Bergman. Here she runs the eponymous school for young children. The arrival of the new Father "O'Malley" (Bing Crosby) causes a few ripples - they gently clash on the approach to educating the children, but for the most part remain focused on trying to get their neighbour "Mr. Bogardus" (Henry Travers) to donate a building he owns next door, so the school can extend. Essentially an engaging triple-hander, this is an enjoyable feel-good film that demonstrates the skills of all three, very much in their element, with a solidly uplifting story and the odd bit of crooning from Crosby. It is a bit too long, but the ending is a little heart-rending - if also just a bit dragged out - and it has something of a Christmas feel to it that makes it easy to watch.

Production companies