Review of The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) by Isabella D — 27 Nov 2011

This is the story of an easy going priest and a firm nun who try to put their differences aside in order to save a financially strapped parochial school from closing due to the hardheartedness of a stuffy businessman who has the building's mortgage.

The story isn't really anything new or original, but it's still pretty decently done. It's actually rather loose plotwise, and is very episodic in nature, often being playing fast and loose with the timeline. The script could have been a tad stronger, but this is made up by some decent direction, good cinematogrpahy, and some wonderful performances.

Bing Crosby is the type of guy who you really can't find a reason to hate. He's just too damn nice and loveable. Same goes for his character. He plays the type of priest I'd love to hang out with in real life. He's easy going and fun, but he's also got hius heart in the right place, and really cares. Ingrid Bergman is too attractive to be a realistic nun, but her performance is terrific, and she's (looks aside) convincing as the stern nun who begins to soften and become more understanding. Henry Travers is also good, if slightly underused as the old fudddyduddy businessman.

I'm fine with having several different plotlines going on, I just wish that the main one wasn't introduced, then mostly shelved for a while before making an appearance again. More balance with the stories would have made for a more focused and tighter film. That aside, this one's pretty solid.

All in all, this is a difficult film to not enjoy. It's got a bit of everything: comedy, drama, singing, stories of hope, redemption, forgiveness, and a heavy coating of charm and innocence. I'm not sure if I just really like or possibly even love it. I'll just be fair and give it at least a 4. I definitely recommend giving this a watch though.