The Bells of Saint Mary's

Believe it or nor I have never watched this movie before.  That is incredible given the fact that I love old movies.  The Bell's of Saint Mary is one of the BEST movies I have ever had the pleasure of watching.  It is incredibly moving and I wanted to watch it again right aferwards.

The Bell's of Saint Mary's stars Ingrid Bergman as Sister Superior Mary Benedict and Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O'Malley.  The movie was originally released on December 6, 1945 and made $21,333,333. at the box office.  

    

Ingrid Bergman gave an outstanding performance at Sister Mary Benedict.  Bergman did earn a Best Actress nomination for her role in this film.  To me Bergman looked a bit too young to be a Sister Superior but I was able to overlook that.  
    

Bing Crosby was perfect as Father O'Malley.  The character is funny and quite unconventional.  Father O'Malley is assigned to Saint Mary's Parish to decide whether or not the old school building should be closed down and the children sent to a newer school facility.  The nuns have faith that God will provide beat for them.  

Right next door to the old run down school a brand new building is erected by businessman Horace P. Bogardus.  The new building is just what Saint Mary's Parish needs as a new school for the children.  They would rather not send the children away.  Sister Mary Benedict prays to God for Mr. Bogardus to give the new building to the Parish free of charge for the children.  Mr. Bogardus is not a nice man though.  He does not like children and is not a generous man.  Most people do not like Mr. Bogardus because he is generally mean and cheap.  Sister Mary Benedict has faith that all will be well.

Mr. Horace P. Bogardus is played by Henry Travers.

 

 

At first Father O'Malley believes that demolishing the old school and sending the children to another one is best.  However, as he gets to know the nuns and witnesses their faith and love for the children he begins to see their way of things.

  

There are other sub-plots whithin this film that adds to the warmth of it.  Father O'Malley accepts into Saint Mary's Parish the daughter of a woman whose husband left her 13 years ago.  Patricia, the woman's daughter has a little bit of a chip on her shoulder, but Father O'Malley likes her and goes out of his way to help her.

During the film you see Patricia come into her own.  

 Sister Mary Benedict also does all she can to help Patricia.  

 

Sister Mary Benedict does not believe in fighting, however, to help out a student who is being bullied, Mary Benedict on how to box and teaches the young student how to defend himself in the privacy of her office.  When the bully strikes again in the school yard Mary Benedict's boxing protege is prepared. 
 

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 The youngest children in the school are rehearsing for a Christmas pageant they are putting on.  It is so funny, warm and cute and one of the best parts of this movie for me.  The innocense of children is truly amazing.

Father O'Malley and Sister Mary Benedict watch the children rehearse.

Sister Mary Benedict has fainting spells from time ti time. 

After a series of events Mr. Bogardus begins to see the Light.  He wants to change and give back to humanity in some way.  He is tired of being disliked and begins to see the beauty in the world.  Mr. Bogardus even goes into the church to pray.  Before too long Mr. Bogardus gives the new building to Saint Mary's Parish for the children.

While Sister Mary Benedict is getting the new building ready for the school she receives some news from Father O'Malley that really tests her faith.  I cried during the scene in the chapel when Sister Benedict prays to Jesus to help her.  This scene was perfect.  You could see Mary Benedict trying to find the right words to speak and then when the tears start rolling down her eyes just at the right moment it is your undoing.  

 I cried some more at the end of this movie.  I was so glad that Father O'Malley decided to explain to Sister Mary Benedict why she was being sent away.  At least now she knew that it was not just some cruel and heartless twist of fate.  

The Bells of Saint Mary's is the 50th highest grossing film of all time.  (Allowing adjustments for inflation).

      

This is the 8th film in my Period Drama Challenge.

Goodbye Again

I wish that I could include this movie in my period drama challenge but it does not qualify.   I had to watch it anyway because after I read the synopsis it looked really interesting.  I streamed this movie on Netflix on Sunday and really enjoyed it.  

Goodbye Again was released on June 25, 1961.  In Europe it was released as  Aimez-vous Brahms?.  It is directed and produced by Anatole Litvak.  The film stars three of the best actors the world has ever known; Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins and Yves Montand. 

 

Goodbey Again is a film about a 40 year old interior decorator named Paula Tessier (played by Bergman) who is deeply in love with a French businessman named Roger Demarest (played by Yves Montand).  Paula has been in love with Roger for the past 5 years.  Roger cares for Paula, but not enough to be faithful to her.  Roger is a big time philanderer; a fact that he did tell Paula about right from the start but for some strange reason Paula told Roger that it was okay.  Roger is ruggedly handsome and quite a charmer.  Paula cannot help her feelings for Roger and after 5 years with him wants to be his one and only.  Roger has been discreet but Paula was always able to tell when he was going to be with another woman.  Countless times Roger would call to cancel dates with her at the last minute.  

Paula is hired by Mrs. Van Der Besh, a socialite to decorate her apartment.  On the day that Paula meets Mrs Van Der Besh, she also meets her son Philip Van Der Besh who is played brilliantly by Anthony Perkins.  Philip who is only 25 years old is instantly attracted to Paula.

Anthony Perkins always seemed to fit roles where the characters have excessive behaviors.  I always wondered if he was like that in real life because he portrayed these types of characters so well.  
 

Philip immediately begins to constantly put himself in Paula's space.  Just about everywhere Paula goes Philip is there.  Paula tells Philip that not only is she too old for him, but she is in love with another man.  Philip does not care about Paula's age and he is determined to take Paula away from Roger.  

   

While Roger is away on a business trip Paula finally decides there is no harm in attending a Brahms concert with Philip.  All through the show Philip cannot take his eyes off of Paula.  It is actually really creepy and that should have been a clue to Paula.  
 

One afternoon Philip spots Roger meeting this woman on the street for a rendevous.  Roger told Paula that he was going on another business trip but Philip knows it is a lie.  Roger went away to be with this woman.  

When Roger returns from his "business trip" he slips up and Paula realizes that he was with another woman.  Paula cannot stand by any longer and take Roger's philandering.

Paula resolves to move on from Roger.  

Paula and Philip become lovers.  Philip worships the ground that Paula walks on.

For the first time Paula really feels loved.  She knows that Philip really loves her and all the attention and focus that Philip gives her is what she wanted from Roger.  Paula is self conscious about her age though and she has to withstand looks and comments from others about the age difference. 

  

One problem that Paula has with Philip is that he is a spoiled child that does like to work.  While Paula is out working all day Philip is sitting around her apartment.   Philip has a job that his mother got for him but he only shows up about once a week.  Paula finally has to confront him about it. 
 

 

Several months after breaking it off with Roger, she runs into him while she is out dining and dancing with Philip.  Roger always knew that Philip wanted Paula and he could not stand the thought of Paula with another man, even though he was never faithful to her.  Roger visits Paula at her workplace and finally tells her that he cannot live without her.  Paula is elated (fool) and gets engaged to Roger.  I wanted to scream at my laptop screen at Paula.  I knew she was making a big mistake.  Roger was simply jealous and did not want Paula to move on from him.  

Paula tells Philip to news that she is going to marry Roger.  Philip runs off and is a very broken and hurt man.

Philip is in tears as he walks away.  I felt so sorry for him.  

Paula and Roger get married and things seem fine at first.  But one evening as Paula is getting ready to go out and have dinner with her husband he calls and cancels at the last minute.  Deep down Paula knows he is meeting another woman and that his philandering has started again.
 

I have been madly in love myself a few times, so I know how Paula feels.  She is madly in love with Roger and cannot purge him from her system which causes her to make the huge mistake of accepting a man who will not treat her with the respect and love that she deserves.  Paula had that with Philip, but she has thrown him aside and now stuck with a husband who never had any intentions on being faithful.  

Paula has a housekeeper-maid named Gaby who really cares about her and looks out for her.

Diahann Carroll makes a brief appearance close to the end of the film as a nightclub singer.  

    

Goodbye Again did very well in Europe, but was not well received in America.  Anthony Perkins won an award at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance.  The previous year Perkins starred as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho.  I think it is a very good movie and at a loss as to why the critics in America would pan it.  I would say that Anthony Perkins' performance stole the show in this film.  Even though I thought Philip was one card away from a "full deck", at least he was consistent and Paula could count on him.  

Anthony Perkins and Ingrid Bergman on the set of Goodbye Again.
 

Ingrid Bergman and Yves Montand in publicity photo.

Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Perkins in publicity photo.

Anthony Perkins, Ingrid Bergman, and Yves Montand at the Cannes Film Festival.  Ingrid Bergman was 46 and Anthony Perkins was 29 when they made Goodbye Again.