I am 66 years old and went to a Catholic school run by holy sisters. My first grade teacher dressed almost exactly like Ingrid Bergman. The movie is very authentic in its portrayal of a school run by nuns. I have seen it many times. (SPOILER!) I really do cry when Father O'Malley tells Sister Benedict that she is leaving because she has TB. Bergman's acting is superb throughout, and Bing Crosby is a natural as a Catholic priest. One of my favorite movies of all time. This is how I grew up.

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM VERY HONEST ABOUT THESE FILMS. The unconventional Father Charles "Chuck" O'Malley (Bing Crosby) is assigned to St. Mary's parish, which includes a run-down inner-city school building on the verge of being condemned. O'Malley is to recommend whether or not the school should be closed and the children sent to another school with modern facilities; but the sisters feel that God will provide for them.They put their hopes in Horace P. Bogardus (Henry Travers), a businessman who has built a modern building next door to the school which they hope he will donate to them. Father O'Malley and the dedicated but stubborn Sister Superior, Mary Benedict (Ingrid Bergman), both wish to save the school, but their different views and methods often lead to disagreements. One disagreement involves a student (Richard Tyler) who is being bullied by another. A more serious one regards the promotion of an eighth-grade student, Patsy (Joan Carroll), whom the parish has taken in while her mother (Martha Sleeper) attempts to get back on her feet.This film is exceptional. I just saw this for the first time last year and I was floored. I loved everything about this film. From the story itself to the casting. The is a little long and people with short attention spans will most likely be bored. If you love Christmas movies and Old Hollywood Movies then put this on your "Must See List"

Made first but released after "Going My Way"! An episodic story about a failing Catholic Elementary School. Father O'Malley (Bing Crosby) again comes to the rescue as the tireless and optimistic priest, sent from the "home office" to access the situation and get things right. Ingrid plays the "tomboyish" head sister that runs the school, which curiously, doesn't appear to be attached directly to a church. It stands alone. All the lower grade Catholic schools I have ever known were always attached or next to a church, nearby. The "villain" in the piece is played by none-other than the actor that played the "Angel Clarence" in "It's a Wonderful Life." He owns the new office building next door and wants to tear down the old, crumbling school for his parking lot. The sisters are praying for a miracle that the new building will become their new school. Of course, that is exactly what happens when he literally has a change of heart. Very well written, but not very different from "Going My Way." No real blockbuster songs, except that "The Bells of St.Mary's" was recorded by Bing with entirely different lyrics and became a "standard" in it's time. Some of the events remind my a lot of other similar films like "The Trouble with Angels" made decades later. Like "Going My Way" a bit long but worth it. The ending is a real "tear-jerker" as Ingrid finds out that she is being transferred out not because she failed or upset Father O'Malley, but because she is sick and needs to get better. Almost out-of-print. It was public-domain for a while and even colorized, but it's just fine in black and white.

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S is a nice follow-up to GOING MY WAY, with BING CROSBY again cast as Father O'Malley. The script gives him a couple of obstacles to overcome (once again), one of them being the rather frosty disagreement he and INGRID BERGMAN have over the rearing of children.It's all a bit sugar-coated, but it's easy to fall under the spell of Bergman's glowing performance and the few amusing episodes that make up most of the human interest factor in the slight story. There's even a catchy song ("Aren't You Glad You're You?") which won an Oscar nomination in 1945, but the story is so simple-minded that you'll have to have a lot of affection for Bing and Ingrid to want to watch this particular film.There's a nice supporting cast, including the always reliable UNA O'CONNOR, JOAN CARROLL and the lovable HENRY TRAVERS as a man who must be convinced to use his riches for the goodness of man. Leo McCarey gets a lot of sly humor into the story, such as the scene where O'Malley is first addressing the nuns and wondering why all the giggling is taking place. On a shelf behind him, an inquisitive kitten is moving around under his hat.It's tastefully done, even with an ending that includes the news that Bergman's character has a terminal illness. Somehow, director McCarey keeps it all under control so that it never becomes downright maudlin, and he certainly gets the best possible work out of Crosby, Bergman and a flock of hyperactive school kids.