The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945): Cast, Box Office & Plot
The Bells of St. Mary’s is a 1945 comedy drama directed by Leo McCarey, starring Martha Sleeper as Mary Gallagher, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. It runs 2 hours 6 minutes and earned $21.3 million worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 6m (126 min)
- Director
- Leo McCarey
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- RKO Radio Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Bells of St. Mary’s About?
The premise of The Bells of St. Mary’s without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman star as Father O’Malley and Sister Benedict. Father O’Malley is assigned to St. Mary’s, a dilapidated parochial school on the brink of demolition. He joins forces with the spirited Sister Benedict to save the school, but their opposing methods—his pragmatic tactics versus her idealistic zeal—lead to frequent, good‑natured quarrels that add humor to their earnest campaign.
The Bells of St. Mary’s Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- school
- priest
- convent school
- nun
- catholic priest
- sequel
- mother daughter relationship
- fight
- pastor
- teacher
- inner city
- bully
+38 more Show fewer
- teacher student relationship
- catholic
- church
- boy
- orphan
- irish american
- urban setting
- single mother
- schoolyard fight
- school play
- husband wife reunion
- generosity
- construction site
- christmas
- boxing
- absent father
- tuberculosis
- classroom
- optimist
- book
- kitten
- rivalry
- catholic school
- christmas pageant
- boxing lesson
- baseball bat
- pledge of allegiance
- children's choir
- nun's habit
- mother superior
- bankruptcy
- irish catholic
- sporting goods store
- prayer
- playground
- graduation
- education
- doctor
The Bells of St. Mary’s Cast & Characters
Martha Sleeper leads the cast as Mary Gallagher, with Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O'Malley and Ingrid Bergman as Sister Mary Benedict. Directed by Leo McCarey; 29 actors are credited in all.
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Director Leo McCarey
- Martha Sleeper as Mary Gallagher
-
Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O'Malley -
Ingrid Bergman as Sister Mary Benedict - Ruth Donnelly as Sister Michael
Also Starring in The Bells of St. Mary’s
· 25 more- Henry Travers Horace P. Bogardus
- Joan Carroll Patsy Gallagher
- Una O'Connor Mrs. Breen
- Richard Tyler Eddie Breen
- Rhys Williams Dr. McKay
- Dewey Robinson Pedestrian Pulling Bogardus from Under Truck (uncredited)
- Minerva Urecal Landlady (uncredited)
- Matt Mchugh Sporting Goods Salesman (uncredited)
- William Gargan Joe Gallagher
- Joe Palma Workman (uncredited)
- Jimmie Dundee Cabbie (uncredited)
- John Smith Choir Member (uncredited)
- Pietro Sosso Blind Man (uncredited)
- Eva Novak Nun (uncredited)
- Georgie Nokes Boy (uncredited)
- Jimmy Crane Luther (uncredited)
Show all 29 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Gwen Crawford Nun (uncredited)
- Cora Shannon Elderly Woman (uncredited)
- Betty Jean Nichols Schoolgirl (uncredited)
- Peggy McKim Schoolgirl (uncredited)
- Aina Constant Nun (uncredited)
- Edna May Wonacott Delphine Ford (uncredited)
- Edward Coch Jr. Baby Jesus (uncredited)
- Bobby Dolan Jr. Bobby (uncredited)
- Bobby Frasco Tommy Smith (uncredited)
More from Leo McCarey
More films directed by Leo McCarey, best-rated first: Going My Way, Duck Soup, The Awful Truth and Love Affair.
The Bells of St. Mary’s Plot Summary
What happens in The Bells of St. Mary’s from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Father Chuck O’Malley arrives at St. Mary’s parish with a reputation for being unorthodox, taking on a mission that involves steering a small, nun-led inner-city school toward a brighter future. The housekeeper warns him that the last priest who lived there aged quickly, and the image of a ticking clock hangs over his new responsibilities. He is tasked with overseeing a structure that is more of a community project than a polished institution, a place where hope and hardship share the same walls.
Full summary
The whole story of The Bells of St. Mary’s, scene by scene
The Bells of St. Mary’s Box Office
The Bells of St. Mary’s grossed $21.3 million worldwide. $21.3 million came from the US and Canada and $4,645 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$21.3M
- US & Canada
- $21.3M
- International
- $4.6K
The Bells of St. Mary’s Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Bells of St. Mary’s.
How Well Do You Know The Bells of St. Mary’s?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who portrays Father Chuck O'Malley in the film?
Cars in The Bells of St. Mary’s
7 cars on screen, including the 1942 Cadillac Series 67 and the 1937 GMC F-Series.
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1942 Cadillac Series 67 Minor role -
1937 GMC F-Series Minor role -
1941 Plymouth Special De Luxe Minor role -
1938 White 788 Minor role
Seen The Bells of St. Mary’s?
Movies Like The Bells of St. Mary’s
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Christmas Bells Are Ringing, Silver Bells and The Miracle of the Bells.
-
Christmas Bells Are Ringing 2018 -
Silver Bells 2005 -
The Miracle of the Bells 1948 -
The Trouble with Angels 1966 -
Single Bells 1997 -
Every Time a Bell Rings 2021 -
Sister Mary Explains It All 2001 -
Mistletoe & Molly 2021 -
Mary Christmas 2002 -
The Bells of Cockaigne 1953 -
The Christmas Blessing 2005 -
Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing 2020
The Bells of St. Mary’s FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of The Bells of St. Mary’s, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Bells of St. Mary’s?
The Bells of St. Mary’s runs 2 hours 6 minutes (126 minutes).
When was The Bells of St. Mary’s released?
The Bells of St. Mary’s was released on December 6, 1945.
Who directed The Bells of St. Mary’s?
The Bells of St. Mary’s was directed by Leo McCarey.
More films by Leo McCarey Who is in the cast of The Bells of St. Mary’s?
The Bells of St. Mary’s stars Martha Sleeper as Mary Gallagher, Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O'Malley and Ingrid Bergman as Sister Mary Benedict, among 29 credited actors.
How much did The Bells of St. Mary’s make at the box office?
The Bells of St. Mary’s grossed $21.3 million worldwide ($21.3 million domestic, $4,645 international).
Does The Bells of St. Mary’s have a post-credit scene?
No. The Bells of St. Mary’s has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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