Drama

The Miracle of the Bells

The body of a young actress is brought to her home town by the man who loved her. He knows that she wanted all the church bells to ring for three days after she was buried, but is told that this will cost a lot of money. The checks that he writes to the various churches all bounce, but it is the weekend and, in desperation, he prays that a miracle will happen before the banks reopen. It does, but not in the way he hoped.

Release Date : 1948-03-27

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : RKO Radio PicturesJesse L. Lasky Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : William 'Bill' Dunnigan

Original Name : Fred MacMurray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Olga Treskovna

Original Name : Alida Valli

Gender : Female

Character Name : Father Paul

Original Name : Frank Sinatra

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marcus Harris

Original Name : Lee J. Cobb

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nick Orloff

Original Name : Harold Vermilyea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Spinsky

Original Name : Charles Meredith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tod Jones

Original Name : James Nolan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anna Klovna

Original Name : Veronica Pataky

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ming Gow

Original Name : Philip Ahn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dolan

Original Name : Frank Ferguson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Jennings

Original Name : Frank Wilcox

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Katie Orwin (uncredited)

Original Name : Dorothy Sebastian

Gender : Female

Character Name : Soldier in 'Joan of Arc'

Original Name : Robert Bacon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman

Original Name : Walter Bacon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crew Member

Original Name : Sam Bagley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Drunken Man

Original Name : Brooks Benedict

Gender : Male

Character Name : Slenka

Original Name : Oliver Blake

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crew Member

Original Name : Eddie Borden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crew Member

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Worshiper

Original Name : Steve Carruthers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : George Cathrey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Max

Original Name : George Chandler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Worshiper

Original Name : Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bellringer's Son

Original Name : Bill Clauson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Parishioner Witnessing Miracle

Original Name : Mabel Colcord

Gender : Female

Character Name : Soldier in 'Joan of Arc'

Original Name : Roger Creed

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier in 'Joan of Arc'

Original Name : Paul Cristo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Roy Darmour

Gender : Male

Character Name : Priest in 'Joan of Arc'

Original Name : Ned Davenport

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bob Briggs

Original Name : Bert Davidson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner

Original Name : James Dime

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner

Original Name : Al Eben

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nobleman in 'Joan of Arc'

Original Name : Herbert Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Worshiper

Original Name : Franklyn Farnum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Assistant Director

Original Name : Jack Gargan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Radio Listener

Original Name : Robert Haines

Gender : Male

Character Name : Actor in Movie

Original Name : Jimmie Horan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Druggist

Original Name : Perry Ivins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Millhouser

Original Name : Dorothy Neumann

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bellringer

Original Name : Frank Pharr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harold Tanby, Harris' Assistant

Original Name : Michael Raffetto

Gender : Male

Character Name : Freddy Evans, the Pianist

Original Name : Syd Saylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Milton Wild

Original Name : Tom Stevenson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Koslick, Miner

Original Name : Ray Teal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Kummer

Original Name : Charles Wagenheim

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baggage Man

Original Name : Max Wagner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Martha

Original Name : Regina Wallace

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tommy Elmore

Original Name : Billy Wayne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grave Digger

Original Name : Ian Wolfe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman in Church

Original Name : Jean Spangler

Gender : Female

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-09

This is actually quite an uplifting tale of an actress (Alida Valli) who wants to be buried back in her home town. Snag is, her one and only film is considered a bit of a stinker by the producer (Lee J. Cobb) and so when she dies the day after it's completion, a well-meaning Hollywood press man (Fred MacMurray) has to resort to creating a bit of a public interest storm to facilitate her last wish. To that end, he manages to convince local priest (Frank Sinatra) to let the body lie in his church and for the bells to ring for three days... It's told cleverly, partially using flashback, in a gently paced manner that does demonstrate some of the finer aspects of humanity countered by some of the less kind ones. Unfortunately, it does tend to over-correlate the better aspects of the story with the church a bit too much; not exactly a religious white-wash, but certainly a little naively simplistic when it comes to the characteristics of the benign journalist against the evil, malevolent producer. On the face of it, it is quite a fun film with a good performance from MacMurray and a slightly implausibly saintly Sinatra; but just a touch too sugary for me...