BELLS ARE RINGING
US, 1960, 127 minutes, Colour.
Judy Holliday, Dean Martin, Fred Clark, Eddie Foy Jr, Jean Stapleton, Frank Gorshin.
Directed by Vincente Minnelli.
Bells Are Ringing is a musical comedy with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden (On the Town, Singin’ in the Rain).
The film was a star vehicle for Judy Holliday who in her short career made quite an impact. After appearing in some film and television she was officially introduced in Adam’s Rib, 1949, and made a strong impact. She won the Oscar the following year for Born Yesterday. During the 50s she made only a few films: The Marrying Kind, It Should Happen to You, Phffft, The Solid Gold Cadillac, Full of Life. Here she is teamed with Dean Martin who plays in his familiar style as a laidback playwright.
Judy Holliday originated the character of Ella Peterson on stage. The film is very much influenced by the stage production, especially in the musical numbers.
Judy Holliday plays Ella Peterson, an ordinary telephonist but she is more like a fairy godmother as she gives pieces of information to help the range of people she talks to on the answering service – amongst whom, the playwright who thinks she is a rather older woman. Of course, the consequences are revelation and romance.
The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli who had directed a number of musicals at MGM during the 1940s including Meet Me in St Louis and The Pirate. He also directed a number of serious films including Undercurrent and Madame Bovary. During the 1950s he made The Bad and the Beautiful, The Cobweb, Lust for Life as well as significant musicals like An American in Paris, The Bandwagon and Brigadoon and Kismet. He won an Oscar in 1958 for Gigi.
1. How pleasantly entertaining was this film? As an example of the fifties - sixties musicals? Does it seem dated now? The overtones of the title - telephones, wedding bells? The successful use of music comedy, coincidence,
romance? The overtones of the Cinderella story? How successful was the film as a whole?
2. Comment on the film as a musical. The use of songs and dances? Judy Holliday and Dean Martin? The lyrics of the songs for comedy? Was it memorable?
3. How did the film rely on Judy Holliday's personality and flair for comedy and impersonation? How attractive was she? Why? How did the film rely on Dean Martin's personality, his easygoing nature, his singing? How well did the two stars blend?
4. How attractive a character was Ella? (Cinderella?) How real a person was she? When was she real? Her performance on the phone, contrasting with her shyness and awkwardness at dating? Dithery and shy with people?
Yet her influence on the dentist, the actor, and on Jeffrey Moss? The importance of her impersonations? Her basic goodness and concern for people? The effect she bad on people, especially Moss and his writing the play? The importance for her and her falling in love? How well did she cope eventually with meeting people? The importance of the party and her escaping from it, her fears? How heroic was she at the end? A true heroine with true happiness?
5. Was Jeffrey a conventional hero? Dean Martin’s acting, singing? As a playwright and the comedy of his writing the play? The effect of Ella? Changing him? Success? The impact of his final search for her and finding her?
6 How much did the film rely on humour for its charm? ‘Sue's Ansaphone’? The personalities of the phone-answerers? Sue herself? Otto and the illegal bookmaking and the sequences of confusion with this? The police and their search and the double meanings in their search? The dentist and his songs? The actor and his impersonations? It all coming together with the title of the play and the song in the Cabaret?
7. How strong was the film on the value of happiness? Was it a success in this regard?
