THE MIRACLE OF THE BELLS

U.S., 1948, 120 minutes, black and white.
Fred Mac Murray, Valli, Frank Sinatra, Lee J. Cobb, Harold Vermilyea.
Directed by Irving Pichel.


The Miracle of the Bells is a story about a press agent and gimmicks, the promoting of a movie whose star died as she finsished it. It was her first film, and the producer decides to shelve it. Fred Mac Murray is the agent, devoted to the star, brings her body back to her home town, pays for all the church bells to ring for three days and three nights. A seeming miracle occurs when two statues turn to face her coffin in the poor church before her funeral. Alida Valli is sympathetic as the actress. There is some discussion about faith, miracles, the effect miracles have on people as well as a physical explanation of what happened – the crowd for the funeral was too heavy for the foundations, built over mines, and shifted the bases of the statues.

The Miracle of the Bells has its own gimmick. If anyone wanted to see Frank Sinatra with a Roman collar, a cassock and even wearing vestments, this is the opportunity. He is Fr Paul, parish priest of a small church in the Pennsylvania town. Sinatra was around thirty when he made the film and looks like a newly-ordained priest who has come, all skinny earnestness, sweetness and light, straight from the seminary. Though he does have some moments telling off the local undertaker.

He fulfils the audience expectations of the time, a priest in the Bing Crosby vein. Sinatra does get a chance to sing, to Mac Murray in the cemetery, the translation of a Polish song.

He is common-sensed about the miracle, listens to the agent’s pitch about how people’s hearts respond to events like this, but covers it well in his brief sermon, indicating the effect of the statues’ moving but saying that explanations would be heard later. He finishes with an exhortation about goodness, that the star had brought some heaven into people’s lives.

There is respect for Protestants as he invites the agent to stay for a ceremony. Respect for the Jewish producer who says that this kind of goodness is miraculous in his religion. ‘In mine, too’, responds the priest. (Sinatra is akin to the young priest that Clint Eastwood encounters in Gran Torino.) It was after seeing this film, that critic James Agee wrote that he would be 'a founding father of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to God'.


1. Hollywood story, the press and publicity, religious themes, blending them?

2. The 1940s? Images of the church, religion, clergy? Post war attitudes?

3. New York and the stage? Actors on tour, the Christmas meal? Hollywood, offices, film sets? Pennsylvania and the coal town? A cross section of American locations?

4. The cast, Frank Sinatra as a priest? The musical score? Songs?

5. The structure of the film, Bill’s story, Olga’s death and preparing the funeral, taking the coffin to Pennsylvania? The funeral and as a framework for the story, the flashbacks, the cumulative effect?

6. Bill, press agent, successful, his life and career? In the theatre, friends, calling on favors? Seeing Olga’s picture on the poster? Bill talking with her in the dressing room? Meeting the Chinese man, the pleasant discussion, his wisdom, the special dinner for Christmas? Bill and Hollywood? Olga as a stand-in, the tantrum of the European actress? Dinner at home, Bill’s idea, Olga and her performance as Joan of Arc? The film being shelved, his phone call to Harris, the meetings, asking Harris for the audition? The making of the film, Olga’s success, her illness, the doctor, her death, her last wishes? His love for her but never expressing it?

7. Olga, her Polish background, migration, to Pennsylvania, the coal town her, growing up, her mother’s death, her father and his music, drinking, urging her to be an actress? The poverty of his funeral? Payments? Olga as a good woman, the dance and her awkwardness, Bill getting her the new chance, her gratitude? Her performance on tour? the Chinese meal, her happiness? In Hollywood, the stand-in, Bill meeting her, the dinner, her performance as Joan, meeting Harris, his liking her, the making of the film, her performance as Joan at the stake? The dying in performance and in reality? The doctor, the disease, TB, her final wishes, the bells, the angels, the church of Saint Michael? Michael as a warrior?

8. The impact of the two scenes of Joan of Arc? In front of the English Court and the Bishops? Her death? The credibility that the film would be a success?

9. Harris, a successful producer, his work with the director? The tantrums of the European actress? His listening, his wanting some patriotism? Shelving of the film? Interview with Olga? Success of the film? Her death, his shelving the film? Bill and his asking for money? The gimmick of the bells, Harris’ disapproval, the meeting with the executives, his blaming Bill, the impact of the broadcasts? Harris going to the town? His agreeing to release the film? The funds for the hospital to combat disease in the town?

10. Orloff, meeting the train, the businessman, the details of the money, his beer hall, his taunts about Olga’s father and his popularity? Listening to the story? His continued interest in money, further costs, prestige?

11. Father Paul, Frank Sinatra? Young, nice, skinny, agreeable, his poverty, initial crusading attitude, tough on Orloff, his listening to the story, singing the song in the cemetery, the priest from St Leo’s? Being deferential? Preparing for the funeral, the statues moving, his going to the basement, seeing the explanation, Bill and his wanting him to approve the miracle? His sermon, exhorting the people, but saying they would be an explanation? And a church investigation? The neighboring priest, the discussions about money, prestige?

12. The playing of the bells, three days, three nights? Bill and the cheques? The priest from St Leo’s demanding double price? Bill and his telegraphing Harris for the money? The priest and the complaints about the ringing of the bells? Wanting the funeral at his church? The crowds coming?

13. The journalists, listening to Bill, working out what he was doing? The drinks, the discussions, the articles, success? The contact with the governor of the states, the official mourning for Olga? The broadcast? Harris and his response?

14. The miracle itself, the crowd and the floor, shifting the foundations, over the mines? The statues facing the coffin? The crowds, the response, prayer? A miracle as something spiritual for people? The rational explanation?

15. A film of the forties, religious sensibilities –and in later decades?