Some movies are forever fixed in time because of their heart. One of the greatest examples of this is the Academy Award winner The Bells of St. Mary’s. It received 9 Academy award nominations and no doubt would have won most of them except that another film featuring Bing Crosby as Father O’Malley – Going My Way (well worth renting) – had won 13 Academy Awards the year before.
This film was made in 1945 and the innocence, joy, and relationships reflected in it were a part of that time when I was in the second grade! It may seem strange to think of 1945 as a time of innocence since that’s the same year that World War II ended. But America was together then in patriotism and had been highly patriotic throughout that war. We knew and sang all the patriotic songs’s promoting our military and our nation.
Except for the South where civil rights weren’t given until the 60’s, my memories are warm and happy as I grew up in San Jose, California. For a deeper understanding of that time and how we thought during that time, watch my series on reachmorenow.com called Years Ago.
THE BELLS OF ST. MARY"S - BING CROSBY, INGRID BERGMAN - MOVIE OF THE WEEK