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Robert Harris

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God bless Olive for bringing Leo McCarey's 1944 The Bells of St. Mary's to Blu-ray.

It's a bit of an odd bird. As explained by Prof. Emily Corman in one of the supplements, it's a bona fide sequel - but produced via another studio. Going My Way was a Paramount production, released in 1944, a year previous to Bells. Mr. Crosby plays the same character in both. But Bells is an RKO production, with Mr. Crosby as one of the producers. A bit of cross-pollination.

While Going My Way is currently part of the Universal catalog, Bells appears to have been licensed by Olive from Paramount.

And while Going won a myriad of awards, Bells was nominated for eight, inclusive of Best Picture, but won only for Best Sound Recording. Best Picture went to The Lost Weekend.

Olive's new Blu is a lovely affair. While it appears to be derived from a fine grain, the image is stable, crisp and clean, with a terrific gray scale.

Zero problems to be found.

Bells in another of those wonderful '40s productions, for which these words will be few.

Just pick up a copy.

Image - 4.5

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Highly Recommended

RAH

 
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Malcolm R

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And still, assessed for inflation, one of the highest grossing pictures ever.
Yep, in adjusted dollars, it ranks among some big titles:

upload_2019-11-26_11-22-4.png


I'll probably have to pick this up. Somehow, this film has never made it into my collection on any format.
 
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filmnoirguy

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Sidebar: Somewhere in the past I read that Bing decided to have some fun with director Leo McCarey. And he got Ingrid to go along with it. As Bing's Father O'Malley approaches Bergman's Mother Superior in a scene, he suddenly grabs her in a passionate embrace and kisses her. Leo fell for it hook, line and sinker, screaming at them until he realized he had been had.
 

PMF

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RAH: do you have the earlier (2013) Olive release? If so, any thoughts as to the differences?
Mike, taking note of the fact that your quoted post and question is now from fifteen months, ago...

I have both releases. And here’s the bottom line. For those who love this film, as I do, then the Olive Signature upgrade is a slam-dunk affair.

Now, if only likewise could be done for the current BD of “Going My Way”, which is decent and serviceable enough, but is also deserving of the same blessings and lights from above.
 
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RobertMG

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The only quibble with "Bells Of St Mary's" at the end of "Going My Way" Crosby/O'Malley mentions the new parish he is heading to and it is not "St. Mary's" again minor stuff but would nice for a feel of continuing the story of Father O.
 

PMF

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The only quibble with "Bells Of St Mary's" at the end of "Going My Way" Crosby/O'Malley mentions the new parish he is heading to and it is not "St. Mary's" again minor stuff but would nice for a feel of continuing the story of Father O.
If this will help, just try to imagine that between one ending and a new beginning that the traveling orders for Father O’ were changed at the very last minute; as this stuff can happen more often than not. Or, if so compelled, you can pretend that “Going My Way” was meant to be a trilogy of assignments to which McCarey or the studio decided to scrap the second installment, altogether.:)
 

RobertMG

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If this will help, just try to imagine that between one ending and a new beginning that the traveling orders for Father O’ were changed at the very last minute; as this stuff can happen more often than not. Or, if so compelled, you can pretend that “Going My Way” was meant to be a trilogy of assignments to which McCarey or the studio decided to scrap the second installment, altogether.:)
Great point ---- does anyone know why Paramount didn't make the deal for Bells Of St Marys????
 
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PMF

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Great point ---- does anyone know why Paramount did make the deal for Bells Of St Marys????
$...$...$ !!! :popcorn:

Don’t forget that it’s success was such, that “The Bells of St. Mary’s” was even featured on the marquee of Radio City Music Hall in “The Godfather”. A date-night flick for Michael and Kay, the pastor’s daughter, who makes reference to Ingrid Bergman and her own lightly made allusions towards becoming a nun.

FILE UNDER: Dartmouth College is for Lovers.:thumbs-up-smiley:
 
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RobertMG

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$...$...$ !!! :popcorn:

Don’t forget that it’s success was such, that “The Bells of St. Mary’s” was even featured on the marquee of Radio City Music Hall in “The Godfather”. A date-night flick for Michael and Kay, the pastor’s daughter, who makes reference to Ingrid Bergman and her own lightly made allusions towards becoming a nun.

FILE UNDER: Dartmouth College is for Lovers.:thumbs-up-smiley:
Had to correct my post I know RKO got Bells Of St Marys not Paramount!
 
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