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I don’t know how I got decades into classic film fandom without seeing The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945). Yes, I thought it seemed like it could be excessively sentimental or cutesy (two things which happen to not be true), but I also love Ingrid Bergman in anything and Bing Crosby has grow read more

The Bells at Cockaigne plays it very safe. It’s an inspirational “play for television” about lovable old Irishman in the U.S. Gene Lockhart daydreaming about winning an apparently still legal in 1953 numbers racket the newspapers run. Lockhart’s going to use the money to go home to Ireland and read more

The Bells at Cockaigne plays it very safe. It’s an inspirational “play for television” about lovable old Irishman in the U.S. Gene Lockhart daydreaming about winning an apparently still legal in 1953 numbers racket the newspapers run. Lockhart’s going to use the money to go home to Ireland and read more

The Bells at Cockaigne plays it very safe. It’s an inspirational “play for television” about lovable old Irishman in the U.S. Gene Lockhart daydreaming about winning an apparently still legal in 1953 numbers racket the newspapers run. Lockhart’s going to use the money to go home to Ireland and read more

The Bells at Cockaigne plays it very safe. It’s an inspirational “play for television” about lovable old Irishman in the U.S. Gene Lockhart daydreaming about winning an apparently still legal in 1953 numbers racket the newspapers run. Lockhart’s going to use the money to go home to Ireland and read more

Penelope Lively's ghostly children's novel "Astercote" ( 1970 ) was brought to the small screen in 1980 as a one-hour television movie that aired the evening of December 23, following in the BBC tradition of airing ghost stories for the Yuletide season. The Bells of Astercote, as it was renamed, wa read more

I'm currently reading TOME OF THE TERROR: HORROR FILMS OF THE SILENT ERA, the latest entry in Chris Workman & Troy Howarth's series of books on the history of horror films. Many of the films covered in this volume are unavailable in any form, which is frustrating, particularly since it seems the read more

Today, I'm celebrating Ingrid Bergman's 100th birthday with an article about her wonderful performance in The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). Here she is with Bing Crosby in a publicity still for this family drama. This article is part of The Wonderful Ingrid Bergman Blogathon hosted by The Wonderful read more

The Bells of St. Mary’s Directed by Leo McCarey Written by Dudley Nichols from a story by Leo McCarey 1945/USA Rainbow Productions Repeat viewing/Netflix Instant   I seem to be building up some Christmas-themed viewing without even trying. My favorite part of this movie is the first-gr read more

By Fritzi Kramer on March 20, 2014 in Blog, Fun Size Review Not based on any work by Edgar Allan Poe (despite what DVD cases may tell you) but a suspenseful tale of madness and murder. Heavily influenced by German cinema. Lionel Barrymore is a tormented murderer while a pre-fame Boris Karloff is on read more

Lionel Barrymore is Mathias, a kindly Alsatian innkeeper who is being crushed by debt. Unable to deny his friends loans or his loving daughter small luxuries, Mathias is on the edge of destitution. When a rich man stops briefly at the inn (with a fortune in gold on his person), Mathias drunkenly ro read more

You know when you are going along minding your own business, thinking of cake or butterflies or something, and someone tells you this: It takes more muscles to frown than to smile. This annoys me. I’m sorry but I don’t like my emotions and facial expressions dictated by strangers. And, read more

I didn’t know anything about The Bells (1926) until I was browsing the catalogue at reelclassicdvd.com. But when I see silent + Lionel Barrymore + Boris Karloff – well, sign me up! Directed by James Young and based on the stage play Le Juif Polonaise (The Polish Jew), the movie is a kin read more

There’s always been a soft spot in my heart for nuns and Catholic schools.  All those stereotypes about nuns being the strictest teachers armed with rulers was just a myth in my experience.  And though my Catholic school of the early ‘90s had no air conditioning at the time, which my mother fretted read more

 Here's a holiday treat! Listen to the latest episode of The Movie Palace Podcast where host Carl Sweeney and I discuss two classics: Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).Happy holidays! Listen to "Going My Way/The Bells of St. Mary's" on Spreaker. read more

 Here's a holiday treat! Listen to the latest episode of The Movie Palace Podcast where host Carl Sweeney and I discuss two classics: Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).Happy holidays! Listen to "Going My Way/The Bells of St. Mary's" on Spreaker. read more

Timing is everything. My father passed away in August and since that time I have been in charge of his settling his affairs. Recently I took a day off to get a few errands done including delivering my parents' tax forms and paperwork to their lawyer. He's been in the business for 52 years and still read more

Timing is everything. My father passed away in August and since that time I have been in charge of his settling his affairs. Recently I took a day off to get a few errands done including delivering my parents' tax forms and paperwork to their lawyer. He's been in the business for 52 years and still read more