MovieChat Forums > The Bells of St. Mary's (1946) Discussion > The heartwarming story of a priest and n...

The heartwarming story of a priest and nun swindling a man

posted 12 years ago by Eponymous-too
7 replies | jump to latest

I love how tricking a man into giving them his entire building is presented as a wholesome, heartwarming story simply because the people who want the building are a priest and a nun.

Oh, and there's also the subplot with the man who abandons his pregnant wife, who then turns to prostitution to make ends meet. But hey, those are just minor bumps in the road. All they need to do is lay eyes on each other and they will realize they are meant to be together (which they somehow didn't realize when they were together before and then overlooked for 13 years).

The trivia says that there was a priest on set to ensure things were presented properly. I'm amazed he wasn't bothered by this script.

"My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider."

[–] SmackCheeks 10 years ago

Let's not forget the doctor who lacked the decency to tell sister she had Tuberculosis and may die. Forget that she might want to spend her remaining days with family or finalise her affairs or write a will or achieve a dream or remain with her beloved school or... sue a stupid doctor for malpractice.

[–] ajr01 (51) 4 years ago

I see what you are saying, but is also a fact that in the forties doctors were far less forthcoming about the actual details of sickness, believing if a person really knew what was wrong, it would only depress them further. Nowadays it is believed that a patient has the right to know the truth

[–] fugazzi49 8 years ago

The doctor telling Father O'Malley to not tell her on top of not telling her himself was truly jarring. Totally unprofessional and unethical despite the lame excuse about it possibly depressing her. but then as it develops you realize that this is a total contrivance of the script writers because they needed to create something very wrong that could be easily solved so there would be a suddenly uplifting resolution for the end.

[–] prplayer 7 years ago

touché

so many movies, so little time

[–] Popcorngal (4475) 4 years ago

I knew the mom had a shady past. But where are the clues she was a gal for hire? I just thought she liked to party with her boyfriends, and possibly a neglectful mom.

[–] ajr01 (51) a year ago

What makes one think about the "gal for hire" scenario is what she says to Fr O'Malley at their first meeting, when she is trying to put her daughter in the school, "I supposed you're wondering as to how I have been supporting her all this time. So is she".

[–] Popcorngal (4475) 4 years ago

I thought their reunion was a little quick myself. Was it ever explained why he abandoned them? I have not seen this movie In a long time,but didn't the priest locate the deadbeat dad and talk to him before he reunited with his estranged wife?