Harockerce What a beautiful movie!

EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

writers_reign I grew up thinking this was a clinker and couldn't even eclipse Thr Kissing Bandit or Double Dynamite in terms of Sinatra bow-wows; boy, did I get a wrong number. As a Sinatra fan and completist I would have bought a DVD anyway and will do so as and when -let's face it, I own On The Town, The Pride And The Passion, Marriage On The Rocks, and I will buy though not necessarily watch Four For Texas, Sergeants Three when they turn up. But now having seen it on TV I am actively seeking Miracle Of The Bells and not just as a Sinatra fan. I find myself in agreement with the majority of those who have written here and found this to be a warm 'little' film about goodness and faith. Valli is an ideal actress for the lead and Lee J Cobb is fine as a Studio head though a tad on the humane side to be modelled on anyone we know. Very well worth watching.

bfp13108 This movie is a real tear-jerker. I first saw it in 1969 or 70. I cried then and I cried today as I watched it. I thought Valli's performance was spot-on for the audition of Joan of Arc but I remember Valli having a much more authentic performance of the cross burning scene during the filming of the Joan of Arc story. I also thought that the turning of the statues happened much earlier in the film but that can be easily dismissed as the fading memories that accompany age.Valli, (God rest her soul) turns in a stellar performance. One of Fred MacMurray's top performances, right up there with Double Indemnity. I thought Frank Sinatra's performance was good. No doubt, it may have been great if he were given a more dramatic role and additional lines/screen time. Lee J Cobb, what can I say - he always seemed to portray the same character, but better than anyone else could have done. I don't blame atheists for easily dismissing the film nor devout Christians reading more into it then what it represents. My personal thoughts are that the film "Miracle of the Bells" shows us that we, even as the most humble human beings, can do much more than we dream is possible to create a better world - a better humanity.

vincentlynch-moonoi I first saw this film decades ago (literally), and never forgot it. So I was glad to see it come out on DVD via Olive Films. The original film had pretty good production values, and this transfer to DVD (Blu-Ray in my case) is better than a few of the other Olive Films I've purchased (not that they were bad, but this is better).One thing this proved was that Frank Sinatra had the potential of being a fine actor (which he later became). After all, in this film he played a priest with deep humility. If Frank Sinatra (of all people) can portray humility through such a character with any success, then he is a good actor. (As you can see, I'm not a fan of Sinatra, the man; but I do admire Sinatra the actor).But, this is not Sinatra's movie. It belongs lock-stock-and-barrel to a very talented actor who, today, is generally overlooked -- Fred MacMurray. There have been so many times while watching films on TCM that I have marveled at how pleasing an actor he was. Unfortunately, his role in a sit-com ("My Three Sons") and a number of Disney films dimmed his star a bit, but he's a very dependable and fine actor...and that shows here.His co-star, Valli, was, perhaps, not suited to American audiences, but she delivers a fine performance here, both as her character, and in scenes where she is playing Joan Of Arc.I guess I'm going to have to reconsider my long held belief that Lee J. Cobb wasn't that good an actor. Recently I saw him in another film and was impressed, and here -- where he plays a film mogul -- I'm impressed again. Frank Ferguson -- a veteran character actor -- is good here as a director. There are a number of other character actors you will recognize, as well.The story? Well, I guess some would say it's schmaltz...but it's top-of-the-line schmaltz. It depicts an old-fashioned viewpoint about religion...one that I grew up with...so it's realistic for this pre-1950s setting. The film is a tad long...could have been edited more tightly, but that's a minor criticism.Worth watching, particularly for the skill in acting of Fred MacMurray. Recommended.

bkoganbing If you get a chance check out the post I left on Helen Burgess's page on this site. Helen Burgess was a young contract player for Paramount who made four films. One of them was Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman where she played the second lead female role as Louisa Frederici Cody under Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, and James Ellison. She died of pneumonia at the age of 19 as the film was being released. This would have been a breakout role for her and she might have had a long screen career.I'm sure that the creators of this film had Helen Burgess in mind when they made it. It's good in spots, I like the performances of Fred MacMurray, Alida Valli, Lee J. Cobb and Philip Ahn which another reviewer very correctly singled out. I guess since Bing Crosby made such a hit as a priest Frank Sinatra had to try it. He lays one big omelet as Father Paul. He had to wait until Meet Danny Wilson for a part he could carry on acting as well as singing.This film was also made in the days of John L. Lewis as head of the United Mine Workers. One of the big issues for that union was the pollution that caused the premature deaths of a lot of their members and families. In that sense Miracle of the Bells was a very socially relevant movie for its time and even today.