What constitutes a Christmas movie? Many of the most beloved festive films take place exclusively during the holiday season, while others climax during “the most wonderful time of the year.” However, there are some movies which have nothing to do with Christmas for most of their runtime but include one unforgettable holiday scene. The Yuletide cinematic experience just wouldn’t be complete without a viewing of these special movies.
The Story
Chuck O’Malley is a Catholic priest who wears a straw hat, loves singing, and writes tunes. He is sent to help churches and schools which are struggling. This film begins when he arrives at St. Mary’s, a parochial school which is badly in need of a new building to replace its dilapidated old complex. The headmistress, St. Mary Benedict, has been praying that they can move into the building next door, a huge new construction which was built by Horace P. Bogardus (Henry Travers). However, it seems very unlikely that the curmudgeonly financier would donate anything to his religious neighbors.The only thing as strong as Sister Benedict’s faith is her opinion about how St. Mary’s should be run. The housekeeper, Mrs. Breen (Una O’Connor), warns Father O’Malley that the nuns have very definite ideas about managing the school when he first arrives, and he finds that to be true. He and Sister Benedict clash on many issues of school policy, particularly surrounding one adolescent student, Patsy Gallagher (Joan Carroll), whose troubled family life he prefers to keep confidential. However, their disagreements cause a serious misunderstanding when Father O’Malley has to keep a secret from Sister Benedict.
The Scene
Father O’Malley and a group of older students are practicing Christmas carols when Sister Benedict comes in and tells him that the music is disturbing her first graders’ rehearsal for their Christmas show. Surprised to learn that the show won’t need any music, the priest is curious to see the rehearsal. In the nearby classroom, he meets Bobby (Bobby Dolan Jr.), an adorable 6-year-old who is directing the play and playing Joseph. He warns Father O’Malley that it’s still “a little bit not good,” but he insists that he wants to see it as a work in progress.Its Significance
“The Bells of St. Mary’s” has a decided religious theme throughout its story, since it’s about a Catholic priest, a nun, and the parochial school where they work. The religious dogma of Catholicism isn’t overtly presented in this film. Any Christian or believer in God should be able to appreciate the virtues of compassion, tolerance, faith, and generosity which these characters aspire to embody. This was obviously true when the movie was first released, since it was the top-earning film of the year, proving that Americans of all religious backgrounds enjoyed it.
In general, this isn’t a Christmas movie, although it is basically a Christian story. This one scene is the only part which takes place during Christmastime. However, it was one of my favorite holiday films throughout my childhood for this scene alone. The children’s nativity play is a highlight of the whole film. You can tell that director Leo McCarey, who was known for encouraging his actors to improvise, allowed the children to have a lot of input in this scene. The interactions, dialogue, movements, and mistakes are all so natural, simple, and sincere. Little Bobby, who was the producer’s son, is adorably sincere and serious about his job as the director and leading man of the show. The scene is only a few minutes long, but it will leave you smiling, chuckling, and touched by the youthful devotion to the true meaning of Christmas.
