the bells of st. mary’s (leo mccarey, 1945)

this isn’t a movie i would’ve watched had it not been for the fact that it’s directed by leo mccarey, one of my favorite directors and among the most overlooked, underappreciated american filmmakers from his era.  jean renoir once said of him that no one in hollywood understood people better.

the bells of st. mary’s is too long and suffers from a brand of overt moralism that feels obligatory given the film’s subject matter. also permeating the film is a do-gooder attitude that verges on suffocating, but mccarey’s impeccable sense of humor, depth of humanism, and unparalleled ability with actors–the performances in mccarey’s films are consistently uncanny–make it a wholly edifying experience, charming and warm.  it’s a bit of a chore but the delights to be had are well worth it.

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