Bells of St. Mary...and a theory of education...

I come from a family of educators...you know the type...PHD's in education...whew...hard to live with that kind of monkey on your back. Well...even my mother holds a Masters Degree in Education..Special Educator, I needed a little of that "special education". I digress.

Each Christmas we would gather around the TV set...no matter who was hosting the Christmas festivities and watch the film...Bells of St. Mary.

What's that? You never heard of the movie? My God...well, that is why I am here...my purpose in life...to help you with those things...

Bells of St. Mary...

The Bells of St. Mary's is a 1945 film which tells the story of a priest and a nun at a school who set out, despite their good-natured rivalry, to save the school from being shut down. It stars Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Travers, William Gargan, Ruth Donnelly, Joan Carroll, Martha Sleeper, Rhys Williams, Richard Tyler and Una O'Connor.

The movie follows St. Mary's new pastor, Father Chuck O'Malley (Bing Crosby), who often finds himself at odds with Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman), the nun who oversees and teaches at the school. Their ups and downs play out in relation to two students: a boy (Dickie Tyler) who is being bullied (Sister Benedict teaches him how to box and defend himself), and a troubled girl (Joan Carroll) whose parents long ago separated (Father O'Malley attempts to reconcile the parents). The rundown school is in need of a new building--in fact, the school is fighting to stay open--and the nuns have their eyes on a modern new office building going up next door, hoping its owner, the crotchety Horace P. Bogardus (Henry Travers), will see the light and donate it as their new teaching facility. Meanwhile, Sister Benedict's deteriorating health leads to complications between her and O'Malley.

Now a little prank was played during the movie production...

The production was overseen by a Catholic priest who served as an advisor during the shooting. While the final farewell sequence was being filmed, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman decided to play a prank on him. They asked director Leo McCarey to allow one more take, and, as "Father O'Malley" and "Sister Benedict" said their last goodbyes, they embraced in a passionate kiss, while the off screen priest-advisor jumped up roaring in protest.

Another fact...Leo McCarey was inspired to write the original story in tribute to his own aunt and childhood counselor Sister Mary Benedict, one of the Sisters who helped to build the Immaculate Heart Convent in Hollywood and who died in a typhoid fever epidemic.

So what does this have to do with theories of education? Thought I forgot, didn't you...

Well, like I was saying...my family is made up of educators...and when we gathered around the TV to view this wonderful Christmas movie...my grandfather would cringe...knowing the arguments would ensue...on the good Father's theory of education vs. the Sister's...now...me being me...well, can you guess whose side I took in the debate?


The Debate....



Well, I am not going to tell you...for that, well you would have to just come over, and sit and watch the movie with me....I do have my standards...and quite honestly it would be worth it...just to find out whose side I took...

The Lass...