BELLS ARE RINGING

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STUDIO: Metro Goldwyn Mayer

RELEASED: 1960

STARS: Judy Holliday, Dean Martin, Jean Stapleton

PRODUCER: Arthur Freed

DIRECTOR: Vincente Minnelli

WRITERS: Betty Comden & Adolph Green (from their play)

MUSIC: Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne

LENGTH: 2 Hours and 7 Minutes

PLOT: Helpful, but lonely switchboard operator Ella
Peterson (Judy Holliday) is an expert at solving everyone
else's problems, but can't seem to get her own life in
order. Ella adopts multiple identities in an effort to
be everything to everyone. Her life is complicated by
her love for a slumping playwright (Dean Martin).

NOTABLE: Judy Holliday's final film performance.

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About the film...

       Based on the smash Broadway musical that played to sell-out audiences for almost 2 and half years and nearly 1,000 performances, "Bells Are Ringing" seemed to have all the necessary elements to make a successful leap to the big screen. Metro Goldwyn Mayer, the premier movie studio for musicals, had secured the rights to make the film. The producer-director team of Arthur Freed and Vincente Minnelli were riding high on the success of their musical film "Gigi," which had garnered Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. The legendary writing team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green were adapting their stage show for the film, a task that the pair had done successfully with "Singin' in the Rain" and "On the Town" in previous years. Leading man Dean Martin, who was known for his hard-drinking, playboy lifestyle, was cast as a hard-drinking playboy. And most important of all, the film would star the Oscar and Tony award-winning actress who night after night had carried the play to rave reviews, Judy Holliday. The roster read like that of an all-star team and MGM had high hopes for the project. But, when shooting wrapped in December of 1959, "classic" wasn't quite the word on most people's lips..."disaster" was. Bodies, egos, friendships and reputations would all emerge bruised and scarred by the process.

       The production of the film was plagued from start to finish. Toward the end of the play's Broadway run, Betty Comden and Adolph Green had begun performing their own material in a successful show called "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green," first as an off-Broadway show and later on Broadway. Their involvement with that play greatly reduced the amount of energy (and, as some have charged, the level of their interest) they devoted to the film adaptation of "Bells." Deadlines for a finished script came and went without a finished script. Comden and Green asked for, and were granted, extensions by producer Arthur Freed. The production of the film would now be delayed until October 7th of 1959.

       The 20-year friendship between Judy and Betty & Adolph, that dated back to their days in The Revuers, was under considerable strain. Judy felt betrayed by the pair, feeling that they had sided with her former "Bells" co-star, Sydney Chaplin, following the bitter break-up of their 2-year romance. The missed deadlines and problems with the script weren't helping to soothe the wounds. With the start date pushed back several months, Judy filled the time by joining the "Bells Are Ringing" touring company, playing extended engagements in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles. When the script finally arrived, Judy was not happy with the finished results. Feeling that in its present form, it would come across too stark and "stagey" for a Hollywood musical. She wanted Comden and Green to take another pass at it, but they did not share her concerns. Despite her objections, Arthur Freed okayed the script, agreeing to just some minor changes.

       Judy had been granted the power to cast some of the film roles, and she made sure to secure parts for Jean Stapleton and Hal Linden, both of whom had appeared with her in the stage version. She also cast Ralph Roberts in the role of the slow-witted, but good-natured detective, Francis. Roberts had been part of Judy's game-playing inner circle for several years. He was not only a confidant to Judy, but also to Marilyn Monroe and other stars whom he had met through his side business as a masseur. Surprisingly though, Judy had no part in the casting of her then boyfriend, Gerry Mulligan. Mulligan, a legendary jazz musician who dabbled in acting from time to time, was cast by producer Arthur Freed. Freed did so as gesture of goodwill toward Judy, who seemed to be losing faith in the project by the hour. Mulligan played the part of a man who goes on a horrendous blind date with Judy's character, Ella Peterson. After clumsily spilling drinks on each other and cracking their heads together, the scene climaxes with the couple walking through a crowded restaurant, as they pass by a waiter serving a flaming dish, the back of Judy's dress catches fire. While shooting the scene, the ignition device used to trigger the fire malfunctioned causing serious burns to the backs of Judy's legs. It was just the start of a series of health problems that dogged Judy throughout the filming. Subsequent bouts with foot sprains, laryngitis, bladder infections and kidney infections (not to mention the cancer that was already present inside her, but would go undetected for several more months) all contributed to her deepening depression and irritable moods.

       Judy and her co-star Dean Martin interacted very little off the set. There wasn't a great deal animosity between them, it was just that they didn't have much in common. Judy would retire to her trailer between takes, passing the down time by playing Scrabble or writing songs with Gerry Mulligan. Martin preferred to pass the time at a nearby golf course or a local bar. The only possible source of contention between the two was that Martin, as he freely admitted, regarded his role as a waste of his time and talent. Martin had not appeared in the stage version and thus did not share Judy's level of commitment to the project. For him, this was just another film. Jeffrey Moss was the type of character Martin had played numerous times before. The lack of a challenge lead him to sleepwalk his way through the role. For Judy, it was a character and a property that she had devoted 3 years of her life to. Since Martin was just going through the motions, Judy feared that their on-screen relationship would suffer and as a result, the romance would across as more polite than passionate.

       The lack of chemistry with Dean Martin, was nothing compared to her problems with director Vincente Minnelli. Four of Judy's seven previous films had been directed by George Cukor. Cukor's penchant for perfection meshed well with Judy's desire to do take after take, until both she and the director were satisfied. Minnelli's tendency was to yell "PRINT!" when he was satisfied. As the star of a vehicle that was written especially for her and as the owner of a role that she had put an indelible mark on, Judy correctly felt that her suggestions about what was funny or how something might be done better, should have had some merit. Minnelli's refusal to consider her opinions became a very sore subject with her. Surrounded by people that she felt were not giving her, or the project, the proper respect, she did something that was very unlike her, she attempted to quit the film. Feeling like just a cog trapped in the machinery, she decided it would be better to drop out, rather than see the character of Ella Peterson end on such an unsatisfactory note. A few weeks into the filming, she asked Arthur Freed to replace her with another actress. She even offered to give back every penny she had been paid up to that point to help offset the cost of re-shooting her scenes. Freed, knowing that without Judy Holliday in the lead role, the picture would have no chance at the box-office, refused her request. For better or worse, they were all in it together. All parties involved soldiered on, making the best of a difficult situation. They were all, no doubt, counting down the days until the film wrapped production on December 24, 1959.

        "Bells Are Ringing" premiered on June 20, 1960 at Radio City Music Hall and preceeded to break all of that venue's existing records, grossing more than $1 million during its 7-week run. Unfortunately, the "Bells" box-office phenomena was confined to the New York area whose residents adored the play and were interested to see how well it translated to film. The movie did not fare anywhere near as well across the rest of the country. While many of Judy's films for Columbia Pictures could hardly be dubbed box-office champions, her low-paying Columbia contract and modestly bugeted projects virtually guaranteed that her films would, at the very least, break even financially. The lavishly produced "Bells" on the other hand, turned out to be the only film starring Judy Holliday that actually lost money for a studio. Reviews of the film were luke-warm at best, lamenting the flimsy plot, the confining staginess, and the polite romance...pretty much everything Judy feared. But, much like the stage version, it would ultimately be judged on the performance of its star. Critics anointed Judy's performance a triumph, pointing out that she had, yet again, risen above the pedestrian material and delivered something very special.

       Despite all of the production problems and the lackluster returns at the box-office, the film "Bells Are Ringing," much like its star, weathered the storm and today is generally considered to be a minor classic. There is no denying that a large part of its current appeal is the fact that it turned out to be Judy Holliday's final film. It provides viewers with one last chance to catch a glimpse of a great actress in one of her greatest roles.

----by Glenn McMahon

National Film Registry Nominations

Each year 25 films are added to the Library of Congress' National
Film Registry. All films that are selected are protected and
preserved for all-time under the National Film Preservation Act
of 1988. Currently "Adam's Rib" is the only Judy Holliday film
included in the registry. If you would like to nominate a Judy
Holliday film (and/or any of your favorite American movies) for
inclusion, send an e-mail to the Library of Congress. You can
read more about the National Film Registry and view a list of
the 375 films that have already been selected here.