Bells Are Ringing [Blu-ray]

Overview

This musical comedy is the film version of the hit Broadway play. Starring Judy Holliday and Dean Martin, Bells Are Ringing scored with a few hit songs, most notably the moody finale "The Party's Over." The screenplay was done by Betty Comden and Adolph Green who also wrote the play, and was directed by Vincent Minnelli.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/31/2017
UPC:	0883316732892
Original Release:	1960
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	2:06:00
Sales rank:	5,801

Special Features

Feaurette Bells Are Ringing: Just In Time; Outtake Musical Numbers Is It A Crime? and My Guiding Star; Alternate Take of the Song "The Midas Touch"; Theatrical Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Judy Holliday	Ella Peterson
Dean Martin	Jeffrey Moss
Fred Clark	Larry Hastings,Insp. Barnes
Eddie Foy Jr.	J. Otto Prantz
Jean Stapleton	Sue
Ruth Storey	Gwynne
Frank Gorshin	Blake Barton
Ralph Roberts	Francis
Valerie Allen	Olga
Bernie West	Dr. Joe Kitchell
Steven Peck	First Gangster
Gerry Mulligan	Ella's Blind Date
Nancy Walters	Katherine Arnold
Paul Michael	Actor
Andre Previn	Composer
Jule Styne	Composer

Technical Credits

Betty Comden

Adolph Green

Vincente Minnelli	Director
Betty Comden	Screenwriter
Adolph Green	Screenwriter
Arthur Freed	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Not one of MGM's classic musicals, the lightweight Bells Are Ringing is nonetheless highly enjoyable and professionally produced entertainment. The film is most noteworthy for capturing Judy Holliday's powerhouse stage performance and transferring it quite effectively to the screen. Holliday is a charm and a delight; more importantly, she makes you believe that the sometimes silly situations her character gets herself in are perfectly natural and plausible. An expert singer despite her unconventional voice, Holliday wrings every wistful moment out of the big ballad, "The Party's Over," and pulls out all the stops to make "I'm Going Back" a real showstopper. Dean Martin's laid-back approach to his role contrasts effectively with Holliday's bravura performance, and there's just enough chemistry between the two stars to pull off the love story. Director Vincente Minnelli keeps things moving at a sprightly pace and his work behind the camera is solid if unexceptional. Like Holliday, he treats the Betty Comden and Adolph Green screenplay with respect, knowing that a light comedy of this sort can be destroyed with just a few false moves. And Andre Previn's lush arrangements of Jule Styne's music helps enormously in adding an extra texture to the film. The genial Bells was one of the last "midsize" Hollywood musicals; within a few years, the genre would be too expensive to support modest musicals such as this.