Bells Are Ringing

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Bells Are Ringing

1960,

2h 7m,

Musical/

Comedy

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Watchlist

82%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Ella Peterson (Judy Holliday) is an operator for an answering service run by her cousin, Sue (Jean Stapleton). Lacking excitement in her personal life, Ella starts becoming involved in the lives of the service's clients, including a struggling playwright, Jeffrey Moss (Dean Martin). As Ella gets in over her head dealing with a bookie posing as a record producer (Eddie Foy Jr.), she tries to hide her real identity. That becomes more difficult when she begins to fall in love with Jeffrey.

Michael Sragow

The New Yorker

Nov 21, 2016

Vincente Minnelli makes use of the wide screen with graceful, fluid movement, and he helps Martin anchor his usual breeziness with just the right amount of anxiety.

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Jeremiah Kipp

Slant Magazine

Mar 14, 2005

1.5/4

Never translates into anything cinematic.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jul 5, 2022

Vincent Minnelli directs the colorful Arthur Freed production like an elaborate stage show on fabulously designed studio sets, far more like the older, innocent 1950s musicals than the changing styles of 1960s musicals to come.

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Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

Oct 23, 2019

The offbeat charm, comic sense and assorted show-business talents of Judy Holliday constitute the prime reason why Hollywood's edition of the Broadway musical is well worth seeing.

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Raquel Stecher

Out of the Past

Mar 4, 2019

With plenty of memorable musical numbers, fun characters and a zany plot with a satisfying ending, Bells Are Ringing (1960) is sure to please.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Sep 13, 2009

C+

Has too much plot and not enough music or comedy.

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Jan 27, 2019

The best musical romance movie ever made!

Draco S

Jun 16, 2018

Judy Holliday recreated her Broadway role as switchboard operator Ella Peterson in Vincente Minnelli's faithful adaptation; Dean Martin is her easygoing co-star and although the musical never achieves greatness, it's pleasant and bittersweet to see Holliday in her final screen role. The tuneful Comden-Green-Styne score includes the hits "Just In Time" and "The Party's Over."

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Hagrid G

Mar 25, 2018

One of Hollywood's last old-fashioned Broadway adaptations, with Holliday as endearing as ever. Not exactly Minnelli's finest, but well worth catching for musicals fans.

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Vincente Minnelli

Director

Judy Holliday

Ella Peterson

Dean Martin

Jeffrey Moss

Fred Clark

Larry Hastins

Eddie Foy Jr.

J. Otto Prantz

Jean Stapleton

Sue

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Synopsis

Ella Peterson (Judy Holliday) is an operator for an answering service run by her cousin, Sue (Jean Stapleton). Lacking excitement in her personal life, Ella starts becoming involved in the lives of the service's clients, including a struggling playwright, Jeffrey Moss (Dean Martin). As Ella gets in over her head dealing with a bookie posing as a record producer (Eddie Foy Jr.), she tries to hide her real identity. That becomes more difficult when she begins to fall in love with Jeffrey.

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Producer: Arthur Freed
Screenwriter: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 23, 1960, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 5, 2008
Runtime: 2h 7m

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