IMDb plot summary: A Brooklyn answering service operator becomes involved in the lives of her clients, including a struggling playwright with whom she begins to fall in love.
Directed by Vincente Minnelli. Starring Judy Holliday, Dean Martin, Fred Clark, and Eddie Foy Jr.
I knew one or two of the tunes from this show before watching but really didn't know the plot or most of the score at all, and I found myself very pleasantly surprised. It's light and funny and heartwarming, and many of the songs are much more interesting than your typical classic musical sound. The only song that didn't fully land for me was the big ensemble number at a party, and I suspect that's because the story's magic comes from the individual performances. The star here is undoubtedly Judy Holliday, whose charm didn't quite sell me on Born Yesterday but who just delights me here, somehow managing to be both blissfully dreamy and pragmatically down-to-earth. I laughed out loud more than once and adored watching all her clients realize the common threads tying together their dramatic life changes. If you're at all a fan of golden age musicals, this is one to watch.
How it entered my Flickchart:
Bells Are Ringing > The Beach
Bells Are Ringing > Hoop Dreams
Bells Are Ringing > The Great Muppet Caper
Bells Are Ringing < Frozen
Bells Are Ringing < 50/50
Bells Are Ringing > Trust
Bells Are Ringing > The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Bells Are Ringing > Nativity!
Bells Are Ringing > 25th Hour
Bells Are Ringing > Fail-Safe (1964)
Bells Are Ringing > The Lady Eve
Bells Are Ringing < Shattered Glass
Final spot: #314 out of 3328, or 91%.
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