Bells Are Ringing
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Dean Martin, Judy HollidayDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 126 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-03-15
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of Bells Are Ringing
Movie Review: Judy Holiday is a gem - she sings, she dances with a smile that brightens the room
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I saw Judy Holiday was on the "Born Yesterday" trailer on the "His Girl Friday" DVD. Soon I watched that film and found Judy a blonde with a heart of gold. On that film she was supposed to be dumb but had an unusual talent for poker cards. She impressed and earned her an Oscar for Best Actress against Bette Davis and Anne Baxter(All about Eve)and Gloria Swanson(Sunset Boulevard).
That is why I bought "Bells are ringing" DVD the moment I saw her face on the cover. And I would like to say while "Born Yesterday" is a film not easy to forget, it is "Bells are Ringing" which really shows the fullness of Judy Holiday.
The Broadyway musical was tailored made for Judy. She doesn't need to play dumb. She has the chance to sing solo and duet. Though not particularly slim nor particularly young, she danced everywhere (cha cha on the sidewalk, waltz with Dean Martin in a quiet garden, solo dance in her answering phone office)with an elegance and lightness unparalleled even with other great dancers. Perhaps her early ballet training gave her the edge. She was 5' 10" and yet she practically danced effortlessly in the air. She may be passionate in saying the lines (afterall, this is a comedy) and yet she was sincere and never overdid them. More importantly, it is when she did not have the lines nor the dances that she revealed her particular worth - she could still steal a scene with her fluid moves. Watch how she would dash off to find Dean Martin, only to stop right before the door, turn back, hestitate and dash right off again. Most important of all, her smile lightened up the scenes. It is already worth every bit of your time to watch Judy Holiday on this film.
Having said that, "Bells are ringing" is made perfect with the music, the songs, the lyrics and the arrangement. You don't often come across with duet pieces so nicely put together. The group singing - the "names" song by the party goers and the "bookies rehearsing the passwords" song are fun to hear. Watch the "Midas Touch" singer closely for he was the leading man Mr. Moss on the Broadyway musical. The cast gave a solid performance.
The whole film is simply a delight to watch, hear and enjoy!
Trivia mentioned that Judy Holiday had an IQ of 172. She had a good career start in the movie business thanks to Katharine Hepburn, who tipped the columnists how good Judy was at Adam's Rib so that she secured her role in the "Born Yesterday" movie. That Judy was kind enough to let her partner (despite an understudy) had the spotlight he deserved when he sang in Broadway and tipped him to sing the "Midas Touch" song in the movie since Dean Martin, not he, got the leading role in the movie version. That Judy did not have the major roles she, as an Oscar winner and as a talented actress, should have deserved. All the more reason to cherish the few movies she has made and this is definitely one of them.
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