Author Topic: Thoughts on three famous Catholic movies... (Read 814 times)

Traditional Guy 20 · « **on:** August 29, 2012, 07:37:04 AM »

Okay I have to say that I love watching Going My Way (1944), The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), and The Song of Bernadette (1943) with the Faith, clergy, and nuns along with Catholic institutions being shown in a positive light but knowing about the Hollywood Left and knowing how pro-Communist Hollywood became by the late-1930's I have to think about a few things in these movies.

Going My Way- Why is it shown that the priest has some kind of platonic/romantic friendship with an opera singer? Why is the story one of the hip new priest taking over the parish from the old, codger of a priest who is more traditional? What makes the boy who works for his father in the loan company marry the singing girl who ran away from her parents?

Bells of St. Mary's- Again why is Bing Crosby's character of Father O'Malley shown as a progressive priest who thinks every student should pass in the class? What is the "dark past" that the mother of the Patricia girl seems to have ("I bet you're wondering how I can 'get by' Father. My girl's getting to be a big girl so I'm going to send her to your school before she thinks I'm no good.")? What makes Bing's character change from being 100% for selling the parish school to Mr. Bogartus and then change his mind later trying to get Mr. Bogartus to sell his property?

Song of Bernadette- It is interesting to note that Hollywood only made this movie because a Jєω authored a book about it. Nevertheless don't you think the girls put up their skirts way too high for crossing that little stream?

lefebvre_fan · « **Reply #1 on:** August 29, 2012, 08:29:27 AM »

Yes, all of the points you make are valid. Just about every movie from that era (and actually, from every era) has something about it that's not quite right. Another example is the film, 'The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima'. In it, the Blessed Virgin tells the seers, 'In the end, God will triumph'. Of course, as we know, she actually said, 'my Immaculate Heart will triumph'. It's hard to know if this was an attempt to appeal to a wider audience of so-called 'Christians' who would be put off by such a clear display of Catholic theology, or if it was a deliberate attempt by Jєωιѕн Hollywood to undermine the message of Fatima (who knows, perhaps it was both).

Still, if you're going to watch a movie, you can certainly do a lot worse than these four movies. If you're watching them with your kids, though, you can point out the obvious errors/biases in them, i.e. provide your own commentary track, lol.

Traditional Guy 20 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 29, 2012, 08:51:06 AM »

Quote from: lefebvre_fan

Still, if you're going to watch a movie, you can certainly do a lot worse than these four movies. If you're watching them with your kids, though, you can point out the obvious errors/biases in them, i.e. provide your own commentary track, lol.

Well no one is going to stalk the streets at night ready to gang stomp someone after watching The Bells of St. Mary's that's for sure haha.

poche · « **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2012, 03:38:13 AM »

Actually the story about how and why Franz Werfel wrote his book is a story in and of itself.