jotix100 "Bells are Ringing" is a must for Judy Holliday's fans. The bubbly star of some of the best comedies of the fifties, is the main reason for watching this musical, directed by Vincente Minnelli. Betty Comden and Adolph Green were the creators of the book and lyrics with music by Jule Styne.The film was an excuse for showcasing Ms. Holliday and Dean Martin, who took over Sydney Chaplin's role. The two stars show an easy chemistry in their scenes together, even though the transfer to the screen seems somehow clumsy coming from an experienced director of musicals like Mr. Minnelli."Bells are Ringing" is a nostalgic look at the New York of the 1950s. It was quite a status symbol to have an answering service in those days before the automatic devices of today. There is a hilarious second plot involving illegal gambling by linking classical music works to the different races in several horse race tracks that are channeled through Susanswerphone service, which makes the police Ella is involved in the scheme.Judy Holliday gave a tremendous performance in the film as the kind, but somehow naive Ella. Dean Martin is fine also as the blocked writer. In supporting roles Eddie Foy Jr., Jean Stapleton, and Dean Clark, are seen among others.

TallPineTree For all the musicals I have watched in my life I didn't think there were many left to watch, or at least good ones to watch. I wouldn't say this was a great movie, but it is charming in an old dated way.While the basic premise of the movie (one person helps other people unbeknownst to them) is timeless, the gimmick, a telephone answer service operator, is ancient. 1960 may be before answering machines were in use, but seeing Judy Holliday plug and unplug cables into a switchboard to answer phone calls seems so 1930s or 1940s. I guess we won't be seeing this movie remade by Hollywood.I enjoyed the opening montage of why an phone answering service is needed. It was colorful, glamorous, brisk, and I enjoyed seeing the standard phone from that era in all the colors to match the various scenes. I still have a phone like that somewhere.In one of his first movies without Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin looks uncertain - not that his character has much of a story. Judy Holliday is what makes this movie watchable. Her energy and comic talent and voices are a reason to watch the movie. Instead of acting in movies, I think she could have done well on TV and rivaled Lucille Ball.At 2 hrs and 7 minutes this movie runs on too long. I, and I think most people, have less of a tolerance these days for musical numbers that stop the flow of a movie. Musical numbers must be outstanding to be worthwhile. A few songs in this movie had a familiar ring to them and were OK, but this movie certainly has some songs that should have been cut.The story obviously came from a stage play and is constricted because of it. While there isn't a whole lot to this "girl meets/helps boy" story, more could have been done with Judy & Dean's interaction. The time spent at the switchboard should have been shortened. The bookie subplot should have been shortened or eliminated.The women's gowns are colorful and glamorous, and I found the scene cute where Judy slowly takes off items from her dress in order to make it fit in with the style of dresses the other women are wearing at the party. I thought Judy's dress "before" and "after" both looked nice.The scene where the men figure out 'the woman they know is the same woman' actually was interesting. What could have been a quick dull plot point to move the story along was jazzed up by women at the club swirling around the men as the men sang, and the men oblivious to the sexy women as they danced and drew on the men's faces.So, an enjoyable movie when one is in the mood for a 50s/60s style of musical comedy. Watch the movie for Judy, the gowns, and that 1950s innocence. Oh yeah, and Frank Gorshin's Marlan Brando impersonation.

moonspinner55 Director Vincente Minnelli gets this stagy adaptation of the Broadway success off to a splashy start; however, like most musicals helmed by the erratic Minnelli, he never quite lives up to that colorful opening. Beginning with a succession of ringing rotary phones--all in kicky colors--the prelude acts as an advertisement for Susanswerphone, a telephone answering service. It looks as though this going be pure genius, until we find out that nervously-wired Judy Holliday is the only operator Susanswerphone seems to have (and she's the kooky type, getting involved in other people's lives because she has nothing going on in her own). Holliday is in love with one of the clients, a Broadway playwright who thinks he's washed up, and feels guilty about dating him under an alias, but her situation doesn't seem exceptionally dire. Dean Martin (miscast) sings a nice, funny version of "Just in Time" with Holliday, but otherwise hasn't much to offer. The stale plot, trite and cozy-contrived, gets a boost from the musical moments, but even those are not staged with much excitement. Too bad...Susanswerphone had great possibilities. **1/2 from ****

mifunesamurai This is Judy's movie and she gives Dean a run for his money as she plays the bubbly telephonist who pries in other people's affairs with a helping hand. Sadly it was her last film. A talented woman who was not afraid to be unglamorous!