The Singing Nun (MGM) (1966)

ALL-TIME-GREAT GREER GARSON PLAYS MOTHER PRIORESS IN “SINGING NUN” Greer Garson, one of Hollywood’s all-time-great stars, temporarily interrupted the busy and mobile private life that keeps her constantly on the go between New Mexico, Texas and California, to make one of her rare screen appearances of recent years. The film which caught the red-headed star’s fancy is “The Singing Nun” in which she co-stars with Debbie Reynolds and a distinguished cast including Greer Garson, one of the screen’s great Academy Awardwinning stars, makes one of her rare screen appearances as the Mother Prioress who guides the fledgling nun, Sister Ann, played by Debbie Reynolds, in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s heart warming “‘The Singing Nun.” The Singing Nun Still 1843-21 Mat 1-A Ricardo Montalban, Agnes Moorehead, Chad Everett, Katharine Ross and Ed Sullivan. It marks her first movie role since her portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt in “Sunrise at Campobello” in 1960. That performance, incidentally, won her a seventh Academy Award nomination as Best Actress. What lured Miss Garson back to MGM, where she achieved fame in such memorable pictures as “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” “Mrs, Miniver” and “Random Harvest” to mention a few, is a personal conviction about the content of stories for the screen. “I have always advocated good, clean film entertainment,” she said. “The only films which interest me are those which parents can enjoy without being embarrassed at having their children along.” When MGM offered her the appealing role of a Mother Prioress in the story of a young nun whose magic gift of music made her name and songs known around the world, she promptly accepted, “It was simply a case of backing up my convictions,” averred Miss Garson who, during five years absence from the screen has turned down script after script because she felt in one respect or another they violated good taste. “I don’t want to play only goodygoody parts,” she said. “At the same time, pictures with sick values about tortured people have no appeal to me. Entertainment should send people out of the theatre feeling uplifted.” Other than occasional guest starring appearances on TV shows and a Broadway engagement in “Auntie Mame,” Miss Garson has kept herself occupied with interests other than show business. She is too concerned with the present to waste time on the past. “I live for today and tomorrow,” she declared, The actress can be found wherever the extensive business interests of her husband, E. E, (Buddy) Fogelson, take him, On any given day, the Fogelsons may be “at home” on their spacious and magnificantly scenic ranch at Pecos, New Mexico, called the “Forked Lightning Ranch,” or at homes in Bel Air and Pebble Beach, California, and in Dallas, Texas. The ranch contains within its boundaries the Pecos Pueblo and Mission, which has been made a national monument with a gift from Fogelson of 382 acres to the Federal Government. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill making the Pueblo, dating back hundreds of years and once a thriving community of 2,700, and the Mission ruins a national monument. The Pueblo, known as “America’s first apartment house,” is also the site of the Mission which was started by Coronado in 1540 and completed in 1615, “Making the Pueblo and Mission a national monument had been a dream of Buddy’s for twenty-five years,” Miss Garson said. “It previously had been a New Mexico State Monument.” If Miss Garson has given her heart to New Mexico, the feeling is mutual. She completed her role in “The Singing Nun” in time to attend the dedication of the Greer Garson Theatre by the College of Santa Fe, formerly St. Michael’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, an ultra modern center of the performing arts under one roof. Chad Everett attempts to persuade Debbie Reynolds to make a commercial career of her talent in composing and recording songs in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s **The Singing Nun.”’ Ricardo Montalban, Agnes Moorehead, Katharine Ross, Ed Sullivan and Greer Garson as ‘‘Mother Prioress”’ also star in the heartwarming drama of a nun with a great gift for music, featuring the world-famous Nun’s Music. It is in Panavision and Metrocolor. Still 1843-34 The Singing Nun Mat 2-B As Ricardo Montalban looks on, Debbie Reynolds entertains the Sisters of Samaritan House with her guitar and songs in this scene from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “The Singing Nun.” Unfolding; the heartwarming story of a Dominican nun with a great gift for music, the picture features the lilting song, “Dominique,” and many other hits of the Nun’s Music. Filmed in Panavision and color, “The Singing Nun” co-stars Agnes Moorehead, Chad Everett, Katharine Ross, Ed Sullivan, as himself, and guest star Greer Garson as “Mother Prioress.” Still 1843-24 The Singing Nun Mat 3-A DEBBIE REYNOLDS CAPTIVATES IN “THE SINGING NUN,” WARM DRAMA WITH HUMOR, HEART APPEAL AND A WEALTH OF SONGS Vibrant MGM Attraction Co-Stars Ricardo Montalban, Agnes Moorehead, Chad Everett, Katharine Ross, Ed Sullivan, with Guest Star Greer Garson, in Story of Young Dominican Nun Whose Great Gift for Music Brings Her Both Heartaches and Happiness Replete with catchy songs, touched by humor and heart appeal, “The Singing Nun,” new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer drama in Panavision and color, is a motion picture which leaves its viewer feeling buoyant and uplifted. In it, Debbie Reynolds, playing the title role as the young Belgian Dominican nun, Sister Ann, has her most triumphant role since her outstanding hit in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” which won her an Academy Award nomination, Debbie Wasn't “Acting” In a scene of MGM’s “The Singing Nun” in which Debbie Reynolds romps with a group of children in a game of soccer, six-year-old Ricky Cordell had to give the star a hard kick in the shins, As a precaution, a pad was put on her leg before the cameras rolled. Ricky landed a solid kick and Debbie grabbed her shin in pain. But when Director Henry Koster congratulated her on her perfect reaction, she disclaimed any credit. It seems that Ricky had kicked her on the wrong shin—the one without the pad! JUDY ROSE DESIGNER'S VERY SPECIAL MODEL Hollywood’s noted Academy Awardwinning designer, Helen Rose, created the Nun’s habits and wimpoles worn by Debbie Reynolds, Agnes Moorehead, Katharine Ross, Juanita Moore and guest star Greer Garson in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “The Singing Nun.” She also created the costume worn by another member of the cast, Judy Rose, also portraying a nun. The last-named was Helen Rose’s favorite model. She is the designer’s daughter. When you see this joyous young nun careening over the countryside on a motor scooter, getting kicked in the shins in a soccer game, zooming down a slide in a playground or leading a Pied Piper’s dance with a group of youngsters, you are completely caught up in the infectious endearment of this appealing story. The all-star cast also has Greer Gar PLAYS HIMSELF Ed Sullivan plays himself in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s **The Singing Nun,”’ story of a Dominican nun with a great gift for music, with Debbie Reynolds playing the title role as Sister Ann and Greer Garson cast as ‘‘Mother Prioress.”’’ In the film, Sullivan recreates the appearance of the Singing Nun on his famous television show. The Singing Nun Still 1843-42 Mat 1-C son, making one of her rare screen appearances as Mother Prioress of Samaritan House, Ricardo Montalban, Agnes Moorehead, Chad Everett, Katharine Ross, Juanita Moore and Ed Sullivan, who plays himself in a segment of the story in which he recreates one of his television shows, Sister Ann, one of the nuns who has come to Samaritan House to help the poor and underprivileged, brings with her the guitar on which she has composed light-hearted songs, which ultimately are to make her a celebrity and to bring her soul-searching personal problems. These are the songs of the famous Nun’s Music, and one of the delightful aspects of “The Singing Nun” is Debbie’s singing of such songs as “Dominique,” “Sister Adele,” “Brother John,” “Raindrops,” “Beyond the Stars” and “Avec Toi,” to mention only a few. When Sister Ann is persuaded to record an album of her songs, her efforts achieve overnight popularity, leading to her appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. But her sudden and unexpected fame also faces her with a momentous decision, one which has its impact on other persons, One is Robert Gerard, who fell in love with Sister Ann when they were fellow students at a music conservatory, and who implores her to give up her life as a nun in favor of a professional career. Another is Nicole, the sister of a youngster who has become Sister Ann’s protege. Embittered by poverty and neglect, Nicole has taken the “easy way” to get something out of life. Sister Ann’s ultimate decision marks not only the pattern of her own life but theirs as well. Greer Garson gives a warm and glowing performance as the Mother Prioress, with other fine portrayals by Montalban as Father Clementi, Agnes Moorehead as the grumpy Sister Cluny, Juanita Moore as Sister Mary and Katharine Ross as the embittered Nicole who eventually finds a ray of hope in her drab life. Chad Everett wins sympathy as Robert Gerard and little Rickey Cordell is completely endearing as the youngster who kicks Sister Ann in the shins and afterwards becomes her greatest friend, A John Beck production, “The Singing Nun” was directed by Henry Koster from a screen play by Sally Benson and John Furia, Jr. 9