Trivia for
Bells Are Ringing (1960) More at IMDbPro »

• Except for two uncredited parts in her first two films, this was the only color film Judy Holliday made.
  
  
• This was Arthur Freed and Vincente Minnelli's last musical for MGM.
  
  
• Judy Holliday's last film.
  
  
• "Is It a Crime?" (music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), sung and recited as a comic inspirational message by Judy Holliday to Dort Clark, was deleted from this movie. The routine as shot still exists and can be watched on the DVD issued by Warner Home Video
  
  
• A song written for the picture, "My Guiding Star" (music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), sung by Dean Martin, was deleted. The vocal as filmed still exists and is featured on the DVD from Warner Home Video.
  
  
• An alternate take of "The Midas Touch" (music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), a production number with lead singer Hal Linden, still exists. In the release print, the second half of the musical proceedings gets shunted to the background, being "talked over" by Dean Martin, Frank Gorshin and Bernard West (billed as Bernie West). The center-stage version is available on the DVD from Warner Home Video.
  
  
• Hal Linden's movie debut. He played the understudy for Sydney Chaplins' Jeffery Moss on Broadway and eventually performed the role with Judy Holliday.
  
  
• Judy Holliday recreated her Broadway role as Ella Peterson. Jean Stapleton also recreated her role as Sue and Dort Clark recreated his role as Inspector Barnes. The original Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theater (moving later to the Alvin Theater) on November 29, 1956 and played for 924 performances through March 7, 1959. The musical was nominated for the 1957 Tony Award for Best Musical.
  
  
• The building that housed the phone answering service was a unique old building that was the only one on the block. Steven Spielberg used it 25 years later for the setting of *batteries not included (1987) which was supposedly owned by the only holdout in the middle of a construction project.
  
  
• Judy Holliday won Broadway's 1957 Tony Award as Best Actress (Musical) for "Bells Are Ringing," a role she recreated in the film version.
  
  
• Sydney Chaplin won the 1957 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actor in a Musical for "Bells are Ringing" for his portrayal of Jeff Moss.
  
  
• #'s phone was the brand new Princess model, just introduced by the Bell System in 1959, the same year this movie was filmed.
  
  

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