The Trouble with Angels is a 1966 American comedy film about the adventures of two girls in an all-girls Catholic school run by nuns. The film was the final theatrical feature to be directed by Ida Lupino and stars Hayley Mills (her first post-Disney film role), Rosalind Russell, and June Harding.
The movie is set at St. Francis Academy, a fictional all-girls Catholicboarding school in Pennsylvania operated by an order of nuns. The Mother Superior is at odds with Mary Clancy, a rebellious teenager and her uncle's ward, and Rachel Devery, Mary's less troublesome friend. The episodic story line follows the young women through their sophomore, junior and senior high-school years as they pull pranks on the sisters and repeatedly get into trouble.
At one point, both girls are nearly expelled when their smoking in the basement is mistaken for a fire. But not wanting Mary to go back to her womanizing Uncle George, the Mother Superior chooses not to expel her. Mary often resents the Mother Superior's authority and puzzles over why any woman would choose a nun's life. As time passes, Mary is touched by the sisters' dedication, devotion, kindness, love, and generosity; she gradually begins to understand that their lives are of fulfillment, not deprivation. Mary experiences "the call" senior year and, after graduation, decides to remain at St. Francis to begin her novitiate in the order. Rachel is initially upset, then fully supports her friend's decision to become a nun.
The Trouble with Angels was based on the 1962 book Life with Mother Superior by Jane Trahey, about her own high school years at a Catholic school near Chicago, Illinois, in the 1930s. While in the memoir the school was portrayed as a boarding school outside the city, Trahey attended what is now Providence-St. Mel's High School, which was a day school. Many of the incidents mentioned in the book were based on Trahey's experiences at Mundelein College in Chicago. The character of Mary Clancy (Mills), who came up with the "most scathingly brilliant ideas," was based on Jane's friend, Mary, who later became Sister John Eudes Courtney, a Sinsinawa Dominican nun (1922–2017).[3]
The Washington Post called it "wonderful fun".[4] The book became a best seller.[5]
Production
Development
In June 1962, the film rights were purchased by Ken Donnellon and Jacqueline Babbin who knew Trahey in advertising. Donnellon said he wanted the film to be seen through the eyes of one of the young nuns.[6]
In September 1964, the film rights were acquired by Columbia Pictures. The film was assigned to producer William Frye who had a multi-picture deal with the studio.[8] Frye's original choice for the role of the Mother Superior was Greta Garbo, who rejected the producer's offer of $1 million to star in the film.[9] In November 1964, Frye approached Hayley Mills to appear and she eventually signed on the following May.[10] The role of the Mother Superior went to Rosalind Russell, who said: "I have been around nuns my whole life and I wanted to do justice with them".[11]
Frye hired Ida Lupino to direct; at the time Lupino was mostly working on action and suspense programs for television and had not directed a predominantly female cast for a while. Lupino said "It's a change of pace".[12]
Filming
Filming began in August 1965 under the title Mother Superior.[13] The title was changed to The Trouble with Angels the following month out of fear there were too many other "nun" movies at the time (e.g. The Singing Nun).[14]
"We are shooting it in color but the prevailing colors will be stark black and white and charcoal grey. Then there will be sudden slashes of bright color – a turquoise swimming pool, a green meadow. The possibilities of color are fantastic. And the picture will be warm and funny. And it's such a nice change – no blood spilled at all, darling", said Lupino.[13]
The St. Francis Academy in the film was filmed on location at what was formerly known as St. Mary's Home for Children and is presently known as Lindenwold Castle in Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Before shooting began, Rosalind Russell was asked by an old school friend, now a mother superior in St. Louis, to attend a fundraiser for a Catholic girls' school she was starting. Russell proposed that her upcoming film would be "the ideal fundraiser" and convinced Columbia to hold the premiere in St. Louis. The world premiere and a reception were held at St. Louis's Fox Theatre with ticket proceeds going to the school's building fund.[17][18]
At the time of filming, Mills was 19 years old, while Harding was 28. Both characters would have aged from 14 to 17 during the three years covered in the plot.
The film marked a departure for Mills, who was attempting to emerge from her juvenile leads in Walt Disney-produced teen comedies as a comedic actress. Her character was rebellious and seen smoking onscreen.
Critical
The Trouble with Angels enjoyed good reviews, although Variety was critical: "An appealing story idea—hip Mother Superior nun who outfoxes and matures two rebellious students in a Catholic girls' school—has lost impact via repetitious plotting and pacing, plus routine direction....Graduation finds Mills in character switcheroo to which Catholic audiences will long since be alerted".[20]
Box office
The film earned enough box-office success to warrant a sequel (Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows).[21] Russell said: "I think it proves there's a place for the family picture, the sort of picture you can take the kiddies to and which isn't pure corn".[22]Filmink pointed out it proved "once again that Hayley Mills was box-office outside Disney."[23] However she opted not to reprise her role as the progressive protagonist in the sequel and was replaced by Stella Stevens, who played Sister George, a new foil to Rosalind Russell's Mother Superior.
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