Come to the Stable 1949

     This film is based on a short story written by Clare Booth Luce, she was the wife of Henry Luce and he was the owner of Luce Publications.  Clare Booth Luce was also a playwright and Republican Congresswoman.  Sister Margaret and Sister Scholastica travel after WWII from a French convent to a small New England town.  Sister Margaret is American and Sister Scholastica is French.  They have a plan to build a children’s hospital.  They have limited funds and they don’t know anyone in this area.  They receive help on their project from a popular composer, Robert Masen, a struggling artist, Amelia Potts and Luigi Rossi, a well-known racketeer.

     The sisters made a solemn vow during the war when their hospital was spared destruction by advancing forces because of prayer to St. Jude.  They believe they can honor the answer to their prayer by establishing a hospital in Bethlehem, Connecticut.  They have chosen this location because of a woman in this town and her beautiful religious paintings.  She is Amelia Potts.  This endeavor is not an easy task because there is some opposition from a neighbor over the building project along with financing, obtaining land and the actual building project.  This was a different era in time with values, decency, kindness and respect for other people.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

94 min, Drama directed by Henry Koster with Loretta young, Celeste Holm, Hugh Marlowe, Elsa Lanchester, Thomas Gomez, Dorothy Patrick.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 78% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 211 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed at Stage 14, 20^th Century Fox Studios, Century City, Los Angeles, California.  The scenes look like they were filmed in New England and not in a film studio?  Irene Dunne and Rosalind Russell were also considered for a role of Sister Margaret in this film.  It was important to the filmmakers for the actresses for both of the roles of the Sisters be Catholic in real life.