''The Singing Nun'' is a 1966 American semi-biographical

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

film about the life of Jeannine Deckers, the

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

who recorded the chart-topping song "

Dominique "Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by the Belgian female singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-bo ...

". Directed by

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to cin ...

, in his final film, it starred

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

in the title role, and features

Ricardo Montalbán Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG (; ; November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a Mexican and American film and television actor. Montalbán's career spanned seven decades, during which he became known for performances in a var ...

Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was an English-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the hom ...

Katharine Ross Katharine Juliet Ross (born January 29, 1940) is an American film, stage, and television actress. Her accolades include one Academy Award nomination, one BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. A native of Los Angeles, Ross spent most of he ...

Chad Everett Raymon Lee Cramton (June 11, 1937 – July 24, 2012), known professionally as Chad Everett, was an American actor who appeared in more than 40 films and television series. He played Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama '' Medical Center'', wh ...

, and

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York ...

as himself.

Harry Sukman Harry Sukman (December 2, 1912 – December 2, 1984) was an American film and television composer. Life and career Sukman was born in Chicago in 1912. He started his musical career in the 1920s, when he was a teenager. He composed music scores f ...

was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment. The film featured nine songs by Deckers (credited as Soeur Sourire), of which five had English verses as translated by

Randy Sparks Randy Sparks (born July 29, 1933, Leavenworth, Kansas) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and founder of The New Christy Minstrels and The Back Porch Majority. Biography Sparks grew up in Oakland, California, and attended the Universit ...

, who also wrote two original songs and a third "inspired" by a Soeur Sourire song.

Plot

Sister Ann (

) leaves the Dominican convent near

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

for her assignment at Samaritan House in a depressed area of

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

. Sister Ann loves to play the guitar and sing, and when she joins in the traditional evening singalong at Samaritan House, she impresses the other nuns and Father Clementi (

). She becomes fond of Dominic Arlien (Ricky Cordell), a motherless child whose father is an unemployed drunkard and who is loved only by his 17-year-old sister, Nicole (

). Sister Ann composes the song ''Dominique'' for the boy. Father Clementi persuades Robert Gerarde (

), a partner in a recording firm, to listen to Sister Ann's music in the hope of having it recorded. When Robert meets Sister Ann, he discovers that she was his classmate at the

Paris Conservatory of Music The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

five years earlier. Later, while visiting the Arlien house, Sister Ann discovers pictures of Nicole in provocative poses; the girl defiantly tells the nun that she posed to get food and rent money for her family. Her father overhears them, strikes Nicole, and throws the nun out of the house. The Mother Prioress (

) later admonishes Sister Ann for allowing the young girl's secret to be made known to the father. Robert, whose attraction to Sister Ann has been rekindled, obtains permission from church authorities to have her record an album; "Dominique" becomes a worldwide hit.

brings a television crew to Brussels to film Sister Ann for his show; he gives the order a jeep for their African mission as compensation. Sister Ann becomes confused by her success and by Robert's personal interest in her, and she seeks counsel from Father Clementi. Her decision is made for her when Dominic is seriously injured in an accident; she prays for him, promising to give up her music and care for others if he recovers. The boy recovers, and the Arlien family, shaken by the incident, decide to move to the country. Sister Ann gives Nicole her guitar and goes to Africa to work among the natives, driving from village to village in a jeep with the name “Dominique” blazoned across its tailgate.

Cast

as Sister Ann *

as Father Clementi *

as Mother Prioress *

Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning four decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...

as Sister Cluny *

Juanita Moore Juanita Moore (October 19, 1914 – January 1, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actress. She was the fifth black actor to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Supporting Actress category at a ...

as Sister Mary *

as Robert Gerarde *

as Nicole Arlien *

Tom Drake Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

as Fitzpatrick * Charles Robinson as Marauder *

as Himself * Ricky Cordell as Dominic Arlien *

Michael Pate Michael Pate OAM (born Edward John Pate; 26 February 1920 – 1 September 2008) was an Australian actor, writer, director, and producer, who also worked in Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early life Pate was born in Drum ...

as Mr. Arlien *

Larry D. Mann Larry D. Mann (18 December 1922 – 6 January 2014) was a Canadian actor. He was best known as "The Boss" in a series of Bell Canada television commercials in the 1980s and for voicing the character of Yukon Cornelius in ''Rudolph the Red-Nose ...

as Mr. Duvries * Monique Montaigne as Sister Michele * Joyce Vanderveen as Sister Elise * Colette Jackson as Jeanette

Production

Henry King was originally announced as director but left after differences with producer John Beck. He was replaced by

. Koster called it "probably the most difficult thing I ever did. Not the picture but the procedure of production. On that picture there was absolutely nothing but friction. I decided that this was the last thing I'd ever do. I never did another picture." Koster says the friction was mainly between producer John Beck and Debbie Reynolds.

Soundtrack

" (Sourire-Sparks) *"Sister Adele (Soeur Adele)" (Sourire-Sparks) *"Avec Toi (With You I Shall Walk)" / "Alleluia" (Sourire) *"Brother John" (Sparks) *"Beyond The Stars (Entre Les Etoiles)" (Sourire-Sparks) *"Lovely" (Sparks) *"It's A Miracle" (Une Fleur)" (Sourire-Sparks) *"I'd Like To Be (Je Voudrais)" (Sourire) *"Raindrops" (Sourire) *"A Pied Piper (Petit Pierrot)" (Sourire-Sparks) *"Put On Your Pretty Skirt (Mets Ton Joli Jupon)" (Sourire) *"Dibwe Diambula Kabanda" / "Kyrie" (From "

Missa Luba The ''Missa Luba'' is a setting of the Latin Mass sung in styles traditional to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was composed by Father Guido Haazen, a Franciscan friar from Belgium, and originally celebrated, performed, and recorded in 1958 ...

") (Haazen)

References

External links