A Bell for Adano

1945
Approved
1h 43m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

During WWII, U.S. Army Major Joppolo and his troops are tasked with administering the war damaged Italian town of Adano where the locals decry the loss of the town bell.During WWII, U.S. Army Major Joppolo and his troops are tasked with administering the war damaged Italian town of Adano where the locals decry the loss of the town bell.During WWII, U.S. Army Major Joppolo and his troops are tasked with administering the war damaged Italian town of Adano where the locals decry the loss of the town bell.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

886

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Gene Tierney, because of star status and contractual requirements at 20th Century-Fox, receives top billing over John Hodiak, even though he is the unquestionable star of the film, and her participation is strictly subsidiary; most critics agreed she was miscast as a blonde Italian in what was at best an undeveloped comparatively inconsequential role.

Goofs
When Tina crosses her room to open the door to Victor late at night, she carries an oil lamp. However, the long electrical cord actually powering the lamp is clearly visible as she crosses the room.

Quotes
Maj. Victor P. Joppolo: Ever been in jail?
Giuseppe: Sure - I been in jail plenty times.
Maj. Victor P. Joppolo: OK - I can use an honest man.

Connections
Referenced in The Flying Nun: A Bell for San Tanco (1967)

Soundtracks
Lili Marleen
(uncredited)
Music by Norbert Schultze

User reviews22

Review

Featured review

8/10

Tierney miscast...(minor SPOILERs)

I liked this film in most respects. John Hodiak was perfect as "Mr. Major." William Bendix, one of my favorite character actors, displayed much of his range, from humor to pathos. And Henry King's direction was superb. However, Gene Tierney was seriously miscast as the comely village girl.

Miss Tierney's Italian accent was practically non-existent. And that bleached blonde hair! I seriously doubt that an Italian girl of modest means in a fishing village would have made that a priority during World War II.

And why was John Hodiak talking about Jean Tierney's "dark skin" resembling that of his wife back home? If her skin was any lighter she could've been mistaken for an albino!

I gave this film an "8". It was one of those films where the plot line was taken too literally from the novel. The romance between Hodiak and Tierney didn't contribute much to the film. And Richard Conte's morbid description of the death of Tierney's boyfriend was way too heavy and mostly irrelevant to the rest of the film. Otherwise, "A Bell for Adano" would've have earned a "9" from me.

Ciao