The Trouble with Angels (film)

In June 1962 film rights were bought 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]

They were unable to make the film. In August 1963 Ross Hunter was pursuing the novel; he wanted Loretta Young, Jane Wyman, Barbara Stanwyck and Virginia Grey to play nuns and Patty Duke and Mary Badham to play students.[7]

In September 1964 film rights were held by Columbia Pictures. The film ended up being produced by William Frye who had a multi-picture deal with the studio.[8]

Frye offered the role of mother superior to Greta Garbo for $1 million but she turned it down.[9] Frye was after Hayley Mills to star in November 1964 and she eventually signed the following May.[10] The other lead 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 Lupino to direct. At the time Lupino was mostly working on action and suspense TV shows; this was the first time she had ever directed a large female cast. Lupino said "It's a change of pace".[12]

Filming started in August 1965 under the title Mother Superior.[13]

"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 / Mattison Estate Property in Ambler, Pennsylvania.

All interior shots were filmed at Columbia Studios at Sunset & Gower in Hollywood. Most exterior shots were filmed at the Greystone Mansion, which at the time was being leased by the City of Beverly Hills to the American Film Institute. The exterior track-side train depot scenes (at the opening and closing of the movie) were shot at the former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depot in Monrovia, California. The station is now a stop on the Los Angeles Metro Gold Line. However, the opening establishing shot of the train station was filmed at the Merion Train Station in Merion, Pennsylvania. The film was budgeted at $2 million.[14]

Camilla Sparv made her debut as a nun.[15]

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.[16][17]

In September 1965 the title was changed to The Trouble with Angels out of fear there were too many other "nun" movies at the time (e.g. The Singing Nun).[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.

In October 1965 Jerry Goldsmith signed to do the music.[19]

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]

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]

However, Hayley Mills opted not to reprise her role as the progressive protagonist and was replaced by Stella Stevens, who played Sister George, a new foil to Rosalind Russell's Mother Superior.