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The Singing Nun ()


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Fanciful biography of the Belgian nun who briefly made the hit parade.

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Awards:
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.
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Cast verified as complete

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Sister Ann
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Father Clementi
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Mother Prioress
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Sister Cluny
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Robert Gerarde
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Nicole Arlien
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Ed Sullivan
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Sister Mary
Ricky Cordell ...
Dominic Arlien
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Mr. Arlien
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Fitzpatrick
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Mr. Duvries
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Marauder
Monique Montaigne ...
Sister Michele
Joyce Vanderveen ...
Sister Elise
Anne Wakefield ...
Sister Brigitte
Pam Peterson ...
Sister Gertrude
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Sister Marthe
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Sister Therese
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Sister Elizabeth
Inez Pedroza ...
Sister Consuella
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herman Boden ...
Technician (uncredited)
Dick Cherney ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Diner Patron (uncredited)
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Truck Driver (uncredited)
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Cameraman (uncredited)
Judy Durell ...
Nun (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
Isabelle Dwan ...
Mrs. Muller (uncredited)
Wesley Gale ...
Doctor (uncredited)
Bobby Gilbert ...
Celebration Guest (uncredited)
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Mr. Muller - the Storekeeper (uncredited)
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Celebration Guest (uncredited)
Colette Jackson ...
Jeannette (uncredited)
Joseph La Cava ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
Richard LaMarr ...
Celebration Guest (uncredited)
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The Bishop (uncredited)
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Mother (uncredited)
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Workman (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Max - TV Technician (uncredited)
George Milan ...
Tug Captain (uncredited)
Ernesto Molinari ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
Karen Norris ...
Arlette (uncredited)
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Mrs. Messereaux (uncredited)
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Farmer in Accident with Sister Ann (uncredited)
Andre Philippe ...
Belgian Sailor (uncredited)
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Man in Montage (uncredited)
Dinny Powell ...
Emil (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Technician (uncredited)
Maria Schroeder ...
Tug Captain's Wife (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Critic (uncredited)
Ralph Smiley ...
Gaston (uncredited)
Leslie Ann Towner ...
Young Girl (uncredited)
Ruth Warshawsky ...
Writer (uncredited)
Sabra Welles ...
Contessa (uncredited)
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TV Technician (uncredited)

Directed by

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Henry Koster

Written by

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John Furia ... (story) (as John Furia Jr.)
 
Sally Benson ... () and
John Furia ... () (as John Furia Jr.)

Produced by

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John Beck ... producer
Hayes Goetz ... co-producer
Hank Moonjean ... associate producer

Cinematography by

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Milton R. Krasner ... director of photography (as Milton Krasner)

Editing by

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Rita Roland

Art Direction by

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George W. Davis
Urie McCleary

Set Decoration by

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Henry Grace
Jerry Wunderlich

Makeup Department

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John Truwe ... makeup artist
William Tuttle ... makeup artist
Marvin G. Westmore ... makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Kevin Donnelly ... assistant director
Lynn Guthrie ... second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Franklin Milton ... sound

Stunts

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Whitey Hughes ... stunts (uncredited)
Toni Vaz ... stunt double: Juanita Moore (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Dave Friedman ... assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department

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Harold Gelman ... music supervisor
Harry Sukman ... musical adaptation
Ethmer Roten ... musician (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Robert Sidney ... choreographer
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Young and inexperienced Sister Ann has just arrived at her next posting at Samaritan House, a Dominican order located in a disreputable neighborhood of Ghent, Belgium. Sister Ann is enthusiastic, progressive but naive, all which irks one of the senior sisters, Sister Cluny, especially the fact that Sister Ann has a prized material possession, a guitar she's named Adele. Sister Ann considers Adele and her music to be her friends. Contrary to Sister Cluny, the Mother Prioress believes Sister Ann will be a welcome addition to their order. This posting is to be the training ground for Sister Ann and others to become missionaries in Africa. Sister Ann's path takes a detour when the order's Father Clementi hears Sister Ann sing. He believes Sister Ann should record her music and as a favor asks Robert Gerarde of Primavera Records for recording time. Unknown at the time the request is made, Robert and Sister Ann are old friends who attended the Paris Conservatory of Music together five years earlier before she became a nun. Robert believes Sister Ann could be a recording sensation, keeping true to her style of music of religious based folk songs. As Sister Ann becomes more famous, which includes an appearance on the The Ed Sullivan Show (1948), Sister Ann increasingly wonders if she truly is doing the work of God, as she admits she enjoys the adulation of being a celebrity and despite the financial gain to the church. This question, which was important previously in dealing with a precocious local boy named Dominic Arlien (after who she named one of her songs) and his troubled family, becomes all the more important after a specific incident which threatens Dominic's life. Written by Huggo

Plot Keywords
Taglines GOT A HEART? Here's the picture for it! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Dominique (France)
  • Dominique (Spain)
  • Pjevam pjesmu Dominique (Yugoslavia, Croatian title)
  • Med en sång i mitt hjärta (Sweden)
  • Enas angelos sti Gi (Greece)
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Runtime
  • 97 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia This movie is loosely based on the true story of Soeur Sourire, who had a #1 pop hit in America with "Dominique" in 1963. Unfortunately, the nun was a one-hit wonder whose life did not continue happily after her chart success. After leaving the church for a full-time music career, she ran into heavy financial problems and eventually took her own life in Belgium in 1985. See more »
Goofs When Sister Ann and several other convent members perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, the women are forbidden to wear stage makeup - even though all of them have been sporting obvious foundation, blush, lipstick, mascara and even false eyelashes during rest of movie. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Soeur Sourire - Qui a tué la voix de Dieu? (2021). See more »
Soundtracks Dominique See more »
Quotes Father Clementi: Your songs, your music, don't you think you've won a great victory through them?
Sister Ann: What kind of victory, Father, if I've lost myself winning it?
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