Come to the Stable (1949)

70% of users liked it
(143 ratings)

A Christmastime TV perennial, Come to the Stable is the gentle saga of two French nuns (Celeste Holm with accent, Loretta Young without) who come to America in hopes of raising funds for a children's hospital. Travelling to a small New England town presciently named Bethlehem, the nuns befriend… More A Christmastime TV perennial, Come to the Stable is the gentle saga of two French nuns (Celeste Holm with accent, Loretta Young without) who come to America in hopes of raising funds for a children's hospital. Travelling to a small New England town presciently named Bethlehem, the nuns befriend eccentric painter Elsa Lanchester, who allows them to use her studio (actually a stable) for their base of operations. Utterly ingenuous when it comes to American mores and customs (they tear up a parking ticket, assuming it to be an advertisement), the sisters raise money in a variety of amusing fashions. One of their "agents" is outwardly tough gambler Thomas Gomez, who gives them the land they need and a cash contribution, to the astonishment of his equally raffish pals (who also kick in). And towards the end, the nuns even play a little professional tennis to raise money. Careful not to overwhelm the viewer with sentiment and religiosity, Come to the Stable (based on a story by Clare Booth Luce) is ideal holiday film fare. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Henry Koster
Written By: Oscar Millard, Sally Benson
Genres: Drama, Faith & Spirituality, Classics

In Theaters: Jul 27, 1949 Wide
On DVD: Mar 15, 1995

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Well acted by Celeste Holme and Lorette Young as French nuns in the U.S., this sentimental religious melodrama was very popular in 1949, garnering 7 Oscar nominations.
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com
Surely a film that shows both its age and its seams, Come to the Stable nonetheless remains a testament to old Hollywood's ability to sell anything it put its mind to.
Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
Sweet, pious entertainment of a sort that “they don't make like that anymore.”

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Cast

            Loretta Young as Sister Margaret

            Celeste Holm as Sister Scholastica

            Elsa Lanchester as Miss Potts

            Thomas Gomez as Luigi Rossi

            Dorothy Patrick as Kitty

            Basil Ruysdael as Bishop

            Dooley Wilson as Anthony James

            Regis Toomey as Monsignor

            Mike Mazurki as Heavy Man

            Henri Letondal as Father Barraud

            Walter S. Baldwin as Jarman

            Tim Huntley as Mr. Thompson

            Louis Jean Heydt as Mr. Newman

            Pati Behrs as nun

            Nan Boardman as nun

            Loulette Sablon as Nun

            Ian MacDonald as Mr. Matthews

            Jean Prescott as Mrs. Matthews

            Gary Pagett as Johnnie

            Nolan Leary as Station Master

            Wally Brown as Sheldon

            Dan Jackson as George

            Edwin Max as Whitey

            Russ Clark as Policeman

            Marion Martin as Manicurist

            Robert Foulk as Policeman

            Gordon Geberl as Willie

            Virginia Kelly as Mrs. Thompson

            Hugh Marlowe as Robert Mason
See full cast

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