Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell

Mr. Belvedere teaches the proprietor and residents of a senior citizens' home the power of positive thinking. The ensemble cast of seniors is superb. They are believable and never mawkish. Joanne Dru, who works for the (presumably Episcopal) priest in charge is very generic. It's a standard pretty, understanding, relatively helpful woman role of its time. But a pretty girl was doubtless deemed necessary for putting this across financially.

The residents make us sad when they are gloomy. And when they're happy, we smile. Doro Merande is especially charming -- to me, at least. She reminds me a great deal of my paternal grandmother.

Zero Mostel's comic talents are essentially wasted as Mr. Belvedere's agent. But he's always a pleasure to see. And Webb does very well. He's acerbic but somewhat less grating than in "Mr. Belvedere Goes To College." This was an extremely forward-looking approach to old age for 1951. It doesn't seem at all dated.