“The best most people can say about their job is that it is tolerable. Some might venture to say they like what they do. Ella Peterson (Judy Holliday) is unequivocal in her thoughts on the subject - she loves it. Compelled by a love for people which knows no bounds, she quit her job at the Bonjour Tristesse Brassiere Factory to work as an operator for a Manhattan answering service. There she transformed the anonymity of an accurate message-taker into the art of ‘chère confidante.' Disguising her voice as an elderly woman, Ella advises and consoles the callers who know her as ‘Mom.'
“Her private life, alas, is a different matter. Ella's assured phone manner dissolves into a self-confidence which is shaky at best in the company of men, thus leading to an eternity of calamitous blind dates. But no matter, she adores her job. Ella's chief concern is the dashing Jeffrey Moss (Dean Martin), an aspiring playwright whose excessive socializing wreaks havoc on his creative output. When Jeffrey fails to place an important business call, Ella/Mom is alarmed. Momentarily overcoming her shyness, Ella dashes to his flat and poses as Melisande, a wildly optimistic and uninhibited soul who ignites the writer's artistic sensibilities. Jeffrey is enchanted but Ella avoids revealing her true identity. Thus begins an evasive and funny romance.
“Vincente Minnelli's films delve into the notions of self-expression and identity. There is a fascination with the muse as one who unconsciously instigates creativity on artistic and interpersonal levels. What is a particularly compelling aspect of his work is how closely color adheres to the thematic scheme. For this director strident saturations of color, black-and-whites, and pastels are deliberate, reflecting the psychology of a character or situation. In Bells Are Ringing Minnelli's structuring of color parallels Ella's strivings toward development as a person who needn't be afraid of herself or others.” --L.A. Thielen