Bells Are Ringing is a 1960 American romantic comedy-musical film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Judy Holliday and Dean Martin. Based on the successful 1956 Broadway production of the same name by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne, the film focuses on Ella Peterson, based on the life of Mary Printz, who works in the basement office of a telephone answering service. Plot Ella Peterson works as a switchboard operator at the Susanswerphone answering service. She can't help breaking the rules by becoming overly involved in the lives of the subscribers. Some of the more peculiar ones include a dentist who exuberantly composes song lyrics on an air hose, an actor who emulates Marlon Brando and a little boy for whom she pretends to be Santa Claus. Ella has a secret crush on the voice of subscriber Jeffrey Moss, a playwright for whom she plays a comforting motherly character. She finally meets him in person when she brings him a message under a false name, and romantic sparks and some confusion begin. A humorous subplot involves the courtly Otto, who convinces Susanswerphone to take orders for his "mail-order classical record business" known as Titanic Records. However, Otto is actually a bookie whose orders are a coded system for betting on horses. Unwittingly, Ella changes orders for the supposedly incorrect Beethoven's Tenth Symphony, Opus 6, not realizing she is changing bets. Although the police begin to assume that Susanswerphone might be a front for an escort service, the plot ends happily, with Jeff proposing and Ella's wacky subscribers coming to thank her. Cast Character names are not indicated in on-screen cast credits. Judy Holliday as Ella Peterson Dean Martin as Jeffrey Moss Fred Clark as Larry Hastings Eddie Foy, Jr. as J. Otto Prantz Jean Stapleton as Sue Ruth Storey as Gwynne Dort Clark as Inspector Barnes Frank Gorshin as Blake Barton Ralph Roberts as Francis Valerie Allen as Olga Bernie West as Dr. Joe Kitchell Steven Peck as Gangster Gerry Mulligan as Ella's blind date Jean Moorhead Songs Music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green "It's a Perfect Relationship" "Do it Yourself" "It's a Simple Little System" "Better Than a Dream" "I Met a Girl" "Just in Time” "Drop That Name" "The Party’s Over” "I'm Going Back" Production Judy Holliday and Jean Stapleton reprised their stage roles for the film. Jazz musician Gerry Mulligan,