The movie was written by Leo McCarey and Dudley Nichols, and directed by McCarey.
It won the Academy Award for Best Sound, Recording, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Bing Crosby), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Ingrid Bergman), Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Music, Song (for Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics) for Aren't You Glad You're You) and Best Picture.
The character of Father Chuck O'Malley had been previously portrayed by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way (for which Crosby had won the Academy Award for Best Actor).
The Bells of St. Mary's was remade for television in 1959, starring Claudette Colbert, Marc Connelly, Glenda Farrell, Nancy Marchand, Barbara Myers, Robert Preston and Charles Ruggles. It was directed by Tom Donovan.