September 7, 1967: Sister Bertrille first takes to the air
(It's Nun Week here at Lentorama, as all of this week's entries will feature these creatures of habit, real and fictional.)
Elsie Ethrington was the only non-doctor from a Chicago medical family, the source of some friction. When Elsie got arrested at a protest in New York City, there was apparently only one recourse: pack her off to the Convent San Tanco in Puerto Rico to become a nun. The only problem is that Elsie - now Sister Bertrille - only weighs 90 pounds, so when the coastal breezes catch her heavily starched cornille, she lifts off.
Thus was the set-up for The Flying Nun, which somehow milked three seasons out of having a nun solve her problems by becoming airborne. The popularity of the show fell squarely on Sally Field, whose sunny personality and positive attitude wasn't limited to playing Gidget.
Not that it was always easy. Field was pregnant during the show's last season, a condition not normally seen in nuns. Many of the tricks used today to hide a pregnancy on screen - close shots of the head and upper body, long shots using a double, lots of strategically-placed plants - were also used then.
That the show lasted three seasons was a testament to its writers, who had to scramble to find new ways to get Sister Bertrille into situations where flying would be helpful. They apparently handled the subject with some grace, as the show did get kudos from some Catholic groups for humanizing nuns and the religious life. Of course, this was just after Vatican II, so the plaudits for a lightweight sitcom might not be too surprising.
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