Madam, - As this year marks the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady to St Bernadette of Lourdes, it came as no surprise to see that RTÉ was showing the film The Song of Bernadette, based on the Jewish writer Franz Werfel's book of that title.
The film received 12 nominations at the Oscars in 1943, the same year that Casablanca won the award for best picture. The surprising feature was the decision by RTÉ to show The Song of Bernadette at 3.35am on Sunday last, July 6th.
Surely a prime-time slot can be found to show the film during the coming months as a suitable gesture to mark an anniversary that is so meaningful to so many viewers. - Yours, etc,
FRANK BURKE, Fortfield Drive, Dublin 6W.