Going My Way (1944)
Director: Leo McCarey
Starring: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald
Honors:
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Bing Crosby by 1944 had risen to the top of the
entertainment world by way of his vocal talents as well as appearing in many
well grossing motion pictures. As one of the most recognizable men in the world
Crosby somehow still had yet to receive the respect of being considered a
serious Hollywood actor as his résumé was predominantly filled with wacky
comedies co-starring Bob Hope, and other fanciful musicals. All that changed
with his overwhelmingly popular feature that dominated the 1944 motion picture
world, Going My Way. A winner of
seven Academy Awards, this film was a wild success and cemented Crosby as the
highest grossing figure in Hollywood.
Going My Way is a
musical comedy/drama of a young priest who must take over a parish form an
older priest who is deeply established in his ways. Father Charles O’Malley
(Bing Crosby) is put into an unconventional situation, appointed to turn around
St. Monica’s, a New York City church struggling economically and communally under
the veteran Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). Fitzgibbon is weary of
O’Malley, while the young priest attempts to swings things around within the
church and community. Discovering the reality of O’Malley’s appointment from
the bishop Fitzgibbons struggles with his own place within the church. However
his faith is renewed as O’Malley turns his talent for music to aid in the
finances for the church reestablishing Fitzgibbon’s faith. Just as things
appear to be at its brightest and Fitzgibbons making plans to visit family in Ireland
a fires does great damage to the church and O’Malley is surprisingly issued
reassignment to another parish. O’Malley reassures Fitzgibbon that the church
will continue on under Fitzgibbon as he departs leaving his fellow clergyman a
touching gift, a visit from his elderly mother, their first time seeing each
other in 45 years, a moving moment from devoted man of faith.
The film is quite a beautiful tale of adjustment, faith, and
respect. Although the story revolves around the Catholic faith this film can be
enjoyed outside its religious tones and does more to touch the human spirit. Featuring
the heartwarming performances of Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgibbon as two
priests who see things a little differently we come to the conclusion that both
are equally valuable to the parish while each gain from their experiences from
each other. It makes for a simple motion picture, with no frills, but rather a
touching story presented in a beautiful manner.
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| McCarey giving instruction to Crosby |
Purely the creation of the director/producer Leo McCarey,
this film falls in line with the heartfelt emotions coupled with moments of
comedy we have been accustomed with in his previous works, such as Make Way for Tomorrow and The Awful Truth. A devoted Catholic, Leo
McCarey penned this original story idea of two priests which was adapted for
the screen. The story carries with it McCarey’s own convictions of how he felt
people should act towards each other, presenting second chances when needed and
having faith and respect in one another, traits sadly absent in the world we
live in both then and now. The sweet story and coxing of some of the finest
performances on the silver screen that year would land two Academy Awards for
Leo McCarey, including Best Director, his second such honor, and Best Original
Story.
Bing Crosby may have been the most popular crooner of his
day, and one of the most recognizable men in show business, but his performance
in Going My Way brought the man
perhaps the single greatest piece of notoriety as an actor. In a serious role
seemingly tailored for him with his soft baritone voice, matched up with
moments of wonderful music that played well within the story, Crosby would
demand the respect of the industry, earning him the Academy Award for Best
Actor in the process.
His companion on screen was played by the long time Irish
character actor Barry Fitzgerald. Playing the stubborn, but all around lovable
Father Fitzgibbon, Fitzgerald becomes that Irish priest almost all think of in
our heads. A bit stereotypical, but never close to offensive, Fitzgerald performs
well alongside of Crosby as the elder two men of the cloth. Fitzgerald pulls at
your heartstrings as the audience falls in love with this old man who has
moments of troubled faith. The most touching moment of the film comes in its
closing scene as he is rewarded with a touching visit from his mother, a moment
that would make any proud male cry. His performance was so well received he
would collect the distinct honor of being up for two Academy Awards for this singular
role. Nominated for Best Actor as well as Best Supporting Actor, Fitzgerald
came away with the later honor, losing to his co-star for Best Actor. Due to
the circumstance of Fitzgerald’s dual nomination of leading and supporting
roles for the same character, the Academy would immediately modify the rules to
eliminate this from ever happening again, leaving Fitzgerald with this unique
honor.
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| Risë Stevens sings with Bing Crosby |
The feature is filled with recognizable faces known from
many great points in American entertainment history. Risë Stevens, appears in a
supporting role of as an opera singer and old friend of O’Malley’s. Being a
highly featured star at the Metropolitan Opera at the time, this role was no
stretch for her in this supporting musical role. Bit roles were filled in by
the likes of Gene Lockhart as the banker, William Frawley (later known on
television on I Love Lucy) as the
music executive that buy O’Malley’s song, and even Carl Switzer (better known
as “Alfalfa” from the series Our Gang)
as teenage ne’er-do-well who comes into the church by the insistence of his friend
played by “Bower Boy” Stanley Clements.
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| Father O'Malley leads his new boys choir. |
As a Bing Crosby feature, the film would not be complete
without a handful of musical numbers, and this film delivers. The music is
blended into the fabric tastefully, never taking away form the story and core
of the movie. At no point does the music divert the attention away from the
plot, keeping the audience within the story instead of creating moments that feeling
more along the lines of musical interludes featuring Bing Crosby. Of the five
songs sung by the famed crooner the original tune of “Swinging on a Star,” a
lightly swinging ballad, would become a hit popular song as well as win the
Academy Award for Best Song.
The film is a real sweet picture that captures a corner of
the heart of many that watch it. The film would appear to do the impossible and
make the biggest star in entertainment even bigger, gaining him a new level of
respect. Going My Way would be the
highest grossing feature of 1944 and spawned a very rare distinction of a
sequel in 1945 in The Bells of St. Mary’s,
co-starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. As the most decorated film of
1944, winner of Best Picture from both the Academy and the Golden Globes, the
film would prove culturally significant enough to find its way onto the
National Film Registry in 2004. The film continues to reminder of the peak of
Bing Crosby’s Hollywood career and one of the finer motion picture put out in
America during World War II.
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I Love it so much
ReplyDeleteCan I buy that photo of Barry Fitzgerald laying in bed with Bing Crosby talking to him?
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