There once was a man named Bing Crosby. His star was once the brightest one in Hollywood. He was a recording and radio star. He made road movies with Bob Hope. He even graced the world with the most well known song of all time, White Christmas. His achievements were many, but he was not done. Bing Crosby’s crowning achievement was playing a priest, Father Chuck O’Malley. This brought his good guy image to the silver screen. It also won him an academy award.
Father O’Malley has been sent to St. Dominick’s church. The reason is to replace the pastor, Father Fitzgerald, (Barry Fitzgerald). The church is failing, and his gentle manner, and forward thinking will save it. The good father keeps his mission a secret, saying that he is helping Father Fitzgerald. Throughout the movie,Crosby manages to do good things. He helps a wayward woman, Carol James (Jean Heather), find her way. He has a talk with her. She believes she has singing talent. Crosby critiques her vocalizing, and then performs the same song, The Day After Forever. She gets the message. Carol James later falls in love with Ted Haines Jr.(James Brown). He is the son of Ted Haines, (Gene Lockhart). Ted Jr. was following in his father’s footsteps as a mortgage broker. He even delights in being able to kick an elderly woman out of her home. His world changes after meeting Carol. They decide to take up housekeeping, until Bing performs the title song. They later get married and Ted gives up banking and joins the army. The scene between Ted and dad is one of the many emotional moments in this movie.
The main part of this movie is the financial distress of the church. This is where Father O’Malley’s singing comes into play. The good father encounters an old girlfriend, Genevieve Linden, (Rise Stevens). She sings at the New York Metropolitan Opera. The actress was a singer and did perform at the met. A boyhood friend of Father O’Malley’s, Father Timothy O’Dowd, (Frank McHugh) has connections in the music industry. Genevieve agrees to perform Going My Way for music publisher, Max Dolan, (William Frawley). The actor was always able to help in various roles, before he became Fred Mertz. Max Dolan says Going My Way isn’t what audiences want to hear. Later he is convinced to listen to another song. Bing performs it with the backing of The Mitchell Boys Choir. This song is called Swinging on a Star. Dolan is convinced that it will be a hit. The song was a huge hit for Bing Crosby. The revenue that the song produces, keeps the church afloat. There is still the grand finale. It has to be one of the most tearful moments in film. A person who is not moved by it must be like the nonbeliever that Father O’Malley meets at the beginning of the movie.
The singing does make this movie. One song that is performed by Bing Crosby is That’s an Irish Lullaby. He sings this to Barry Fitzgerald at his request. It is the moment when the old priest realizes that Father O’Malley can accomplish much good.The two actors, Crosby and Fitzgerald are complete opposites in the movie. Father Fitzgerald and Father O’Malley have different ways of running a church. Their styles clash, but it makes for a very good film. Barry Fitzgerald also won an Oscar for best supporting actor. A main reason that the actors do well is Leo McCarey. He worked with talents as varied as The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy and Harold Lloyd. His efforts got him two Oscars. He received one for directing and one for writing. This is an accomplishment shared by very few directors. This list includes Francis Ford Coppola and Billy Wilder. McCarey’s roots are in comedy. Going My Way has its comic moments, but is more a touching story of bridging the generational gap.
It has been stated that this movie shouldn’t have won the academy award. That could be said of many award winning films. There are more than a few that are just plain dull. This movie isn’t dull and it is just the type of film that was needed, when America was in the middle of World War 2.