Going My Way

Leo McCarey's sentimental 1944 film, "Going My Way" is a positive film that dealt with the problems of the inner city back when the term hadn't been coined. St. Dominic's Church is an oasis in the middle of the area that has seen better days. We realize how deeply in trouble the parish is from the start as Mr. Haines is trying to give Father Fitzgibbon an idea of how much he owes the bank and the fact the church will disappear soon.

When Father Chuck O'Malley arrives at St. Dominic to try to save it from its uncertain future, Father Fitzgibbon doesn't have a clue the younger man is going to be over him in all matters of importance. Yet, Father O'Malley never steps over the older priest's shoes to make his rank felt.

This film was shot after the more successful, and better made "The Bells of St. Mary's", but it was released earlier than the other film, probably to capitalize on Bing Crosby's popularity. The film, in fact, is a showcase for Mr. Crosby, who was a likable actor and singer. He has good opportunities in the movie.

As good as Mr. Crosby was in the film, Barry Fitzgerald steals the movie with his Father Fitzgibbon. Mr. Fitzgerald's crusty priest was one of the best creations of his long career. Frank McHugh, another excellent character actor of the era is seen as Father O'Dowd. Gene Lockhart also has a small role as the money man, Mr. Haines. Rise Stevens, the soprano is seen and heard in the film singing in her inimitable style.

The film is a classic that should be seen during the holidays, as it brings cheer and hope to everyone lucky enough to catch a screening of it during Christmas.

A fairly old-fashioned film even when first released, Going My Way is probably a tough sell these days compared to other 'feel good' movies of its time. It's a little too long, a little too sweet, a little too casual, and has more than a little too much music. Then again, it also has Bing Crosby; and a Crosby picture without music is like a fish-tank without fish.

Bing plays a young, progressive priest assigned to the parish of an aging, stubborn, much older priest (Barry Fitzgerald) who desperately needs help in dealing with his church and congregation, and is too proud to ask for it. At first the old priest distrusts the younger one and regards him as too 'modern' in his outlook. In time the two men come to get along famously, but with a few bumps in the road along the way. The movie is a comedy and a sermon, a musical and a drama. It is at times painfully and at other times hilariously realistic. When it sticks to its central story it's just fine. But it zooms off in dozen different directions and at times seems to lose its way. In the end everything comes together neatly, but it takes an awful long time for the movie to get there.

Going My Way is literally the opposite of film noir. It is bright and sunny, and aggressively optimistic in tone. Yet it is set in the slums of New York in a parish surrounded by poverty and crime. Director Leo McCarey does not minimize the negative aspects of the parish community; if anything he emphasizes them,--in order to offer a cure, or rather cures: faith, hope and charity. The movie's sensibility can be summed up in the face and demeanor of its star, Bing Crosby, who manages to be smart, open, breezy, charming, sly and decent all at the same time. One can't help but be reminded, after seeing this film, that life's problems, heavy and complex as they are, can be addressed in other ways and in other vocabularies than those of social scientists and existential philosophers, and that simplifying matters, cutting them down to their essentials is perhaps as important as verbalizing them. Most people do not read the great books or discuss the great ideas, and for most of us complexity is a burden, simplicity a virtue. Without resorting to any theory or idea, Going My Way makes this point quite nicely, and offers some pleasant songs in the bargain.

It's the sort of picture where you have to understand the mentality of the movie-going audience of the time. It was a sensation at the 1944 box office (#1 for the year, and the follow-up "The Bell's of St. Mary's" was #1 the next year); part of this had to do with the fact that it took America's mind off the on-going war effort and cheered them up quite a bit, and part of it had to do with its star, Bing Crosby.

Oscars were handed out for its hit song, Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, the director, and the movie itself. The Motion Picture Academy, in a display of childish enthusiasm, gave Fitzgerald a crack at the leading Oscar and the supporting one, too.

Seen today, outside of the WWII context, the movie is a pleasant non-event. At its best, it contains a scene from "Carmen" that for a brief flash takes the film into the stratosphere, much in the same way "Vertigo" was featured in "12 Monkeys", and a clip from "The Third Man" was interlaced with a brief passage of "Leaving Las Vegas". Bing Crosby is the ultimate in old-school crooning, and Barry Fitzgerald is to crotchety old Irishmen what Walter Brennan was to crotchety old mid-westerners. At the film's worst, "Going My Way" is hopelessly naive and dated--at one point an exchange plays out as if it were a sitcom waiting for the laugh track (without the laugh track). It gives you a feeling that you're "hanging out" with the characters, and that at any moment they'll turn to you and say "hey, pal, thanks for renting the video. You're O.K. with us". Whether or not ferociously polite priests and aw-shucks street gangs will be invited to your next soiree will likely make or break the film for you.

In fact it's not a film at all. Not in the sense that "8 1/2" is a film, or "Star Wars", "The Godfather", or even "Wayne's World". It's an exercise in good natured good nature, and if that's what you butter your bread with, have at it. For those looking for dimension, wit, conflict, or any of those other extraneous story-telling devices, you might find yourself left out in the cold.

If you are looking for something thoughtful, dramatic, or even controversial, go somewhere else. But if it's a light-hearted comedy you're after, then pull up a chair and check out "Going My Way".

Bing Crosby stars as Father Charles "Chuck" O'Malley, a newly-ordained priest assigned to take over St. Dominic's, a New York City church with a mortgage currently run by veteran priest Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). Both Crosby and Fitzgerald give good performances in this movie, as attested by the fact they each won an Oscar (and Barry Fitzgerald was nominated TWICE, for Actor and Supporting Actor, a move that necessitated a rule change at the Academy). If you ask me, between the two of them, I would go with Barry Fitzgerald. His portrayal of the crusty, yet kind-hearted Father Fitzgibbon was a role he was born to do, and it shows.

This movie also features the talents of soprano Risë Stevens, who plays Jenny Linden, an old friend of Father O'Malley's, in town performing at the Metropolitan Opera House as Carmen. Though her acting is somewhat wooden (it was only her second role), she shines all three times she sings. Which leads me to the title of the movie itself.

"Going My Way" is not a story about the Catholic Church, nor is it about old friends reuniting, or even about two young lovers (James Brown and Jean Heather). It's about a song. That's right. A song, written by Father O'Malley, and upon which its success determines the very future of St. Dominic's. Like I said, this is light comedy; nothing too serious is happening here.

At the time of this movie's release in 1944, World War II was at its crescendo. The newsreels and the papers were full of reports of the war. Some war veterans had made their way back home after getting wounded in battle. Major offenses like Operation: Overlord (D-Day) had succeeded, but at tremendous cost. At a time when the world was at its grimmest, this was the perfect escape. The only reference to the war in the entire movie occurs when landlord Ted Haines Sr. (Gene Lockhart) discovers his son, Ted Jr. (Brown) quit his job and eloped with a young singer named Carol James (Heather). Just when he thinks his son has lost all sense of reality, he turns around and sees Ted Jr. in an Army Air Corps uniform. Only then, Ted Sr. realizes his son hasn't gone mad; he is off to join the war.

If you are a fan of the "Road" movies Bing Crosby did with Bob Hope, you most likely remember the occasional aside in which either Bing boasts about his Oscar, or Bob grumbles about it. Well, this is the film that gave Bing his Oscar. And he was nominated again the next year for playing the same character in the the sequel "The Bells of St. Mary's". Obviously, he must've been doing something right! "Going My Way" was a little ray of sunshine cast upon a pained world and, even now, it will still put a smile on your face.

A very enjoyable film starring Bing Crosby as a progressive Irish Catholic priest who comes to St. Dominick's, a church that is struggling. Initially, he's not very welcome by most, including old Father Fitzgibbon...but with his charm and the song in his heart, he manages to slowly grow on the folks as he finds subtle ways to solve everyone's problems. This is a heartwarming movie without being over-sappy.

*** (Out of 4)