Father Chuck O’Malley (Bing Crosby) has just been relocated from St. Louis to New York City, a much rougher territory than he is used to. When he first arrives in the lively city he is met with animosity and adversity, promising to make his transition here difficult. At St. Dominic’s, a parish that is on the verge of being foreclosed on, Chuck struggles to impress the veteran priest, Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). Going My Way is the story of Father O’Malley’s journey toward acceptance, but even more so about his attempts to right the wrongs of the parish, its congregation, and the surrounding area.
Overacting, while not necessarily a theme throughout cinematic history, could be found in just about every motion picture since the inception of film through to the 1960’s. I don’t blame any of the actors that suffered from this disorder as they had fewer references and the world was not quite as keen to the ins and outs of cinema as it is today. Though, even through that often difficult era of overacting, Crosby presents his lines with subtlety and simplicity, putting him ahead of his time. Going My Way relies heavily on what Crosby is able to bring to the table and how well he is able to collaborate with his co-stars, and Crosby delivers beautifully. In addition to being brilliant himself, he manages to mellow out the others throughout the film and bring an order to Going My Way that surpasses what one might see from other films of the time.
In addition to Crosby's acting performance, his ability to convey emotion through his vocals is inspiring and nothing short of genius. I’m not afraid to admit that listening to people sing in person or in films tends to make me uncomfortable as I’m never entirely sure how to react to the act or react appropriately. Knowing ahead of time that a portion of Going My Way would be dedicated to music I was sure that unfortunate discomfort would find me again, but, for the most part, I was wrong. While some of the other actors made me uncomfortable throughout their performances, Crosby’s voice is so enamoring that it seems impossible to feel anything other than joy and wonderment as the words flow from him with pure beauty.
Much like the wonderful simplicity that Crosby brings to Going My Way, the writing by Frank Butler, Frank Cavett, and Leo McCarey (also the film’s director) remains quite level and even-keeled throughout, allowing the elegance of each aspect of the film to shine brightly. Nothing about Going My Way is overbearing or underwhelming as the three writers find a spectacular balance between the two and create a story so reflective of the real world that viewers from all walks of life are able to appreciate it.
The 1945 Oscar winner for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Crosby), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Fitzgerald), Best Director (McCarey), Best Writing, Original Story (McCarey), Best Writing, Screenplay (Butler & Cavett), and Best Music, Original Song (Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Burke for “Swinging on a Star”) promises viewers to be entertaining from beginning to end and sets the bar so high for itself that it seems impossible for it to live up to them, especially for modern audiences. Those expectations, however, are met (and sometimes exceeded) throughout Going My Way’s entirety, thanks, in great part, to Crosby. It’s difficult to compare winners for Best Picture from the 1940’s to films with similar accolades from modern day, but it’s fair to say that Going My Way has stood the test of time and has the ability to entertain even the stingiest of audiences.
Directed by Leo McCarey.
Written by Frank Butler, Frank Cavett, Leo McCarey, & Lloyd C. Douglass.
Starring Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Frank McHugh, James Brown, Gene Lockhart, Jean Heather, Porter Hall, Fortunio Bonanova, Eily Malyon, The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir, Risë Stevens, Stanley Clements, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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