Bing Crosby gets a tailor-made role in "Going My Way," and with major assistance from Barry Fitzgerald and Rise Stevens, clicks solidly to provide topnotch entertainment for wide audience appeal. Picture will hit hefty biz on all bookings.The overlong 126 minutes contain many episodes which could be deleted for more compactness. Despite this drawback, however, picture is a warm, human drama studded liberally with bright episodes and excellent characterizations accentuated by fine direction of Leo McCarey. Intimate scenes between Crosby and Fitzgerald dominate throughout, with both providing slick characterizations.
Crosby plays a young priest interested in athletics and music who's assigned as assistant to crusty Fitzgerald in an eastside church saddled with burdensome mortgage that might be foreclosed by grasping Gene Lockhart. Progressive youth and staid oldster clash continually, but Crosby gradually bends Fitzgerald to his way. Crosby gets the tough kids of the neighborhood to organize a choir through smattering of athletics, ballgames and shows, does the usual round of kindly deeds in blithesome manner and eventually sells a song to pay the church mortgage.
Major thread of gaiety runs through the proceedings, and McCarey has liberally sprinkled sparkling individual episodes along the way for cinch audience reaction. Rise Stevens comes on for the second half, introduced as a Metropolitan Opera star and old friend of Crosby when both were interested in music. She sticks around to sing aria from "Carmen" and title song of "Going My Way," and to assist in providing funds to save the church from foreclosure. In addition to scoring with her song presentations, Miss Stevens does well in her acting assignment.
Crosby's song numbers include three new tunes by Johnny Burke and James Van Heusen--"Going My Way," "Would You Like to Swing on a Star" and "Day After Forever." Trio are topgrade and due for wide pop appeal due to cinch recording and airings by the Bing. He also delivers "Ave Maria," "Adeste Fidelis" and "Silent Night" in addition to a lively Irish folksong, "Toora-loora-loora" with boys' choir accompaniment.
Supporting cast is neatly set up for generally fine performances.
Walt.
1944: Best Picture, Director, Actor (Bing Crosby), Supp. Actor (Barry Fitzgerald), Original Story, Screenplay, Song ('Swinging on a Star')
Nominations: Best Actor (Barry Fitzgerald), B&W Cinematography, Editing
