TheLittleSongbird 'Going My Way' is an immensely likable film and very easy to be charmed by. Should it have won Best Picture? That's debatable in a year with films like 'Double Indemnity', 'Laura' and 'Gaslight', but there are worse Best Picture winners around before and after.The romance does bog the film down a little and could have been developed more, and the scenes with the inner-city street urchins transforming into angelic choir boys are a bit cheesy and suspending of disbelief is somewhat needed. Despite being a long film and a film that moves slowly and takes its time to unfold (things that may alienate some), they didn't come over as problems at all because the emotions all through the story and the winning performances make 'Going My Way' so engrossing.Bing Crosby has never been better dramatically, appealing street-wise and likable, and as ever his voice is beautiful and mellow, the kind of voice you can listen to for hours and not get tired of it, particularly in the Oscar-winning song "Swinging on a Star". Barry Fitzgerald's peppery and charmingly twinkling performance is also among his best, along with 'And Then There Were None' and 'The Quiet Man'. Love the chemistry between the two of them too. Rise Stevens brings some affecting heart and mystery, and as ever sings with an angelic richness, the film also sees a glimpse of the role she was most famous for for very good reason in "Habanera" from Bizet's 'Carmen'.It's a lovely-looking film visually, with a real elegance and it's beautifully photographed too. The music is wonderful, especially "Swinging on a Star" and "Habanera" and "Ave Maria" are effectively utilised. The story is incredibly moving and makes one feel good, while the direction is focused for a long film with a number of plot strands and the script expertly balances humour, charm, heart and pathos.In summary, while not my pick for Best Picture that year there is definitely a lot of love for 'Going My Way'. 9/10 Bethany Cox

lasttimeisaw It is galling that this vintage Oscar BEST PICTURE winner (7 wins, including BEST DIRECTOR, BEST LEADING and SUPPORTING ACTORs) might be best remembered for the sole happenstance in the Oscar history when Barry Fitzgerald was nominated in both LEADING ACTOR and SUPPORTING ACTOR categories for the same performance (which he won the latter), although the Academy speedily changed the rules to stave off any future embarrassment, nevertheless, it belies the perpetually ongoing category placement controversy which has been widespread until today.Directed by the prominent comedy maestro Leo McCarey, and green-lit as a Bing Crosby showcase, GOING MY WAY tells the story of a young and forthcoming priest Father Charles O'Malley (Crosby), aka. Chuck, who is commissioned by the bishop to take over the parish in NYC from an elder pastor Father Fitzgibbon (Fitzgerald), who has presided over the church since day one, for almost 45 years, only now, the church has been in the mire of financial difficulties, and Father Charles is sent to straighten out the problem and make the transition as smooth as possible.So, a major plot device is that Father Fitzgibbon has no inkling of the function transference in the first place, Chuck is introduced simply as his assistant, so when the lid is blown off, a dramatic collision is what viewers would expect. However, against the hype, in McCarey's staunch execution, the revelation comes quite early in the storyline, and is rendered with utter aplomb and mutual understanding, as two mature clergymen, there is no need of making a scene, albeit their different approaches (the blasé traditional vs. unorthodox tug-of-war, only milder), they are fighting for the same honorable cause, it may sound like church propaganda on paper, yet in the film, the cordial atmosphere and contagious compassion is superbly tangible.There are no villain or whatsoever in the story, the parishioners, from a juvenile street gang lead by Tony (Clements) to a young maiden Carol (Heather), who has run away from home and resolves to find her footing in one way or another, music is wielded as the ultimate gospel, Chuck forms a boy choir and hones up their skills, eventually it will pay back lucratively to save the church from its dire situation. The romance between Carol and Ted Haines Jr. (Brown), the son of the church's mortgage-holder, Ted Haines Sr. (Lockhart), has also keenly and timely goaded through Chuck's music, the titular tune GOING MY WAY, into marriage instead of living in a sinful status. And a completely platonic friendship between Chuck and his old-time girlfriend Jenny (the mezzo- soprano Risë Stevens), never risks betraying any carnal attachment and Jenny's one-sided munificence can be only justified by her hail-fellow-well-met good nature.For my money, Fitzgerald and Crosby are the two co-leads here, and the former doesn't has recourse to singing bent to win over audience, on the contrary, Fitzgerald's performance is decidedly more evocative of sympathy, laughter and esteem than Crosby's pristine, but comparatively stale apotheosis of a stand-up guy who is aggravatingly flawless and is tailor-made to elicit nonjudgmental bonhomie, but the truth is, Crosby is such a nonpareil crooner, that's where lies the abiding charm of the picture if its gently preachy modus operandi tends to be rather impertinent and spoon-feeding by today's yardstick.In sum, GONIG MY WAY is a beatific but regressively antiseptic tribute of Catholic church's noble vocation and suggests a more liberal viewpoint in its progress, as though it were the cure-all for all our mundane problems, indeed, the biggest accomplishment of the movie is that it makes us wish only if it were true!

wild_willy_m_d Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald both won well-deserved Oscars for this gem, as did the film for best picture and Leo McCarey for best director. Unfortunately, this great film has been forgotten by most of today's movie fans. It also won best song for "Would You Like to Swing on A Star?" The cast includes Rise Stevens, the GREATEST Carmen ever. One scene features Maestra Stevens singing "Habanera" staged at the Metropolitan Opera. Bing also sings "Ave Maria" and "Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ra".The supporting cast also features Frank McHugh and Gene Lockhart, and Bowery Boy Stanley Clements and Little Rascal Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer Watch for this one on stations that feature old films. You'll love it.

PimpinAinttEasy GOING MY WAY is not the kind of film I would normally watch. I just picked it up randomly from my DVD store. The film is a feel good gem elevated to a different level by BARRY FITZGERALD's wonderful performance as a sarcastic and sharp tongued priest who fears his time at the church he has headed for decades is over. The arrival of a progressive priest CHUCK O MALLEY (BING CROSBY) at his church triggers a series of mildly amusing clashes between the two men even though they respect each other. FITZGERALD sort of carries the movie on his shoulders.The film has no real plot. Its mostly about (the somewhat opulent) life in the church though apparently the church is always short of cash. I thought the film would be about the clash between the church and the capitalists but that part of the movie goes nowhere and in the end the capitalists are shown as people with good intentions (even though they have a mortgage on the church?). In between, O MALLEY helps homeless girls and the local teenage thugs all of whom have a musical side to them and are eager to sing his schmaltzy songs.I don't really understand the context of this film. Was the influence of the church declining in 1940s America and was this film supposed to show that priests weren't such bad people after all? I wonder if its propaganda (YOU THROW LIKE AN ATHIEST!). Even if it is, the film is good fun, mostly due to the witty dialog and interactions between FITZGERALD, CROSBY and MCHUGH.I wonder if some subversive filmmaker tried to remake this film. anyway, the film is an oddity for me (I haven't watched too many films from this era) mostly because it tries to show the catholic church in good light. most of the American films i have seen feature negative portrayals of religion.My only problem with the film is BING CROSBY - he came across as someone who is a nasty piece of work in real life trying hard to play a priest with a good heart. However, he did sing some good songs in the movie.I am mostly a mule, but nice tunes anyway.(7/10)