Going My Way

Going My Way
Directed by	Leo McCarey
Produced by	Leo McCarey
Written by	Frank Butler Frank Cavett
Starring	Bing Crosby Barry Fitzgerald Frank McHugh James Brown
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	May 3, 1944
Running time	130 min.
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Going My Way, a 1944 Academy Award-winning film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby. It is a light-hearted drama about a new young priest (Bing Crosby) taking over a parish from an established old veteran (Barry Fitzgerald). It was followed the next year by a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's.

Plot

Bing Crosby

Parish life at his first "assignment" includes gossip, youth mischief, and a rather shady landlord, but young Father O'Malley (Crosby) seems to land on his feet. As older Father Fitzgibbon (Fitzgerald) watches Father O'Malley in action, he feels his days as pastor of his flock may be numbered. O'Malley, for his part, must deal with an interrupted romantic relationship from his past and a "wayward" aspiring singer. Just as all the pieces of the plot seem to have fallen into place, the parish church is damaged in a massive fire. The two priests must find "modern" ways to deal with an age-old problem--ministering to the people in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood. The cast included opera great Risë Stevens and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. The film won seven Oscars:

• Academy Award for Best Picture - Paramount Pictures (Leo McCarey, producer)
• Academy Award for Best Actor - Bing Crosby
• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor - Barry Fitzgerald
• Academy Award for Directing - Leo McCarey
• Academy Award for Best Song - "Swinging on a Star" - Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; words by Johnny Burke
• Academy Award for Writing, Original Story - Leo McCarey
• Best Writing, Screenplay - Frank Butler and Frank Cavett

The film also received a further three Oscar nominations:

• Academy Award for Best Actor - Barry Fitzgerald--Fitzgerald was nominated for both best actor and best supporting actor. (After this happened, Oscar rules were changed to prevent it from happening again.)
• Academy Award for Best Cinematography, black-and-white - Lionel Lindon
• Academy Award for Best Film Editing - LeRoy Stone

This film has only been released on DVD as a double feature with another notable Crosby film, Holiday Inn. This film included the song Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral which Crosby sang and promoted. During the 1962-1963 TV season, Gene Kelly starred as O'Malley in a Going My Way TV series.

External links

• Going My Way at the Internet Movie Database