Going My Way (1944)
7/10
Well-intented and sensitive musical-comedy about a progressive young priest assigned to a parish
28 December 2021
Agreeable film contains heart-warming drama , comedy , love , friendship and a blazingly effective sentiment . Going My Way (1944) won Best Picture in 1944 , being a righteous and interesting portrayal of Father Chuck O'Malley (Bing Crosby) , a kindly priest assigned by the bishop to a downtrodden parish who works to get the parish out of debt , but clashes with the elderly curate Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald) , who is set in his ways . Sing, Bing . . . . You're A Grand, Gay Guy In Your Greatest Picture !. Bing's "little angels" - the roughest gang this side of reform school !. When the St. Louis Browns lost Bing, the Cardinal got a good singer!. In love with love! Jim Brown and Jean Heather!. There's only one voice like Crosby's .There's only one picture like this! .Never Before...so much warmth, so much fun, so much entertainment in the Crosby manner!

Going My Way (1944) is an acceptable and decent film , though some dated , dealing with a friendly priest who arrives in a parish in financial trouble , and similar to Father Flanagan/Spencer Tracy who created Boys Town , O'Malley attempts to help every little boy he meets . This is a sensitive , good feeling and nostalgic filck , including emotion , a love story between Jean Heather and James Brown , and an enjoyable relationship between O'Malley and his elderly colleague Father Fitzgibbon . This quintaessential Catholic priestness saga regarding boyfriendship and religious protection , as the familiar elements of the genre are all strongly and gratingly in place . The production was overseen by a Catholic priest who served as an advisor during the shooting . It has an attractive and charming screenplay from Frank Butler , Frank Cavett, uncredited Lloyd C. Douglas and being based on a story by director Leo Mc Carey himself . Leo McCarey was inspired to write the original story in tribute to his own aunt and childhood counselor Sister . At the 1945 Academy Awards, Bing Crosby and Leo McCarey won the Best Actor and Best Director awards for this Going my way (1944) and Barry Fitzgerald's Oscar winning supporting actor performance was also nominated in the best actor category . Being followed in similar style by Bells of St Mary's (1945) , adding the great Ingrid Bergman who subsequently won the Best Actress award for her role in Gaslight (1944) . Going my way (1944) and Bells of St Mary (1945) were both the top-grossing films domestically the years of their release , the first film series to do so. Bing Crosby's performance as Father O'Malley earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in Bells of St Mary's , the first time a person received a nomination for playing the same character in two different films , he had been nominated - and won - for Going my way (1944) the previous year . Furthermore , it displays catching and classic songs that enhance the attractiveness and endurance of the unforgettable story .

The motion picture was welll directed by Leo McCarey . He is the first director to win three major categories at the Academy Awards : Best Picture, Best Director and Best Writing, Original Story, for this Going my way (1944). He directed five Academy Award Best Picture nominees: Ruggles of Red Gap (1935), The awful truth (1937), An affair to remember (1939), Going my way (1944) and Bells of St Mary's (1945). Rating Going My Way : 6.5/10 . Well worth seeing . Essential and indispensable watching for classic movies buffs .
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