Going My Way (1944)

When young Father O'Malley arrives at St. Dominic's, old Father Fitzgibbon doesn't think much of the church's newest member.

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Frank Butler (screenplay), Frank Cavett (screenplay)

Stars:

Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Frank McHugh

Won 7 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bing Crosby	...	Father Chuck O'Malley
Barry Fitzgerald	...	Father Fitzgibbon
Frank McHugh	...	Father Timothy O'Dowd
James Brown	...	Ted Haines Jr.
Gene Lockhart	...	Ted Haines Sr.
Jean Heather	...	Carol James
Porter Hall	...	Mr. Belknap
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Tomaso Bozanni
Eily Malyon	...	Mrs. Carmody
The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir	...	Choir (as Robert Mitchell Boychoir)
Risë Stevens	...	Genevieve Linden

Storyline

Youthful Father Chuck O'Malley led a colorful life of sports, song, and romance before joining the Roman Catholic clergy, but his level gaze and twinkling eyes make it clear that he knows he made the right choice. After joining a parish, O'Malley's worldly knowledge helps him connect with a gang of kids looking for direction and handle the business details of the church-building fund, winning over his aging, conventional superior, Father Fitzgibbon.

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Plot Keywords:

church | priest | catholic | mortgage | national film registry | 

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Taglines:

Sing, Bing . . . . You're A Grand, Gay Guy In Your Greatest Picture !

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first film to win Oscars for both Best Picture and Best Song.

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Goofs

When Fr. Chuck says to Fr. Fitzgibbon, "She's a singer," Fr. Chuck's hand change positions.

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Quotes

Father Fitzgibbons: I'm sure that the way to say what I'd like to say will occur to me after you've gone.

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Alternate Versions

Since Paramount could not get the European copyright clearance for Bizet's "Carmen," an additional sequence was shot from Smetana's "The Bartered Bride" which replaced Carmen for foreign prints.

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Connections

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008)

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Soundtracks

The Day After Forever
(1944)
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen
Lyrics by Johnny Burke
Played on piano by Bing Crosby and Sung by Jean Heather
Also Sung by Bing Crosby
Reprised by Jean Heather later

User Reviews

A Simple, Pleasant Movie Made More Memorable By Barry Fitzgerald

This kind of picture would normally just be a pleasant, upbeat movie worthwhile for casual viewing, but "Going My Way" is made more memorable by Barry Fitzgerald, who co-stars with Bing Crosby. There's nothing wrong with Crosby, since he is his usual self, low-key and amiable, and he has a few chances to sing as well. But Fitzgerald and his character are what adds the depth to an otherwise fairly simple story.

Crosby is rather well-cast as a young priest, since his benevolent persona seems to fit rather well in the role. As his older, more inflexible colleague, Fitzgerald delivers one of his many fine supporting performances, and in this case he has much more room than usual to develop his character as the movie proceeds. He makes the rather crabby old priest both interesting and endearing, and the character provides a valuable balance to Crosby's straightforward, well-meaning character.

The story is worthwhile, and though it is simple, the interplay between the two priests makes the rest of it work much better than it would have on its own. The somewhat episodic plot generally works well, and it provides many good moments, in addition to having some worthwhile thoughts to communicate.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1944 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Going My Way

Filming Locations:

Lakeside Golf Club - 4500 Lakeside Drive, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$16,300,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1