Review of Going My Way (1944) by Chris W — 17 Mar 2012

Alright, so yeah, this film is very old fashioned, schmaltzy, sentimental, and even a tad corny perhaps, but you know what? I don't care. It's entertaining, well meaning, pretty good, and really hard not to like. We need stuff like this once in a while.

The story concerns a young and easy going priest named Chuck O'Malley who is assigned to St. Dominic's: a church on the brink of going under. He doesn't get along with the head priest Father Fitzgibbon, but when the effects of O'Malley's attempts to bring the community together are felt, things do begin to change for the better.

This is a nice little film, and it did spawn a sequel: The Bells of St. Mary's. That one's a lot like this one, with a similar plot and premise, but it is here where Crosby originated the character, and won an Oscar for his efforts. He really does put in some nice work, and he, like the character, is just really hard to dislike. He's just so damn charming and irresistable I can't stand it.

Barry Fitzgerald is also quite good as Fitzgibbon. and Rise Stevens and Frank McHugh are decent as childhood friends of O'Malley's.

All in all, this may be a pretty light and predictable film, but it's a harmless film with a lot of heart and a good message. It also looks good, and the singing is top notch too. Give this one a go. It may not be worthy of all of the Oscars it won, but it's hardly a forgettable piece of dreck.