"And all the monkeys aren't in a zoo, every day you meet quite a few..." So goes a line from the unforgettable Oscar-winning song "Swinging on a Star," which hails from the Best Picture-winning 1944 classic Going My Way, starring legendary crooner Bing Crosby (in an Oscar-winning performance) as Father O'Malley, a novice priest assigned to save a debt-ridden church from foreclosure. But first, O'Malley must win over the hearts and minds of the rough and tumble parishioners (which include young ruffians such as Our Gang's Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer), and—more importantly—the elderly cantankerous curate, Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). Director Leo McCarey skirts the fine line here between pap and substance with consummate skill, and he was rewarded with gold statues for both directing and screenwriting. DVD extras include a brief introduction by Turner Classics Movies host Robert Osborne. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)
Going My Way
Universal, 126 min., not rated, DVD: $14.98 Volume 22, Issue 3
Going My Way
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