Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Going My Way Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson March 10, 2022

Leo McCarey made a promise to Bing Crosby that he'd create a role for him in one of his films. Crosby, who describes McCarey as "an old golf-course, football-game and Del Mar-Race-Track friend of mine" in his 1953 autobiography, Call Me Lucky, says the two had a running gag. Every time Crosby saw McCarey on the golf course, he’d holler, “Now?” which was the question he'd inquire about any openings McCarey had for him in one of his pictures. When Crosby spotted him at a football game, he asked it again and the filmmaker replied, “Now!” Crosby invited McCarey over to his house where the director presented his rough treatment for Going My Way. Crosby, like studio Paramount, was unsure whether he could portray a priest convincingly. But McCarey said he consulted with some of the dioceses who agreed that Crosby would be right for the role. (McCarey scholar Wes D. Gehring writes in his book Leo McCarey: From Marx to McCarthy that Spencer Tracy was originally considered for that part.) In retrospect, Crosby wrote in his memoirs that he didn't believe McCarey had a final story mapped out. ("He just made one up as he went along.") It more than worked out for everyone. Going My Way received ten Oscar nominations and swept the major categories, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Father Chuck O’Malley (Bing Crosby) is a young priest who recently transferred from the St. Louis parish to one in Manhattan. His arrival couldn't have come at a better time. At St. Dominic’s Church, the mortgage loan is long overdue and membership is in steep decline. Banker Ted Haines, Sr. (Gene Lockhart) comes to collect the dues but Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald) still doesn't have the requisite funds. Fitzgibbon has been the head priest at the church for over forty-five years. He clashes with O'Malley because he doesn't want to bring in any new religious doctrines or fresh ideas. Unbeknownst to Fitzgibbon, O'Malley goes to a music publisher, Max Dolan (William Frawley), about putting money up for a song ("Swinging on a Star"). Soon, O’Malley has recruited adolescent and teens off the New York streets to form The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir. McCarey and his two screenwriters, Frank Butler and Frank Cavett, added two subplots to appeal to a wider demographic. O'Malley auditions Carol James (Jean Heather) as a singer but when that doesn't work out, she's seen later hooking up with Ted Haines Jr. (James Brown), the banker's son. In addition, O'Malley reconnects with an old romantic flame, the famous Metropolitan Opera singer, Genevieve Linden (Risë Stevens).

If it hadn't been for the occasional humor that McCarey injects into the scenes between Father Fitzgibbon and Father O'Malley, Going My Way would have been a dull affair. Those scenes (and others) greatly benefit from McCarey's experiences working with Laurel and Hardy as well as the Marx Brother. McCarey was a master of several comedy sub-genres and the humor here is more subtle than slapstick. There's a wonderful scene where O'Malley brings a bottle of Irish whiskey to the elder priest in his bed. McCarey could have done more with O'Malley and Linden, though. Overall, Going My Way doesn't have a lot of substance and complexity under the surface but it's a solid drama/comedy to go with several notable Crosby musical numbers.

Going My Way Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout Select has released Going My Way in a 75th Anniversary Edition that comes on an MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50. Appearing in its original Academy ratio of 1.37:1, this transfer is struck from an older master. It likely dates from 2007 when Universal re-released it on DVD under its Cinema Classics banner. That image reportedly had edge enhancement and shimmering effects. Fortunately, those are less pronounced on Shout's transfer. There are periodic white specks that mar the picture, however. Grayscale and black levels are good but not exceptional. The image retains a textured look but could look smoother in motion with a new restoration. I didn't notice any image stability problems. Shout has encoded the feature at an average video bitrate of 28996 kbps. My video score is 3.75/5.00.

Shout has provided twelve chapters for the 126-minute film.

Going My Way Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono track (1566 kbps, 24-bit). The monaural mix has some faint audible hiss but is an upgrade over the 2007 DVD's Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono track, which suffered from background noise. (The mono mix on Universal's 1999 DVD supposedly had a cleaner mix.) In addition to "Swinging on a Star," Crosby also sings "The Day After Forever," the title song, "Silent Night," and "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral." The highlights on this lossless mono track occur during the opera scenes when Risë Stevens performs "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen. Crosby performs "Ave Maria" with Stevens.

Shout's optional English SDH can be activated through the main menu or through your remote.

Going My Way Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW Audio Commentary with Pop Culture Historian Russell Dyball - Dyball oscillates between giving a scene-by-scene analysis of Going My Way with discussing the careers of the picture's stars and their off-screen lives. He also talks about the TV series Going My Way (1962-63) and how Gene Kelly's Father Chuck O'Malley compares with Crosby's. In English, not subtitled.

• Road to Home (12:50, upconverted to 1080i) - a 1945 short commissioned by the US Navy featuring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby dressed as sailors. They deliver a cautionary message about desertion and the positive effect of receiving an honorable discharge. The short also shows excerpts from the two stars' Road to... feature films. In English, not subtitled.

• All-Star Bond Rally (19:03, upconverted to 1080i) - another 1945 short featuring Crosby, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and Harpo Marx. Hope acted as emcee for this event. After his introduction, the live audience is treated to a tap-dancing performance by Betty Grable and a troupe of dancers. Harry James and His Orchestra follows with Sinatra as the lead singer. Hope also contributes a war-bond themed song. 20th Century Fox produced this film, which comes with a personal message from Daryl Zanuck. In English, not subtitled.

• Gary Cooper Presenting Bing's Oscar (0:39, upconverted to 1080i) - this clip isn't from the official Academy Awards show but a recreation of Cooper giving Crosby the Oscar for Best Actor in Going My Way. This was produced for newsreel exhibits.

• Screen Guild Theater Radio Adaptation of GOING MY WAY (29:35) - this Screen Guild Theater production stars Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, reprising their roles from the film. Then-Screen Actors Guild president George Murphy introduces it and acts as an interviewer in front of a live audience. The questions to the two stars are a segue to reenacted scenes from the movie. Crosby sings the title tune and "That's an Irish Lullaby." There's also a musical underscore. Also present is Leo McCarey. Sandwiched in the middle and at the end is an ad for a face cream.

• Edward R. Murrow Interview with Bing Crosby (17:24, upconverted to 1080i) - Murrow's conversation with Crosby aired in 1954 on the TV program, Person to Person. Murrow asked the actor/singer questions from a TV studio while Crosby answered them from one of his several homes. The actor/singer gives the viewing audience a guided tour inside his house. He showcases his gold records, stops by his son Lenny's bedroom to have a chat with him, displays an antique collection from Copenhagen, and a couple paintings he cherishes. The most substantial portion of the interview is when Murrow and Crosby discuss his then-recent movie, The Country Girl. In English, not subtitled.

• Bing Crosby on Philco Playhouse (2:56, upconverted to 1080i) - this is supposedly Crosby's TV debut, a program that aired on 12/19/49. Crosby sings "Silent Night" with the accompaniment of the Mitchell Boys Choir.

• Re-Release Trailer (2:15, 1080p) - Paramount's post-Oscars trailer for Going My Way. While only partially restored, the image still looks decent.

• Image Gallery (5:53, 1080p) - a slide show comprising sixty-two black-and-white photographs from the production and publicity shoot of Going My Way. These are culled from Paramount's press kit as well as one United Artists put together for a probable theatrical release in 1960. The snapshots feature all of the principals and several of the supporting players, too.

• Promotion and Advertising Gallery (6:49, 1080p) - a slide show consisting of seventy-two distinct images from the marketing campaign of Going My Way. These mainly include posters sheets and lobby cards from US and foreign markets. Shout has also added scans of stills from a MCA TV International press kit, a Paramount Theatre program, press booklets in English and different languages, an exhibitor's manual, and various newspaper adverts.

Going My Way Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Going My Way faced stiff competition at the Academy Awards for Best Picture. It was up against Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Since You Went Away, and the underrated Wilson. Any of those four could have won but Oscar voters opted for the most cheerful picture during wartime. Going My Way is still a tender, amusing, and heartfelt drama/comedy. It's one of the very last Best Picture winners to arrive on Blu-ray. Shout Select's transfer is sourced from an older print that looks pretty solid but could definitely use a new scan. Russell Dyball's commentary is fairly informative, although I have some disagreements over his inflated evaluation of the film. Shout has done a good job of compiling several vintage clips of Crosby from the '40s and '50s. A SOLID RECOMMENDATION for this respectable edition.