7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The arrival of easy-going young priest Father Chuck O'Malley at debt-ridden St Dominic's Church does not sit easily with ageing Father Fitzgibbon, who has been in charge for 45 years. However, O'Malley is soon reaching out to the local, disenfranchised youth and swelling the parishioners' ranks through the medium of song.
Starring: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Frank McHugh, James Brown (II), Gene LockhartMusical | 100% |
Music | 57% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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).
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.
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 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.
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