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Bing Crosby as a priest? Will it would seem like a stretch
to me but he admirably pulls it off in "Going My Way". Crosby
plays Father O'Malley who looks after the flock at St. Dominic's
Church in a rough part of New York City. There's a bit of
competition with the parish's original leader Father Fitzgibbon
(Barry Fitzgerald) when he realizes that he's being replaced
by a young singing priest. With the church in financial
dire straits, O'Malley's work seems cut out for him also
must battle with boys in the neighborhood who seem to attract
trouble like mice to cheese. ***
The cast delightfully makes this bit of melodrama interesting,
entertaining and tolerable. Although the film isn't what
I would call a masterpiece, it's an example of a fun popcorn
movie that has been overlooked because of its sentimentality.
Crosby is terrific (and, in fact, won an Oscar for his performance
hence this re-release) and the supporting cast do a great
job of pulling it altogether even as the plot stretches
credibility. ---
Image & Sound:
This is the second go round for this film (it was paired
with "Holiday Inn" in a previous release). The film looks
extremely good with solid blacks and nice contrast. The
mono audio soundtrack comes across with nice presence and
dialogue is clear throughout the film (although a bit muffled
in one or two scenes). ---
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