Going My Way

Going My Way (1944) is a Hollywood musical comedy directed by Leo McCarey that you can watch online on iFILM. Young Father Chuck O'Malley — Bing Crosby in one of his best performances — is assigned to a struggling New York parish. Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald) has run the place for 45 years. He has no interest in being helped.

O'Malley brings a background in sports and jazz, and an easy way with the neighborhood boys that the old priest can't manage. The culture clash generates most of the comedy — but McCarey lets it quietly turn into something about legacy, succession and what two men can learn from each other when they stop arguing. The 1945 Academy Awards gave the film seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and acting trophies for both leads.

This is not a film that announces its depth. It looks like a pleasant comedy about a Catholic parish. Watch closely and it's also a film about what it means to let something go. Watch Going My Way (1944) online on iFILM.