GOING MY WAY (1944)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 38 of 50)

I'm not sure that there are too many film buffs who wouldn't take exception to Going My Way winning the Best Picture Oscar for 1944. It's a nice film, but the story of a radical (as much as Bing Crosby can be radical) priest being assigned to a floundering parish under the guidance of the crusty but lovable Father Fitzgibbon doesn't seem exactly groundbreaking. But it's a pleasant enough film, and a good one to check out to remember the time when Bing Crosby was Hollywood's biggest movie star. But should this really have beaten out Double Indemnity for Best Picture?

Speaking of Double Indemnity: The short career of ingenue Jean Heather (eight film credits) featured the interesting coincidence of her having important supporting parts in Going My Way and Double Indemnity, the two top contenders for the Best Picture Oscar that year. She plays Barbara Stanwyck's step-daughter in Double Indemnity and the young girl who Bing Crosby teaches about singing in Going My Way. 

Carol James in Going My Way

Carol James in Double Indemnity

And yet another Little Rascal alert: Going through these fifty films, I first came across former Little Rascal Stymie Beard in Jezebel. Then I came across former Little Rascal Dickie Moore in Sergeant York and Out of the Past. And Going My Way features former Little Rascal Alfalfa Switzer as one of the tough kids Bing teaches to sing. I guess I should consider adding Fritz Lang's The Woman in the Window to this list just to include Spanky McFarland's bit part as a boy scout in that one!

"Stymie" in Jezebel

"Dickie" in Sergeant York

"Alfalfa" in Going My Way

"Spanky" in The Woman in the Window

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Barry Fitzgerald. It's hard not to give this to Barry, even though he already won Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated for Best Actor for the same film! Other memorable roles for the Irishman include And Then There Were None, The Quiet Man and Bringing Up Baby, but its' the role of Father Fitzgibbon that he is best remembered for.

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 37 of 50)

Meet Me in St. Louis was probably my mother's favorite movie. Seeing what she loved about this movie is pretty easy. Beautiful technicolor, elaborate period costumes, a nostalgic look back at a simpler time (1944 looking back at 1903), a youthful and vivacious Judy Garland, lots of light comedy, a plot with some peril that you know will be fully resolved by the end and of course those songs-"The Trolley Song," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Meet Me in St. Louie," and "Skip to My Lou." I really can't believe I haven't seen this one before. 

Criticism? I offer none because I loved my mother too much.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Marjorie Main. I was in a play by Larry Shue called The Nerd where there is a line about how the last person to have gumption was Marjorie Main. Meet Me in St. Louis seems a typical role for the old girl, playing the gruff housekeeper with a heart of gold. Marjorie's best know role originated as a supporting part in The Egg and I, where she played the Ma half of the rustic Ma and Pa Kettle team. The popularity of these characters led Marjorie (and Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle) to get her own series of very successful films with these characters as the stars.

RED RIVER (1948)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 36 of 50)

If you want the ultimate movie about a cross country cattle drive, then look no further than Red River. I hadn't seen this in a long time and really enjoyed it this time around. You got to give a lot of credit to Hawks for keeping the story written by Borden Chase alive and keeping the cattle (and the plot) moving over hundreds of miles. But the centerpiece of the story is represented by John Wayne as the tough head of the drive and his protegee/adopted son played by Montgomery Cliff. The fact that the two of them come from different acting schools (Clift is a method actor, Wayne is NOT)  is really to the film's favor. I'm not sure I've liked either actor as much as I've liked them in this.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Noah Beery, Jr. I know I should give this to Walter (Groot) Brennan, but I just gave the award to him for Sergeant York and I can't always give this to Walter Brennan! Also could have given this to Harry Carey Jr. or Harry Carey Sr., but I'll give it to Noah Beery Jr. in a real nice role as the dedicated member of the cattle driver and the guy who becomes Clift's right hand man during the second part of the film. I also like whenever he yells (I think it's a yell) out for them cattle to get a move on.

Beery has showed up in other films on 1001 list, including Only Angels Have Wings and Sergeant York, as well as a small roles in many other films like Inherit the Wind. But is still probably best remembered by my generation as Rocky from 70's TV classic The Rockford Files. 

THE MORTAL STORM (1940)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 35 of 50)

One of the few Hollywood movies (along with Confessions of a Nazi spy) to address the Nazi menace head on in the early stages of World War II. At times a very powerful film, The Mortal Storm shows how easy it is to turn on your friends and neighbors and change your whole value system when the situation dictates it. It's also interesting to see such clean cut leading men such as Robert Stack and Robert Young fall prey to this, but I think that's the whole point. Jimmy Stewart is strong in the lead male role, but it is Margaret Sullavan as the professor's daughter that stands up to the Nazi threat who really carries the film.

It's interesting that Sullavan wasn't even nominated for an Academy Award for this, but then The Mortal Storm wasn't nominated for any Academy Awards! Stewart won Best Actor this year for the more lightweight Philadelphia Story.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to..Frank Morgan. Many moviegoers know Frank Morgan for one role, that of the Wizard/Professor Marvel in The Wizard of Oz. You can definitely see some of the wizard in Professor Roth, but where the Wizard was a phony, the professor is a man of deep conviction and values. His persecution is the core of the film and was sadly representative to what happened at the time to many.