100 Movies Every Catholic Should See #73: Going My Way (1944) & The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

Directed by Leo McCarey. Starring Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Travers

1944. America is in perhaps the darkest days of World War II. The immense casualty lists from America’s two-front war have covered the nation in a pall of grief, and the end of the war still seems far away. Americans were in desperate need of someone to bring hope and cheerfulness back to their lives, a hero who spreads joy and kindness wherever he goes through his unrelenting faith in humanity and thoughtfulness towards others.

Enter Father O’Malley.

Bing Crosby’s Father O’Malley captured America’s heart in the mid-1940s by offering exactly what the country needed at the time: joy. From the moment he steps on screen, Fr. O’Malley radiates an inner peace and happiness which is absolutely infectious. The way he interacts with children is especially endearing. From covering right field in a street baseball game (“you even throw like an atheist!”) to starting a choir to get the boys of his parish off the streets and out of trouble to watching a 2nd grade Christmas pageant, he takes children seriously and they respond with love and respect. The same goes for adults; Fr. O’Malley’s warmth, kindness, and humor earn the him respect of all his parishioners and he wins over even the crustiest old souls by the end of his tenure.

His humor, gentleness, and challenge to people to choose the good and reject vice were exactly what America wanted and needed in 1944 and 1945, and they ate it up. Going My Way, a light-hearted comedy about two Catholic priests, was the highest grossing film at the box office in 1944 and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Leo McCarey), Best Actor (Bing Crosby), and Best Supporting Actor (Barry Fitzgerald). Barry Fitzgerald as the curmudgeonly priest with a heart of gold Fr. Fitzgibbon was actually nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, the only person ever so recognized for a single film. 1945’s The Bells of St. Mary’s only added to the star power, adding 1944’s Best Actress Ingrid Bergman as Sister Mary Benedict, the nun in charge of the school at Fr. O’Malley’s new parish. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture (the first sequel ever to be nominated), Bing Crosby as Best Actor (the first actor to be nominated twice for the same role), and Ingrid Bergman as Best Actress, ultimately winning only one award against stiff competition. It was also the highest grossing film of 1945, earning $21.3 million (over $372 million adjusted for inflation). Both of these films were blockbusters in their day, enjoying both popular and critical success.

In most of these reviews, I don’t bother wowing you with Oscars trivia or box office history, so why in this one? Partly, the historical context; I am fascinated by the war World War II affected the American imagination in cinema and I wanted to share that with you. But I also want to hearken back to the days when well-made, witty, joyous films about Catholic priests, nuns, and parishes were cultural juggernauts. Christian films have been a punchline for decades now, and although we are experiencing a welcome resurgence in Catholic films in recent years, they are hardly capturing the public imagination in the ways that Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary’s once did. Part of this problem is that we are living in a much more pagan age than the 1940s, but I still think that studying these two films might offer fruitful avenues for Catholic filmmakers to return to some mainstream success.

First of all, these films are before anything else fun and witty movies. Director Leo McCarey cut his teeth directing comedy legends Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers; the man knew how to make a funny movie. This comedic expertise shines forth in so many scenes from these films, such as the turkey dinner in Going My Way or when Sr. Mary Benedict teaches a bullied student the “art of pugilistics” in The Bells of St. Mary’s. The dialogue is well-written and well-delivered, and apparently McCarey promoted improvisation by his actors, letting his talented cast give very authentic (and authentically funny) performances.

Second, McCarey lets his characters preach through example, not words. Fr. O’Malley doesn’t berate Fr. Fitzgibbon about the importance of kindness and joy; he doesn’t doesn’t give his boys a sermon about why they need to be off the streets; although he’s not shy about asking those with means for money, he never chastises them for their greed or shames them into giving to the church. Instead, as in a memorable scene where his purpose is to encourage a young couple not to live together in sin, he simply asks “Going My Way?” and makes his way (which is really His way) seem so pleasant, lovely, peaceful, and joyous that those around him actually want to follow along. This does not mean that Fr. O’Malley is simply some Pollyannish smiley optimist; although the viewer remembers his smile, a quick scroll through the stills on IMDB reveals that he certainly is not smiling all the time. He sees the world as it is; he has his own inner struggles. But he faces them with joy, inner peace, and constant regard for the dignity of his fellow man. As Fr. Fitzgibbon says in his goodbye speech, Fr. O’Malley “was always thinking of others. And that, you know, can make life very beautiful.” It’s the beauty of Fr. O’Malley’s life rather than the power of his words which attracts people to the Church, and that’s worth remembering both for filmmakers and for us regular Catholics.

Which leads me to my final point: Leo McCarey sneakily made saint movies back to back box office winners in a predominantly non-Catholic country. Yes, I believe that Fr. O’Malley is a saintly figure, but there’s nothing about the film (or indeed about Fr. O’Malley himself) that trumpets this saintliness. Unlike many saint films which seem to portray their subjects as superhuman vessels of virtue and often use their protagonists’ renowned holiness as a marketing tool, Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary’s take the same approach to holiness that Fr. O’Malley himself does. It gets down among the people, charms them, and give them and example, shows them a way to joy. For all his struggles, Fr. O’Malley never fails to radically love everyone he meets (even if he pokes a little fun at them sometimes). This is what turns his “antagonists” into friends by the end of each film. Even though he has been given a position of power over both Fr. Fitzgibbon and Sr. Mary Benedict, he models servant leadership such that, even though they butt heads, he gains their respect and admiration through his constant example of loving goodness. Their initial discomfort at his eccentric goodness melts away as they realize that “although we’ve had many differences, it was never in fundamentals. It was only in method.” Indeed, his last acts in each movie are acts of kindness for each of his “antagonists”: he brings Fr. Fitzgibbon’s elderly mother from Ireland for Christmas, and he informs Sr. Mary Benedict (against her doctor’s orders) that she is being sent away from his parish not for disagreeing with him but to recuperate from illness. He radiates Christlike love and joy and that attracts not only the other characters in the film but also audiences of all ages for eight decades now.

Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary’s are absolute classics that will delight a Catholic of any age. Their unapologetic use of Catholic imagery and circumstances (and surprisingly solid theology) present a Catholic subculture that once thrived in this country, and can again, with a little work. The examples they present of holiness, kindness, and joyful service of the Lord and of neighbor will refresh and strengthen the spirit of any jaded modern Catholic who engages with them uncynically. These films are as fresh and funny today as they were when they came out in the 40s. They do have their secular detractors; as the music man tells Fr. O’Malley, “schmaltz doesn’t sell this season”. However, their simple beauty and unironic humor will capture the hearts of any who watch it with those hearts open. May we all encounter (or become) a Fr. O’Malley in our own community and represent the joy of Catholicism as endearingly as he did.