The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

Father O’Malley (Bing Crosby) returns, this time to take over a parochial school run by troublesome nuns. Nuns so troublesome that the previous priest had to be carried out and sent to a sanatorium. Kids have kid problems, school has financial problems, Bing sings songs.

Despite the build up, there is surprisingly little conflict. O’Malley and Ingrid Bergman’s Sister Mary have disagreements, but they are handled very cordially. Nothing that would send someone to a nut house. Una O’Connor is underutilized here.

The first big problem is money. The convent had to sell the kids playground to the local comedic millionaire for maintenance. Millionaire built a giant building on it and now wants the rest for parking. The nuns are hoping he gives them the building for a new school. Quite plausible. It'll be another year before Clarence earns his wings.

The second pertains to a single mother who wants her daughter to attend. This is a curious subplot. The girl was born in wedlock (because production code), but dad disappeared to play in a band. When asked how she has been supporting her all this time, she says in her own words that she’s “no good”. So, one wonders how being no good is a source of income for a single mother. Perhaps she means Entertaining Lonely Men for Fun and Profit. There are elements later in the film that support this hypothesis.

Despite Crosby and Bergman’s obvious onscreen chemistry, a movie about a convent cannot have any romantic undertones. A priest was on set to make sure of that, so Bing and Ingrid decided to play a prank. In the very last scene they embraced for a passionate kiss.

Going My Way was a huge hit, winning seven Oscars. Sequels don’t do as well as the original so less money and resources are usually brought to the production, fulfilling the prophecy. But there was faith in this sequel and RKO got Bergman on loan. Again, it was a huge hit and was nominated for seven Oscars, winning one. Bing was nominated for the same character in two different films, Bergman for the third time in three years, and I believe this is the first sequel to be nominated for best picture. I’m surprised they didn’t force a third film down the pipeline.

The story follows a school year, and during that time Christmas happens. Thus it is tangentially a Christmas movie. But what The Bells of St. Mary's really is, is a pleasant if undemanding watch. Old Hollywood was good at creating a world that seemed very enticing to live in. AMRU 3.5.

High Society (1956)

A dumb guy who works at a service station becomes an unwitting accomplice … wait, no. Socialite Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly) is getting remarried and is worried that her ex-husband C.K. Dexter-Haven (Bing Crosby), in town for the Newport Jazz Festival, might spoil the mood. Additionally, Spy magazine sends a writer (Frank Sinatra) and photographer (Celeste Holm) to cover the event in return for not publishing a scandalous story about her father’s affair.

High Society is a remake to The Philadelphia Story (1940) and bares no resemblance to High Society (1955). The major beats of the story are more or less intact as is most of the memorable dialog. The biggest difference is VistaVision color and musical numbers padding the film to just under two hours. Also, much of the subtext that was revealed in the first act of the original is spelled out on the outset.

Changes were made from the original story, and I don’t take issue with any of them. The biggest change is the music, which works for some people. The star power is every bit the 1940 version, but the script was uniquely Kathrine Hepburn’s. Kelly, as wonderful as she was, feels miscast. Hepburn’s dialog coming out of Kelly’s mouth simply doesn’t land the same.

Lydia Reed was almost as charming as Virginia Weidler was as Tracy’s little sister, no small feat. It’s curious they didn’t have her sing “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady”. That feels like a missed opportunity. Louis Armstrong and his orchestra appear briefly. This was Kelly’s last film, as was Louis Calhern’s. He died on the set of his next film.

The Philadelphia story is widely regarded as the better film. Still, High Society was a box office success and not hard to watch. Still, I wish Kelly could have ended her Hollywood career on a higher note. AMRU 3.

Going My Way (1944)

A young and carefree priest (Bing Crosby) is assigned to be assistant at the troubled St. Dominic’s Church, but his methods run afoul of father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). I wonder if music will somehow solve the church’s problems.

Recorded a year ago under the impression that it was a Christmas movie (it is not), I watched it early because my cable provider is deleting stuff off my DVR. I will rant on this during my year end wrap up. A friend of Bing’s Father Chuck is Genevieve, star of the New York Metropolitan Opera. She is played by Risë Stevens, star of the New York Metropolitan Opera. Would-be church for-closer is played by Gene Lockhart.

There is an interesting situation where the neighbors, police, clergy, and landlord all become suspicious of a young woman’s life arrangements. At eighteen she essentially ran away from home to become independent, but her moral turpitude comes into question. Won’t some decent man make an honest woman out of here? By which I mean a housewife. This is just one of those prevalent social conventions that disappeared by century’s end.

Going My Way does not appear to have too much going for it, but you become dragged into their world. Father Chuck’s earnestness, Father Fitzgibbon’s quirkiness, and the people who surround them are all very engaging. It’s little surprise that the film won … seven Oscars?!?! Ok, that is a little surprising. In addition to Best Picture, it earned statues for both Bing and Barry, director, original story, screenplay, and song. Fitzgerald was nominated for both lead and supporting actor.

Accolades aside, it's an excellent film and a very pleasant watch. You are caught up in the story and are left satisfied. AMRU 3.5. But it’s no Double Indemnity and certainly no Laura.

Road to Utopia (1945)

Vaudevillian con men Duke and Chester (Bing Crosby and Bob Hope) end their partnership when Chester decides to return to New York. But Duke sees fortune in Utopia, that is, Yukon Territory. You know, because of the gold. Chester is tricked into coming along and on their way they lose all their ill-gotten money. But they steal a map to a gold mine from thugs who stole it earlier in the film. They pretend to be the thugs and the rightful owner of the mine (Dorothy Lamour) tries to steal it from them.

This is the fourth of seven so-called “Road Movies” that Hope and Crosby made together and arguably the best. I was unimpressed with their first one, but felt I needed to give them another chance. Results were mixed.

The film is told in flashback. We begin with Hope and Lamour (Chester and Sal, that is) as an elderly couple who get a surprise visit from Bing/Duke. After a few gags Duke proceeds to explain what happened to him when they last saw each other. This builds anticipation for what happened that fateful day, except we forget the premise by the time it’s resolved.

The big attraction to the Hope and Crosby Road movies is their breezy, lighthearted comedy and a story that doesn’t tax the brain very much. They don’t take themselves or the film very seriously, often breaking character and the fourth wall. The story is occasionally interrupted by a narrator cracking wise about the current action. As such we don’t take them or it very seriously, and it’s a formula that does work.

Just not for me, on this particular day. I can’t explain why many scenes annoyed me, but they did. Maybe it was something I ate. A bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. I like the actors fine, and I enjoy light comedies. And it’s not like I have high standards.

Road to Utopia won’t have you rolling on the floor. Genius comedy it is not. But it is very likable and easy to watch, personal experience aside. I will force it to an AMRU 3 because I think under normal circumstances it deserves it.

"And I thought this was going to be an A picture.”

White Christmas (1954)

After the war, army buddies Bob and Phil (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) start a song and dance act. Ten years on they become quite successful. So successful that Phil wants to marry Bob off to floozy dance girls with poor diction in hopes that it would keep taskmaster Bob occasionally occupied. When another army buddy writes asking them to give career advice to his performing sisters Betty and Judy (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen), Phil gets the idea of matching Bob up with Betty, as her diction is perfect. They land in the non-snowy Vermont inn owned by their old commanding officer, who is struggling financially. Let’s put on a show!

Christmas Musicals are inevitably romantic comedies, this being no different. Boy meets girl, boy and girl like each other, misunderstanding, grand gesture, happy ending. Only variation here is that the grand gesture IS the misunderstanding. Also with Christmas Musicals, the plot is frequently paper-thin. Again, same here.

White Christmas is a slight retooling of Holiday Inn (1942). We have Bing, tried to have Astaire but was unavailable, reused the song, and even reused the country inn set, this time located in Vermont. They even do a minstrel number, but at least had the decency to lose the blackface. Baby steps.

I remember Rosemary Clooney from her old and fat days, wondering why she was famous. Not a classic beauty, she was certainly charming. And at 25 she was definitely good enough for the 50ish Crosby. Oh, and she was George’s aunt. Her little sister was played by the anorexic Vera-Ellen. Anyone who danced next to her was paled by her energy and skill. Clearly it wasn’t food she was getting her energy from. She had to be dubbed for the singing parts.

Except for the benefit of color (and lack of blackface color), we essentially have the same movie as Holiday Inn. Many musical numbers if you’re into that sort of thing, witty and charming dialog, simple story with low-stakes consequences. AMRU 3.5.

Holiday Inn (1942)

A song and dance team breaks up because Jim (Bing Crosby) wants to run a country inn in Connecticut. Lila and Ted (Fred Astaire) decide not to retire along with him because they are in love. Jim’s plan for his inn is to be open only on holidays. Thus, Holiday Inn.

Lila goes off and marries a millionaire so Ted shows up drunk at the Inn and sees his future dance and maybe love partner performing. But sneaky Bing … I mean Jim tries to keep her secret and all to himself, so let the conniving begin.

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas was written for the movie and fast became the number 1 selling single of all time. Bing would sing it in a Christmas musical two more times. Director Mark Sandrich called it the ABC of American musical comedies: Astaire, Berlin, and Crosby. All three were and would continue to be on quite a tare.

The characters say that there are fifteen holidays but they show only eight or nine. But it’s Lincoln’s Birthday that garnished the most praise. No, praise isn’t the right word. What do you call it when white people sing in black face? Whatever that is, it garnished the most of it. To be fair the intent was to be respectful and it made sense in context. The scene is frequently removed from TV airings but TCM showed it uncut.

The song and dance numbers could be tedious and the story is paper thin, but the charming on-screen chemistry and witty banter pulled it through. If the musical numbers are your thing, then you’ll love it. AMRU 3.5. Oh, and yea. The hotel chain stole their name from this.

Road to Singapore (1940)

Two regular guys (Bob Hope and Bing Crosby) are being pressured into marriage. Bing by his captain of industry dad (Charles Coburn) and fairly hot fiancee (Judith Barrett), and Bob by, I don’t know, some thugs because he took liberties with someone’s daughter? We never see her. So anyhow, they escape to Singapore to bachelor freedom and poverty. There they meet a hot dancer (Dorothy Lamour) who is escaping her angry … boss? Boyfriend? (Anthony Quinn).

From what I understand, all of the Road movies follow the same format. Flee to exotic location and compete over cutie Lamour as an excuse for comedy gags and running bits. The trio appeared in seven such films, the first few being the best, if IMdb is to be trusted.

It was originally a vehicle for George Burns and Gracie Allen (not sure how the escaping marriage angle was handled there), then offered to Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie, and finally given to Hope and Crosby because they were clowning around on the Paramount set. Thus a comedy team was born.

I enjoyed Bob Hope in The Cat and the Canary. The horror element was skillfully relieved by solid comedy. But here the laughs were in short supply. The tone was light and the banter playful, and I'll excuse the level of cultural sensitivity you could expect, but I don’t recall snickering, even once. And while Hope was working hard the laughs, Bing’s cucumber cool demeanor was about as interesting as his search engine namesake. The end result was a watchable, mildly interesting, unfunny, and skippable film. AMRU 2.5.