| Overall Grade: |
B+ |
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| Story: |
A- |
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| Acting: |
B+ |
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| Direction: |
B+ |
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| Visuals: |
B |
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Warmhearted story for everyone in the family
by RobertH (movies profile)
Dec 3, 2006
1
of
1 people found this review helpful
Great old wartime picture about a young priest (Crosby) who is charged with getting a poor, run-down New York parish back in the black to keep the banker (Gene Lockhart) from foreclosing: ("Never loan money to a church, son. When you foreclose, everyone thinks you're a heel!")
To turn things around he must get the pastor (Fitzgerald) on board with his plans but doesn't want the older man to feel he is being shoved aside. Warm, believable performances by the principals with a terrific supporting cast of William Frawley, Rise Stevens, Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Frank McHugh, and Fortuna Bononova. The musical numbers are fun but not overpowering. Bing is great but Fitzgerald should have gotten the Oscar for his honest, winsome portrayal of the aging Fr. Fitzgibbon. McCarey's direction is crisp and keeps things moving along. You don't see many movies about people working hard to be nice to old people. This is one of them. (to see another one, check out Leo McCarey's other masterpiece "Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr) |
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