Mit Gesang geht alles besser

I first saw this film on TV about 25 years ago and the magic and chemistry of Bing and Barry was obvious. Years later, I finally acquired this film in VHS format(I had recorded it previously in Beta format). It has everything to offer to movie buffs and I hope that the networks start to show it as a Christmas movie. It took the public about 30 years to catch on to "It's A Wonderful Life". This movie, like another of Bing's gems"Holiday Inn(1942)" could fit right in at any time of the year;and with the beautiful Joan Caulfield-anytime. I think that to date, I've watched it about 30 times. My favorite line is Bing's telling taxi driver Percy Kilbride(who refuses Bing's offer of a tip) "You'ld be a big hit in New York".

Let no one tell you that Hollywood has really changed in the last 100 years. The same phenoms seem to reappear time and time again. One that will always hold a special place in the heart of all who love movies, is the repairing of stars. Thus is the case with Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. The two stars of Going My Way (1944), the Best Picture winner of that year, come together again for a romp in the country. This time it's far away from the confines of the catholic cathedrals and religious iconadry. Crosby plays a free spirited young doctor, who is basically Father O'Malley without the collar. One can understand why taking the character out of the church was so important to the studios, with out the church Crosby can get the girl. Which in this case that girl is Joan Caulfield. Don't worry it's not going to be that easy, cause this young teacher is already involved with somebody. He is a sort of pompous arrogant know-it-all that just isn't right for young Miss. Caulfield. A woman needs a man who can sing her a song, and show her a good time on a twilit hayride. I have to say that with all it's predictability and repetition, from Going My Way (1944), I have to say that this film has yet to get old for me. I have watched this movie so many times it's worn out the VHS tape. The film is just so much fun, and so light hearted that you can't really not enjoy it's carefree attitude. The songs are so instantly and equally fun, that I find myself just smiling at there pleasant familiarity.

Welcome Stranger starts off promisingly, but loses steam. Bing plays a young doctor who comes to a small town and is met by a cold welcome from the townspeople, and most especially from Barry Fitgerald, an older doctor whom Bing has to work with. Yet Bing keeps a nonchalant attitude and doesn't let the people get the better of him. The results are predictable. This movie is overlong, but still any Bing Crosby movie is worth watching.

WELCOME STRANGER (Paramount, 1947), directed by Elliott Nugent, with its dramatic sounding title, stars crooner Bing Crosby in another one of his most popular movies that's become forgotten during the course of the years. Aside from reuniting him with his charming BLUE SKIES (1946) co-star, Joan Caulfied, the attentions rests mainly on the reunion of Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, stars and Academy Award winners from the Best Picture win of GOING MY WAY (1944). With Crosby and Fitzgerald playing priests with differences of opinion proved so successful, their second venture, basically the same premise, offers them another shot in the arm for their roles as doctors.

The story opens in Boston where Doctor Joseph McRory (Barry Fitzgerald), from the small town of Fallbridge, Maine, planning his first vacation in 35 years, arrives at the Physician and Surgeon Placement Bureau to meet with Mr. Daniels (Paul Stanton) to inquire about the doctor who's to fill in for him for the next two months. Being told that the selected Doctor Jim Pearson is on his way to Fallbridge, McRory takes the next train home to meet with him. While on board, McRory encounters a fellow passenger (Bing Crosby) who, through no fault of his own, constantly gets on his nerves. Upon his return, McCrory gets to meet Pearson, who turns out to be the stranger he met on the train. Going over his qualifications, he finds Pearson incompetent, resenting his down-to-earth medical methods, the clothes he wears, and occasional singing. Pearson soon meets Trudy Mason (Joan Caulfield), a local schoolteacher who volunteers her time assisting McRory at his clinic, who, too, finds the new city doctor quite arrogate and taking an instant dislike to him as well. As he tries to get to know her better, she informs him she's engaged to Roy Chesley (Robert Shayne), the town pharmacist. As much as Pearson has become an unwelcome stranger in town, the only one who's grown to like him is McRory's housekeeper, Mrs. Gilley (Elizabeth Patterson), who offers him advise how to improve himself, like "by not talking so much." As McRory gets to go on his long awaited fishing trip, an emergency occurs that prevents him from going. Through the course of time, Pearson proves himself an asset to the community, though McRory continues to have his doubts about him. Situations occur when Charles J. Chesley (Charles Dingle), head of the town council, arranges to phase McRory out of his profession in favor of a much younger doctor, Ronnie Jenks (Larry Young), to take charge of the hospital.

In the supporting cast are Wanda Hendrix as Emily, a young teenager with a crush on the Pearson; Frank Faylen as Bill Waters, Emily's father and editor of the Fallbridge Weekly newspaper with a drinking problem; Percy Kilbride in his droll but amusing pre-"Pa Kettle" caricature of Nat Dorkas, a local taxi driver; Thurston Hall appearing briefly as Congressman Beeker; as well as the film's own director, Elliott Nugent assuming a small role as Doctor White.

Concentrating more on plot than songs, it's become one of the least tuneful of the Crosby films at that time. All sung by Bing Crosby, the motion picture soundtrack, with songs by James Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, include: "Smile Right Back at the Sun," "Country Style," "My Heart is a Hobo," and "As Long as I'm Dreaming." "Country Style" is a highlight production where everyone gathers together in the barn as Crosby's character calls to lead and sing to a square dance. For the fishing sequence with Fitzgerald, Crosby catches more fish through his singing of "My Heart is a Hobo." "As Long as I'm Dreaming," is a nice tune worthy of mention set on a sleigh ride, through nothing close to becoming an Academy Award nominee as "Swinging on a Star" from GOING MY WAY.

WELCOME STRANGER has that sort of feel-good style of either directors Frank Capra or Leo McCarey. In true Crosby tradition, his character looks on the positive side regardless of negative obstacles. Crosby and Fitzgerald make a grand pair of opposites, which is why their chemistry works so well. Comparing their performances here to GOING MY WAY would not be out of the ordinary. Though teamed together again in TOP O THE MORNING (1949), it proved to be the weakest of their three collaborations and least known and revived. Taking a cue from Bob Hope comedies, Crosby gets into the act by throwing in an in-joke on his own. Being told there's Bob Hope movie being shown in town, Crosby's character naturally passes it up. The best portion of the entire film, however, in regards to comedy, is the official meeting between Crosby and Fitzgerald meet, where everything seems to go wrong.

Formerly shown on cable television's American Movie Classics (1995-1998), later on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: January 24, 2013), and placed on video cassette in 1995, and a decade later on DVD as a companion piece to Crosby's earlier underrated gem, SING YOU SINNERS (1938), WELCOME STRANGER, as a whole, may not offer much by ways of excitement of car chases or courtroom tactics. In general, it's a simple leisurely-paced story with well-developed character study on small town folks living in country style, with diagnoses as to how opposites attract, especially these pipe smoking doctors having more in common besides the use of stethoscopes.(*** surgical gloves).

After Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald were paired so well in the seven-Oscar winning film, "Going My Way" of 1944, Paramount cast them again in this 1947 film. Both men won Oscars for the first film, Crosby as best actor, and Fitzgerald as best supporting actor. Interestingly, Fitzgerald had been nominated for both best actor and best supporting actor. In that film they were Catholic priests, the younger Crosby being sent to take over a parish from the elder Fitzgerald.

So, similar roles are in "Welcome Stranger," this time as medical doctors. Crosby's Dr. James Pearson is going to the town of Fallbridge, Maine, to take over for the town's sole doctor, Joseph McRory, who is going on a long overdue vacation. It's been over 30 years since he's had a vacation, and Fitzgerald's McRory is looking forward to his two months off.

Well, the same type of shenanigans occur in this film, with Dr. Pearson not making a good impression right off the bat, and Dr. McRory afraid to trust any patients to him. In this case, the bad feelings start out before the two men even know each other. McRory has gone to Boston for some shopping and has stopped into the medical replacement association. He wants to look over the man that will replace him. That's code, meaning he wants to be able to decide and/or pick his fill-in doctor. But, he is informed that the qualified doctor is already on his way. Then, when McRory boards the train for the ride home, Dr. Pearson is on the same train, and the events with mishaps that occur between the two men are the stuff of wonderful comedy. I think it's only because of Barry Fitzgerald that these scenes could come off so warmly funny. So, after they "meet" again at his home, more fireworks - of a low key - start. It's a wonderful and funny story, with Crosby getting in a little singing - even though it isn't also a musical.

Watching this movie again after many years, I wonder if audiences in its day were curious about the train ride. People were very familiar with train transportation then, and schedules, distances, and times. Most people had traveled by train at least once in their life. I probably didn't think about it when I as young and first saw the film on late night TV in the early 1950s. But, things like this get my attention now. First, it's appropriate to note that the towns in Maine are all fictitious. There is no Fallbridge, Maine. And the neighboring towns mentioned in the film, and those that the train serves - Hillboro, Carson Junction, Lankato, Tanner City, Bentonville, and Callensburg just don't exist.

So, the doctors board an overnight train in Boston - 4:15 or 4:50, as I recall. The distance from Boston to Portland, Maine is just 110 miles, so that would be just a two-hour train ride. And the distance across the whole State of Maine, from its SW corner to the NE corner and Canadian boarder is just 320 miles. It's broad daylight, and after breakfast when they arrive at Fallbridge, and there aren't that many towns of any size the train might have stopped at to drop off or pick up passengers during the night. So, their 12-to-14-hour train ride could have gone all the way to Quebec, Canada, and back to Boston.

Well, that's Hollywood, and movie fans have to overlook things like this. Because the fact of an overnight train provided the setting for the very good opening humor between the two leads. I think people today would still enjoy this film, and it might give a peak at history for younger audiences about how people traveled in bygone days.

Here are some favorite lines from this film.

Dr. McRory, "To be honest, I wouldn't trust you with my dog." Dr. Pearson, "Where did you acquire your Yankee accent?"

Dr. Pearson, "Doctor, I don't think I could stay for a fortnight, but I'll tell you what I'll do." Dr. McRory, "What?" Dr. Pearson, "I'll stay a couple of weeks."

Nat Dorkas (Percy Kilbride), "Used about 20 cents worth of gas getting out here." Dr. Pearson, "Well, I'll take your temperature sometime, on the house."

Dr. McRory, "Meddling? A man tries to squeeze a little brains into the narrow, pig-headed skull of yours and you call it meddling."

Mrs. Gilley, "Dr. McRory, Dr. Pearson would like the sugar."