Welcome Stranger (1947)
Grade: 76
"Going My Way (1944)" starred Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, and was such a hit that Hollywood naturally sought to duplicate it. Crosby and Fitzgerald would make four more films together over the next four years. In "Welcome Stranger", the formula is repeated from "Going My Way" but with even better results, having all the charm of the earlier film with none of the manipulations.
Once again, Fitzgerald is the aging local legend, this time a country doctor rather than a Catholic priest. Crosby is again the new man in town, (and definitely not welcome) called upon to help out the old-timer out. Fitzgerald dislikes and resents Crosby after numerous and humorous accidental run-ins. Of course, they eventually learn to grow fond of each other.
Crosby romances lovely and respectable schoolteacher Joan Caulfield, as she is the only attractive woman in the town. He has competition from her obnoxious fiance Robert Shayne, who conspires with his father Charles Dingle (who also played a schemer in "The Little Foxes") to put Fitzgerald to pasture and replace him with a crony.
These storylines have exactly the predictable and tidy endings that you can already guess from this summary, but there is much charm in the telling. Crosby's screen presence is as relaxed as his baritone (of course, several short musical numbers are worked into the script), and Fitzgerald is as sly, cantankerous and lovable as ever. Percy Kilbride has a minor role as a country bumpkin, a dress rehearsal before playing Pa Kettle in numerous Universal pictures.
"Welcome Stranger" is a simple comedy with no aspirations of greatness, but nearly achieves it anyway.
kollers@mpsi.net http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html
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