Going My Way, the movie musical for which
Bing Crosby won an Academy Award as best actor, was released in May 1944. This collection of three 78 rpm records was issued more than a year later. It is, in effect, a "soundtrack" album for the film, even though it consists of previously released studio recordings of some of the songs
Crosby sang in the picture, including the title tune, the number one hit "Swinging on a Star," and "The Day After Forever," all written for
Crosby by
Johnny Burke and James Van Heusen, plus the Irish song "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral" and the
Schubert hymn "Ave Maria." Also included is
Crosby's recording of the 19th century favorite "Home Sweet Home," which was not featured in the film but was used on a single with "Ave Maria." The album makes a good souvenir for fans of Going My Way, which was popular enough still to be making its way through theaters as late as the fall of 1945. (The commercial prospects of the album were attested to by its ascension to the top of Billboard magazine's album chart for the first of six weeks on October 20, 1945.) ~ William Ruhlmann