When "Going My Way" premiered on May 3, 1944, it was a surprising hit. Most movie critics had pooh-poohed the casting of  Bing Crosby in a lead dramatic role, but the "King of Croon" proved them wrong, and it became the top-grossing film of the year ($6.5 million) and swept the Oscars.

Not only did "Going My Way" win best picture (beating "Double Indemnity," "Gaslight," "Since You Went Away" and "Wilson"), but Bing won best actor over Charles Boyer ("Gaslight"), Cary Grant ("None But the Lonely Heart"), Alexander Knox ("Wilson") and — oddly — his costar Barry Fitzgerald. Odd because Fitzgerald was also nominated for best supporting actor for the same role, and he won that category. Thereafter, the academy changed its rules to prohibit such duplication from occurring again.

"Going My Way" also won for direction (Leo McCarey), screenplay (Frank Butler, Frank Cavett), original story (Leo McCarey) and song. The tune "Swinging on a Star" (music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Johnny Burke) beat "The Trolley Song" sung by Judy Garland in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

"Going My Way" also swept the Golden Globes, winning best drama picture, director and supporting actor, but Bing lost best actor to Alexander Knox ("Wilson").

"Going My Way" also won best picture and director from the New York Film Critics Circle — and best actor, but not for Bing. Barry Fitzgerald won by a landslide on the first ballot with 11 votes out of the 16 critics. Poor Bing tied for second place with Knox, each nabbing only two votes.

On Oscars day, Bing didn't plan to attend the ceremony. He assumed Knox would win, but he buckled when Paramount executives discovered him on the golf course that afternoon and put him on the telephone with his mother, who ordered him to go.

Below, Bing singing "Swinging on a Star."

Photo: Barry Fitzgerald, left, and Bing Crosby. Credit: Paramount Pictures

Get Gold Derby on Twitter. Join the Gold Derby Group at Facebook. Become friends with Tom O'Neil on Facebook. Get Gold Derby RSS feed via Facebook. RSS Feedburner. RSS Atom.