There have been a lot of curious oddities in the Academy Awards' history, like the time therewas a tie for Best Actress, but it was the unique milestone achieved by the 1944 comedy musicalGoing My Waythat was the most exceptional. WhenBarry Fitzgeraldstepped into the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre movie palace for the 17th Academy Awards ceremony, he did so with nominations in both the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories for the same role, making him the only performer to be recognized in such a way. Fitzgerald went on and prevailed in the latter category, while his leading co-starBing Crosbyemerged victorious in the former, forming the perfect cap toGoing My Way’sOscar dominance. Due to the Academy hastily amending their rulebook in the aftermath of Fitzgerald’s triumph,it’s an accomplishment that will never happen again… although considering that grumbling about leading performances being relegated to the supporting categories is practically a yearly event with the Oscars, it’s safe to bet that many actors would rather that wasn’t the case.
Going My Way (1944)
When young Father O’Malley arrives at St. Dominic’s, old Father Fitzgibbon doesn’t think much of the church’s newest member.
What Is ‘Going My Way’ About?
Going My Wayis exactly the sort of film that theGolden Age of Hollywood excelled at– a finely crafted piece of escapist fiction that walks the line between artistic expression and commercial viability with pinpoint precision, all but guaranteeing widespread appeal. The film follows the story of Father Charles “Chuck” O’Malley (Crosby), a young, forward-thinking priest who is transferred to assist the St. Dominic’s Church in New York City after 45 years of leadership by the caring but weary Father Fitzgibbon (Fitzgerald) has left it in a state of financial ruin.Their opposing views see them clashing from their very first encounter, but gradually they learn to put aside their differences for the betterment of a church they both care about deeply. In addition, the film also dedicates many scenes to exploring the residents of this disenfranchised corner of New York, allowing directorLeo McCareyto build a rich tapestry that reinforces his belief in the inherent goodness of humanity even in our darkest moments. No wonder a nation gripped in terror by World War II would embrace it so much.It’s an unapologetic sentimental tale, perhaps erring a bit too saccharine for some audiences but thoroughly irresistible for everyone else.
There’s a lot to praise aboutGoing My Way, but its hopeful message wouldn’t have been nearly as powerful if not for the talents of its leading actors.The romantic charm of Crosby makes for an effective partnership with Fitzgerald’s cantankerous (and rather dispirited) older priest, and watching their relationship grow as they realize how wrong first impressions can be provides the film with its most enjoyable moments. Both are great, but it’s the intermingling between the two that elevatesGoing My Wayabove like-minded films of its era. O’Malley, in particular, proved so popular that Crosby reprised the role one year later in the now-Christmas classicThe Bells of St. Mary’s, where he appeared opposite theeminently watchableIngrid Bergman. Crosby would receive another nomination for Best Actor for the film, making him the first person to receive two nominations for the same character.Going My Waytruly did make Oscar history wherever it went.
‘Going My Way’ Was the Clear Winner at the Academy Awards
The light-hearted tone and exuberant star power behindGoing My Waypropelled the film to domestic success, with its $6.5 million gross (the highest of 1944) solidifying McCarey and Crosby as among the biggest box office draws of the decade.A suite of nominations for the forthcoming Academy Awards was inevitable, but that left one question with no simple answer: what to do about Fitzgerald? Crosby may have played the protagonist inGoing My Way, but to categorize Fitzgerald as a mere supporting player when a significant chunk of the film’s appeal was the interplay between their characters could be seen as demeaning towards his work. This put Paramount in an awkward spot. Would they follow the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and put them both in the leading category (guaranteeing that at least one would walk away empty-handed),or would they echo the Golden Globesand put Fitzgerald in the supporting camp to increase their Oscar chances (and risk earning the wrath of both him and critics)? It was a tough call, but eventually, they landed on a solution: just do both.
And thus,Barry Fitzgerald became the first actorto receive a nomination in both categories for the same performance. It was certainly one way of solving the problem and must have made Fitzgerald the happiest man in Hollywood (one suspects the same could not be said for his fellow nominees). However, it was also an announcement that had the potential to cause irreparable damage to the Academy Awards. As is the case today, the decision for which category to nominate actors in isleft entirely to the voters’ discretion, but the rules under which said voters operated were laxer in the 1940s. Keep in mind, it was still in recent memory when actors were nominated for their entire body of work each year rather than on a role-by-role basis, so to expect tight restrictions on what categories people can and cannot be nominated in might have been hoping for too much.There was simply nothing in the rule book with which to overturn this decision, leaving the Academy with no choice but to proceed as scheduled.
This Is the Only Person to Be Nominated for an Oscar in Seven Different Decades
Death, taxes, and this person receiving an Oscar nomination are the only sure things in life.
When the Oscars came around, Paramount couldn’t have prayed for a better result. Despite going up against some of the most indisputable classics of 1940s Hollywood likeDouble Indemnity,Gaslight, andMeet Me in St. Louis,Going My Waywas the clear winner of the evening, taking home the awards for Best Picture, Best Director,Best Screenplay, Best Original Motion Picture Story (a category that was rightly axed in the 1950s), and Best Song. But it was Crosby and Fitzgerald who were the real victories, with each taking home a golden statuette to commemorate their excellent work in the film. For Fitzgerald – an actor who had spent most of his career drifting from one memorable supporting role to the next – it must have felt like he had just climbed Mount Everest, andhis newly acquired fame saw him becoming one of Hollywood’s most unexpected (but entertaining) leading men for the next decade.
The Academy Made Sure It Would Never Happen Again
With that being said, it’s hard to argue that his success wasn’t tainted due to the unfair advantage he’d had, and given how quickly the Academy set about updating their guidelines to ensure it would never happen again, seemingly they had a similar mindset.For the 18th Academy Awards, a new rule was introducedthat prohibited the same performance from being acknowledged in multiple categories even if it passed the thresholds to permit this, with the category that it had received the largest percentage of the votes in taking priority. In just a single announcement, dual nominations had become impossible, bringing an end to this loophole before every studio in Hollywood could render themselves mad trying to exploit it. How thrilled the actors of Hollywood were about this decision is another matter, but it’s unlikely they would have cheered at their chances for Oscar gold being slashed in half (even if it was a win for the show’s integrity).
For as long as the Academy Awards have existed, complaining about leading performances that have been subbed into the supporting categories has been an honored tradition among cinephiles. FromAl Pacinomissing out on the Best Actor nomination forThe Godfather, to more recent cases likeDaniel KaluuyaandLaKeith Stanfieldboth being placed on the Best Supporting Actor ballot forJudas and the Black Messiah, there is no shortage of examples where leading performances (if not,thelead performance) miss out on their rightful place in the Oscar lineup. It’s an issue that frequently puts a damper on the whole occasion, and considering how prevalent it has been throughout its history, it’s clearly one with no easy solution.
But as much as we’d all like to see actors being recognized in the category that is befitting of their roles, there’s a reason why Fitzgerald’s achievement remains a one-time event.It’s excusable that the Academywould permit a dual nomination to happen once – no awards show earns a level of greatness without a few questionable entries that test the rule set – but allowing it to continue would have felt like them throwing up their hands and admitting they had no idea how to fix the problem. Thankfully, they took the opposite method and slammed the floodgates shut before it’d had a chance to cause any damage, ensuring a base level of fairness for future ceremonies.Going My Way’s milestone ultimately having a positive effect on the industryis what confirms the whole saga as one of the great Oscar legends, while also solidifying Fitzgerald as the bane of every actor’s existence. At least he didn’t win both awards. Who knows what mayhem would have ensued then?
Going On My Wayis available to rent or buy on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
