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."
