tavm Review of If I Had My Way

If I Had My Way (1940)

Bing Crosby and Gloria Jean brighten up If I Had My Way

[6/10 · 14 February 2014]

This was the second of two Universal productions Paramount player Bing Crosby made for the studio. The first was East Side of Heaven. In this one, Bing, along with El Brendel, look after pre-teen Gloria Jean after her father (Donald Woods) meets a tragic end. They all move from San Francisco to New York so the girl can live with her rich uncle (Allyn Joslyn). But he's a snob and he redirects them to his uncle (Charles Winninger) on the West side. I'll stop there and just say that the plot doesn't always make sense but when Bing and Gloria sing, all is right with the world. El Brendel is an acquired taste who's occasionally amusing though that squirrel was hilarious! On that note, If I Had My Way is worth a look. P.S. Since I always like to point out when a player from my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, is in another one, here, it's Moroni Olsen-who was the voice of the angel who sent for Clarence at the beginning of that one-as the banker who explains what a bank does to Ms. Jean. Also, one of the "old-time" acts is a Minstrel number that would make one blanch today but it's interesting for historical purposes.