When small town doctor Barry Fitzgerald decides to take a vacation in his stuffy Maine community, he goes to Boston to find a temporary replacement. On the train back, he meets happy go lucky Bing Crosby, whom he takes an instant dislike for due to situations beyond both of their control. Not realizing that Crosby is his replacement, Fitzgerald is more than a little put out when all is revealed. As Fitzgerald prepares to leave, he suffers an attack of appendicitis, which Crosby operates on him for. This changes their relationship, and Fitzgerald opens his eyes to Crosby's genial manner. But Crosby upsets the son of a local money-man (Charles Dingle), who decides out of the blue to get a more modern doctor in town to replace Fitzgerald permanently. Crosby, who has planned to leave town, decides to stay to fight for Fitzgerald's job and for the young girl (Joan Caulfield) he has come to love.
This warm-hearted small town comedy/drama (with several songs sung by you-know-who) is charming from the start, focusing on the chemistry between Crosby and Fitzgerald rather than the romance of Crosby and Caulfield. A rousing square dance number happens in a scene where Crosby meets the townsfolk who are as cold as a thermometer in December if you ask about the weather in July, and resemble the Vermont townspeople spoofed in the screwball comedy classic "Nothing Sacred". Elizabeth Patterson and Percy Kilbride are among the memorable supporting players. A storyline involving an alcoholic newspaper reporter and his daughter is never fully resolved, but simply expands on the personality and humanity of its leading character. Crosby has a few digs at Hope and Sinatra, claiming that unlike Frankie, he can sing while taking blood, but other than that, simply recites his lines with little emotional range. When Caulfield comments on the fact that Crosby seems to avoid unpleasant situations, it somewhat justifies Crosby's seemingly too understated performance.
As for Barry Fitzgerald, it is obvious from the get go that this curmudgeon is hiding a sweet nature, and sometimes there just seems to be no reason he's so instantly so cold to Crosby other than a series of unfortunate occurrences that are beyond both their controls. Patterson, as Fitzgerald's feisty housekeeper, has a lot of great lines, while Kilbride, as the town's only cab driver, is amusing as well. Small-town movies are usually too sweet or sentimental over portraying "the perfect life", but "Welcome Stranger" is actually a lot more real than the lovable townspeople often portrayed in Frank Capra's "fantastic" series of classic films. Not perfect, "Welcome Stranger" is a step above similar movies, and is a highly recommended sleeper.
This warm-hearted small town comedy/drama (with several songs sung by you-know-who) is charming from the start, focusing on the chemistry between Crosby and Fitzgerald rather than the romance of Crosby and Caulfield. A rousing square dance number happens in a scene where Crosby meets the townsfolk who are as cold as a thermometer in December if you ask about the weather in July, and resemble the Vermont townspeople spoofed in the screwball comedy classic "Nothing Sacred". Elizabeth Patterson and Percy Kilbride are among the memorable supporting players. A storyline involving an alcoholic newspaper reporter and his daughter is never fully resolved, but simply expands on the personality and humanity of its leading character. Crosby has a few digs at Hope and Sinatra, claiming that unlike Frankie, he can sing while taking blood, but other than that, simply recites his lines with little emotional range. When Caulfield comments on the fact that Crosby seems to avoid unpleasant situations, it somewhat justifies Crosby's seemingly too understated performance.
As for Barry Fitzgerald, it is obvious from the get go that this curmudgeon is hiding a sweet nature, and sometimes there just seems to be no reason he's so instantly so cold to Crosby other than a series of unfortunate occurrences that are beyond both their controls. Patterson, as Fitzgerald's feisty housekeeper, has a lot of great lines, while Kilbride, as the town's only cab driver, is amusing as well. Small-town movies are usually too sweet or sentimental over portraying "the perfect life", but "Welcome Stranger" is actually a lot more real than the lovable townspeople often portrayed in Frank Capra's "fantastic" series of classic films. Not perfect, "Welcome Stranger" is a step above similar movies, and is a highly recommended sleeper.