Nonetheless, what makes this picture worthwhile are some fine songs by James Monaco and Johnny Burke (such as "If I Had My Way," "Meet the Sun Half Way," "I Haven't the Time to be a Millionaire," and "April Played the Fiddle"), and the winning pairing of Crosby and Jean.
Gloria Jean was Universal's attempt to create another Deanna Durbin. She was cast at age 12 in The Under-Pup (1939), a moderate success, by Universal producer Joe Pasternak, who at this time was also producing such popular Durbin vehicles as First Love (1939), It's a Date (1940) and Nice Girl? (1941). But Jean's star rose a bit too quickly for Durbin's comfort, and the studio toned down its buildup. After another good Pasternak film, A Little Bit of Heaven (1940), and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941), in which she co-starred with W.C. Fields, Universal put Jean mostly in B films (several of which co-starred Donald O'Connor). Most of her remaining pictures were minor affairs.
With Bing Crosby on loan from Paramount, Jean had a chance in If I Had My Way to show off her singing mettle with one of the best performers around. She does quite well, both in some duets with Crosby and in the straight acting scenes they share together. Both actors are especially touching in the sequence where Crosby must tell Jean about her father's death, and one senses that given a chance, Jean might in time have developed into a bigger star.
If I Had My Way is available in Universal Home Entertainment's Bing Crosby: Screen Legend Collection. The set of three DVDs also includes Waikiki Wedding (1937), Double or Nothing (1937), East Side of Heaven (1939) and Here Come the Waves (1944). There are no extras, but to its credit the studio has priced the collection fairly, packaged it nicely, and provided good-quality transfers. Bing Crosby fans should be quite satisfied.
For more information about If I Had My Way, visit Universal Home Entertainment.
by Jeremy Arnold
