in view my son john you have to keep a few thing in mind . first leo mccarey direct and write the film . second leo mccarey be a staunch anti communist and part of hollywood right wing caucus . third leo mccarey be also a devout and practice catholic . fourth leo mccarey be also one of hollywood big alcoholic . put all that together and i think you have get the answer to how my son john be create . it interest to speculate how my son john would have turn out if robert walker have live to complete the film . put the patchwork end on the film that he be force to do leave a lot of plot hole . for one thing and i be not sure exactly why the fbi in the person of van heflin be on to walker . he a government bureaucrat and a high level one and but we never really learn what he do a a job and what he might have be do for the communist . what walker be be the old son of dean jagger and helen hayes a a representative a group of middle american a you can get . he quite a bit old than his brother and make a good academic record and now be a big success in washington . his two jock young brother and richard jaeckel and james young be about to go to war in korea and he back home for the family sendoff . you know right away something amiss when he show up late and not really have the heart to wish his brother well in fight against the red in korea . how do you spot a communist . well if youre leo mccarey you have get to dislike the catholic church you have be bring up in . that what walker do and he make snide remark about the church and other wholesome american institution . man get to be a subversive a his parent come to realize . remember pius xii be pope at the time and he be a staunch anti communist . this be where mccarey catholicism come into play . how incredibly naive . if walker be really an effective spy he would be the loud amen shouter in church and make the most obviously big contribution in the collection plate etc . to keep his cover . frank mchugh reprise his role from go my way a father odowd who apparently have leave the mean street of hell kitchen new york and barry fitzgerald and now be pastoring out in the red state . since mccarey also write and direct go my way and create mchugh character he certainly could do what he want with him . but for the life of me i can not figure out why mchugh adopt a brogue for this film when he have none in go my way . when leo mccarey be create some of the best screen comedy like the awful truth and once upon a honeymoon and there be few his peer and none better . but he be out of his league in deal with political material . and if youre wonder about how this might have turn out if walker have live and take a look at mccarey last film and satan never sleep . also an anti communist film it make my son john look like citizen kane .