Living in a small town in the south of the United States, one
gets used to the fact that it routinely won’t be possible to experience
many
cultural offerings live and in person. That is the case, for instance, with concerts
by big-name musical artists, theater plays by leading companies, and
classic
operas. It is often the case with movies as well, since many new
releases never
make it to our local theaters. As an example, my wife and I have
recently
wanted to see Clint Eastwood’s new feature as a director, Juror # 2,
because we had read some very encouraging reviews about it. But we had
to wait
until it began streaming on one of the myriad platforms that are
available
these days as it was never available at any of the two theaters in
town. It’s a
good film, by the way, and one that I am sure Bing himself would have
applauded, but watching a movie at home is never the same as watching
it at the
theater on a big screen.
Fortunately—and to our surprise—back in December one of
the
local theaters did announce it would be showing Michael Curtiz’s White
Christmas, starring Bing, Rosie, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen. It was
advertised as a special holiday event and would only be available for a
mere
couple of showings, so we immediately got tickets for a matinee. White
Christmas, with all those wonderful Irving Berlin songs, its
charming plot
full of misunderstandings and goodwill, and a marvelous cast, marked
one of the
first times that I was exposed to Bing’s art when I was a kid. Like
most of us
Crosby fans, I must have watched this film dozens and dozens of times,
and I
know it inside out. I have even shown it a couple of times at the local
library
preceded by a brief introduction to help contextualize it for the
audience.
However, watching it on the big screen, with improved sound and image
quality,
brought it back to life again, and I found myself noticing things I
hadn’t
noticed before—a characteristic expression on Bing’s face, a Vera-Ellen
dancing
move, a silly joke from Danny Kaye that somehow sounded even funnier.
It was
like an unexpected trip back to my childhood, complete with popcorn and
a
drink, but it was also a chance to share the film with my
eleven-year-old
daughter, Libby, who was also in attendance and really enjoyed it.
Although the
theater was far from full, there were more people at the showing than I
had
imagined, some of them parents or grandparents who wanted to experience
the
film in all its greatness on the big screen and who also wanted to
share it
with the younger ones in the family. That is what a great family movie
does,
and White Christmas is definitely in that category.
Anton Garcia-Fernandez -
American Co-Editor
This 56-page glossy magazine
continues to be essential reading for the serious Crosby supporter and order
your copy of the magazine now by contacting Perry
Huntoon (phone: (630) 357-5374).
To see details of earlier issues,
click here.
Editorial
Secretary / Treasurer’s Report
Bing Back in the Charts
V of BTS’s Collaboration with Bing
When Can You Start Playing
Christmas Songs?
High Time Remembered
Bing Crosby Advocates
ICC Online Meetings
Bing &
The Belles
Crosby a la
carte
Darryl
Hickman
Bring Goldilocks into the Light
This Ole House
Sing a Song of Sunbeams
Trading Post
The Mutual Mentoring
of Bing and Frank Sinatra
Bing’s Node Insured for
$100,000
An Intriguing Connection
Celluloid Crosby
Irving Berlin’s White
Christmas — 4K
Oscars flashback 80 years ago to 1945
The End of the Road Is Hong Kong
One Sweet Letter from You
The
Professional Journeys of Louis and Bing
Ken Crossland’s Crosbyana
A Note from
Australia
Bing on the Box
The Way We Were
Keeping Track