THE CHRONOLOGICAL
BING CROSBY ON 
TELEVISION
Compiled by Lionel
Pairpoint, Malcolm Macfarlane and Greg Van Beek
The International Club Crosby is
placing this superb book detailing Bing’s television career onto the Internet
for use by fans and researchers alike. This is an updated version of the
original book published by the club in 2003. Paper copies of the original,
containing over 70 photographs, are still available.
Foreword
‘A tea-chest, a biscuit-box, cardboard, darning-needles, hat-boxes,
cycle-lamp lenses, discarded electric motors, piano-wire, glue, string and
sealing wax to a total value of 12/6d plus several hundreds of flashlight
batteries wired together to provide a 2,000 volt power source.’
This heterogeneous collection comprised the prototype of a system that
would eventually provide the most astonishing advance in the field of ‘in-home’
entertainment since primitive man pounded on a hollow log for the amusement of
his family. An infinitely more
sophisticated component of that early apparatus can now be found in billions of
homes around the globe - possibly in every room, including the bathroom! Just
take a moment to consider this remarkable prophecy from ‘Lightning’, a popular
science magazine of the 1890’s:
‘Before the next century
shall expire, the grandsons of the present generation will see one another
across the Atlantic and the great ceremonial events of the world, as they pass
before the eye of the camera, will be executed at the same instant before mankind.’
When John Logie Baird transmitted the murky image of a Maltese cross, a
distance of three metres, across his attic room, it is possible that he would
have cherished the same vision. But
could he really have conceived ‘live’ pictures from the surface of the planets
or the tracking of our every move in Woolworth’s? He died in 1946 when his invention was still
something of a ‘freak show’, to be enjoyed by the relatively affluent. So, he knew nothing of Video Cassette
Recorders, WWF Wrestling, Play Stations, the Cartoon Network, Digital Versatile
Discs, Jerry Springer, ‘Reality’ Television or Buffy, The Vampire Slayer.
Nowadays, bookcases groan under the weight of hefty tomes that have been
written on the subject. Among them,
there will be ‘Guides’, ‘Handbooks’, ‘Who’s Who’s’, ‘Companions’ etc.,
etc. You may even discover, ‘The Golden
Age Of Television’ and ‘The Encyclopaedia Of Television’, somewhere in there.
Please take notice that the volume you are reading makes no claim to either of
these prefixes. ‘Golden Age’s’ will vary from generation to generation and
there is likely to be a publication waiting, on some editorial slipway, eager
to be launched, entitled, ‘The Golden Age of Popular Music - The 1990’s’!
Furthermore, the dictionary advises that an ‘encyclopaedia’ will
contain, ‘information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject’. Hopefully, this publication will be offering
information on only one aspect of one subject.
It is concerned with Bing Crosby’s appearances on television and the
compilers’ aim has been to assist in the dating, cataloguing and identification
of those foggy videos and/or woolly audio tapes that may form a cherished part
of the many collections of his work.
Whereas, he was not exactly dragged, kicking and screaming, into the
medium, his entry into television was hesitant, to say the least. His early quotes on the subject are well
documented:
‘No entertainer who’s in
everyone’s home once a week can survive very long. If a new motion picture of
mine were released each week for fifty-two weeks - I soon wouldn’t have many
friends coming to the theatre to see me’ or,
‘The chef can’t stir too many soup
kettles. Television is murder but radio
just takes a few hours a week, all I have to do is stand up at the mike and sing.’
The last sentence from these quotations may help to explain his
philosophy in the matter. It was no secret that Bing preferred the unseen
informality of radio as opposed to getting ‘decked out’ for television and
admirers of the Crosby style might have been perfectly content to see him
‘stand up at the mike and sing’. Indeed, the first two programmes that flew
under the banner of ‘The Bing Crosby Show’, in 1954, for General Electric were,
essentially, radio with pictures. Both
were filmed for TV transmission and it is highly probable that the musical
content owed much to the extensive taped library of songs built up from his
radio shows. For example, his opening
song in the first of these TV ventures was ‘Y’All Come’ and this was identical
to the version used on his radio programme in November 1953, in addition to
being the very same version that was mastered for commercial release.
Setting aside re-runs of his old movies, an item advertised as Bing’s
television debut, was also a filmed contribution. Probably shot during a transcription session
for ‘Philco Radio Time’, his rendition of ‘Silent Night’ with the Bob Mitchell
Boys’ Choir, used as an epilogue to NBC’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ enjoyed the
distinction of being seen on television before it was heard on radio.
It should be remembered that
in the late 40’s and early 50’s, TV broadcasts were either performed live in
front of television cameras or filmed in advance with motion picture
cameras. The only way to preserve a live
broadcast was by means of a somewhat primitive process known as ‘kinescope’.
This was merely a high flown description for the simple process of placing a
motion picture camera in front of a studio television monitor in order to
preserve the image and sound for posterity.
As can be imagined this technique was vastly inferior to ‘live’ or even
filmed transmissions.
Well aware of the advantages, not to mention, convenience, that the use
of magnetic tape had brought to his radio series, Bing would have shown a keen
interest in the research going on at the laboratories of Bing Crosby
Enterprises in Beverly Hills, Cal. It
was here that John Mullin and Wayne Johnson demonstrated the first video
recorder on 11th November 1952.
Bing Crosby Enterprises also showed the first colour video in 1953,
though neither was developed commercially.
For the next ten years, Bing honoured the declaration of principles that
he had set out for himself regarding over-exposure on television. During this time there were never more than
two of his own specials per annum.
Naturally, there were guest shots, ‘walk-ons’ and sundry interviews but
in 1964 he agreed to appear in a weekly ‘sitcom’ series for ABC when another of
those early quotes might have returned to haunt him.
‘There’s no question in my mind as to what TV format would be best for
me. I’m investigating the possibility
of a filmed half-hour show, employing motion
picture techniques. . . Anybody who goes into television should
be sparing in how much they
do’.
All 28 episodes of ‘The Bing Crosby Show’ were reeled off in the space
of 31 weeks, a process inherent to sponsored broadcasting. The regime was
particularly punishing and most un-Binglike.
He was commuting to Hollywood from his Hillsborough home, filming five
shows in three weeks then taking two weeks off. At this time he was suffering
from recurrent, painful attacks of bursitis and he wrote to Kathryn, ‘The work isn’t too difficult but it’s
constant and all other activities and interests must be excluded. We work
straight through from 8 am to 7 pm every day. By the time I bathe and dress for
dinner, it’s 9 o’clock and I collapse into bed at 10.’
He was cast as ‘Bing Collins’,
a character who, coincidentally, shared the same initials, enabling him to use
his own handkerchiefs, shirts and cufflinks should he so desire! The characterisation was a true alter ego,
corresponding with everyone’s image of the real Bing Crosby. Urbane, amiable, witty, a master of the bon
mot, ready to deliver the perfect homespun bromide to difficult, teen-age
daughters and most importantly, able to burst into song every half-hour. But although his fans may
have loved it, it is reported that ‘he hated the show and
hated doing it’ and ‘it took up more of his time than it was worth to him’. ‘Variety’ condemned it as
being ‘15 years too late’. Other critics
damned it with the faint praise of ‘cute’ and ‘pleasant’. Inevitably, it slid
in the ratings, drawing the bitter comment from Bing, ‘It’s a rat race! If you don’t get a rating, they dump you.’
In the same year, he began
his tenure as one of the regular emcees of the prestigious ‘Hollywood Palace’,
surviving the possible embarrassment of introducing performing chimps and
plate-spinners, to appear in more than thirty of these shows.
If one were pressed to use
the tag, ‘Golden Age’, this would, undoubtedly, have been, ‘The Golden Age Of
Variety On Television’ and those brought up on ‘Café Continental’ through
‘Saturday Spectacular’, ‘Sunday Night At The London Palladium’ and ‘The Hollywood
Palace’ will surely, lament the demise of these extravaganzas. Today, would-be
producers would be stopped dead in their tracks in contemplation of the
terrifying cost of a forty-piece orchestra and a glittering parade of stars
from stage and screen and the best that we can hope for, in these first years
of the 21st
century, is the annual, filmed version of the ‘Royal Variety Command
Performance’ or a one-off, ‘one-person show’ with the camera panning around an
audience of mixed celebrities enjoying a free outing.
It was in the ‘Hollywood
Palace’ series that the traditional, Crosby family Christmas show was born,
continuing (with the exception of 1969) until ‘Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde
Christmas’, screened posthumously in 1977.
Many stars of radio, stage and film encountered difficulties in their
transition to TV. In an early
appearance, Bob Hope can be seen, reading his gags from a script and
experienced actors were known to refuse parts for fear of ‘corpsing’ before an
unseen and unknown audience. Those who witnessed Bing Crosby make his
considerable mark in four of the major show business media: vaudeville,
records, radio and films, would have had no doubt that, in spite of his initial
reluctance, his easy and relaxed style would be a ‘winner’ for television. On
some occasions, those same admirers may have been disappointed, particularly in
guest spots, when he was presented like some national monument, for a dutiful
audience to applaud brief snatches from ‘Pennies From Heaven’ or ‘Swinging On A
Star’. On the other hand, they would have been gratified by the genuine ‘Crosby
Medley’, featured in some of his later programmes and full versions of such
numbers as ‘I Left My Heart In San Francisco’; ‘Mame’; ‘Raindrops Keep Falling
On My Head’; ‘The Men In My Little Girl’s Life’ and ‘Bridge Over Troubled
Water’ that they might never have heard in any other context.
Bing’s peaks on TV came relatively late in his life when many others
might have been considering winding down.
There is no doubt, however, that public entertaining is a very difficult
occupation to retire from, as evidenced from this final quotation, from his
biography -‘I don’t have to work at all
if I don’t want to. The reason I don’t quit is that I’ve stayed in the
entertainment business so long, I’ve become a squirrel on a treadmill. I can
see no end to my road, so I can’t jump off’.
Lionel Pairpoint
THE
CHRONOLOGICAL BING CROSBY ON TELEVISION
This chronology
details, in order, every programme that the compilers have been able to trace.
After due consideration, a few doubtful programmes which had been included in
our original drafts, have been deleted due to lack of evidence. For example,
there was a strong claim that Bing Crosby had some involvement with a ‘This Is
Your Life’ programme honouring Laurel and Hardy. A copy of this show has been discovered and
has appeared on satellite television and on a commercially issued video but the
copy reveals no contribution by him. Another was ‘The Bob Hope Birthday
Special’ purportedly screened on 29th May 1963. Audio copies exist of an NBC radio
programme, sharing the same date, entitled ‘Happy Birthday, Bob’. Greetings are heard from Bing, Jack Benny,
Frank Sinatra, Eddie Cantor, George Burns, Jimmy Durante, Rosemary Clooney and
many others. A review of this radio show
appeared in ‘Variety’ of 5th June 1963 but a search of the
television listings from several West coast newspapers show no corresponding
television show.
To facilitate reference, the programmes have been numbered consecutively
within the dates of the original broadcasts. It should be noted that Bing
Crosby’s name has been accorded priority in musical items and/or sketches, no
matter how small his contribution to such items may have been. Those
items in which he participated are indicated by an asterisk (*).
An attempt has been made to include all musical items performed by or
performed to, by other featured artistes. Details of comedy routines, sketches
and monologues by other participants and incidental music to accompany
acrobats, jugglers, magicians etc., have not been included
Some items have been
deliberately omitted. Although
references may be made to them in the programme notes, his Hollywood films and
the many ‘tribute’ programmes aired after his death are not shown. Some caution
has also been shown with original filmed items, not intentionally produced for
television screening.
No special mention has been made to the commercials featured during the
programme breaks, although Bing may have been actively involved in them. This also applies to the annual Crosby Golf
Tournament, together with the Minute Maid and Tennetts advertisements.
An endeavour has been made, in the notes, to detail
some of the commercially issued, video cassettes and/or audio versions on
record or compact disc featuring excerpts or complete shows illustrating Bing
Crosby’s work on television. However, it
should be appreciated that these are only representative examples of the
material that still is, or has been available.
It is realised that there are some issues and equivalents not shown
herein but the compilers have not felt justified in including items which have
not been personally checked.
Considerable research has been undertaken and a great many authoritative
publications have been consulted to ensure that song titles are correctly
quoted. However, minor differences have
been noted in works of reference on the subject and in these cases, the
compilers’ discretion has been observed. In addition, there were tunes,
obviously specially written to accompany a situation or link which may not have
enjoyed the formality of a title by the composer and these have been,
arbitrarily, given a name with a view to assisting identification.
Lists, alphabetically, the songs or musical items in which Bing Crosby
participated.
Details, alphabetically, the people and places concerned in the
programmes.
Index
3
Lists, alphabetically, the songs or musical items performed solely by
or for other guests during the programmes.
NOTE:
Index 1 comprises some 1250 renditions by Bing but it should be pointed
out that a large percentage of the 765 titles shown were included in medleys
and may even consist of only two or three words. By the same token, Index 3 contains almost
700 song titles, representing more than 800 renditions and in both cases, it
has not been considered practicable to note, individually, every occasion on
which a mere fragment from a song was used.
A classic example can be observed on the Hollywood Palace of 21st May 1966. A medley with Johnny Mercer featuring no less
than forty titles is timed at precisely five minutes, which allows roughly,
seven seconds for each selection, including linking dialogue!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The first published listing
of Bing's appearances on television was printed in BING magazine in 1993 and
was prepared by Malcolm Macfarlane
who had drawn heavily on earlier research initiated by our late members Bob Roberts and Eric Griffiths. He was aided also by Frans Van der Kolff and the late Jean-Paul Frereault at that time, as well as gathering valuable information from various early Crosby fan
club magazines. In amalgamating Malcolm's earlier work and his subsequent
amendments for this book, considerable fresh research was carried out by
Malcolm, Greg Van Beek and the
writer. Much use was made of the excellent series of books produced by Gary Hamann (Bing Crosby In The 50s,
etc.) and of reviews taken from the show business journal, ‘Variety’. Wig
Wiggins, Arne Fogel, George O'Reilly, the late Gordon Hooper, Gwen Harvey,
Charlie Campbell, Fred Romary, George Harwood, Frank Dolson and Ron Hall added important
information.
Co-author Greg Van Beek generously provided many of
the photographs, including some previously unpublished material, that have done so much to
enhance and illustrate the text. In
addition, we are grateful to Ron Bosley,
who has keenly supported this publication and supplied further photographs from
his collection. Arne Fogel too weighed in with some rare pictures and our
thanks are due to him as well.
Our sincere appreciation is
extended to all those who have assisted with this project.
Very special thanks are due
to Martin McQuade who gave,
unstintingly, of his time and efforts in reviewing the completed manuscript,
making corrections and adding many items of which we had been unaware.
Lionel Pairpoint
THE CHRONOLOGICAL BING CROSBY ON TELEVISION
No. 1 26th May
1948 - Hollywood Premiere of ‘The Emperor Waltz’ (KTLA-TV) (a)
Bing
is in attendance at the Hollywood Paramount and when interviewed by announcer,
George Fischer, offers the wry comment, ‘This picture was made so long ago, I’m
anxious to see how it turned out!’ (In
fact, shooting on the movie had been completed almost two years previously).
Amongst other personalities
due to attend were Lucille Ball, Eddie Cantor, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Mona
Freeman, Clark Gable, Betty Grable, Rex Harrison, William Holden, Bob Hope, Van
Johnson, Alan Ladd, Hedy Lamarr, Pat
O’Brien, Larry Parks, Edward G. Robinson, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, Gene
Tierney and Esther Williams.
Note:
(a)
The programme was
also broadcast on radio station KFWB.
“A large turnout of Hollywood personalities is
guaranteed at the world premiere of ‘The Emperor Waltz’ tonight at the
Hollywood Paramount Theatre. Bing Crosby, arriving from New York this morning
to attend his first world premiere event.
The gala occasion is expected to draw a crowd of several thousand
spectators and extra police will be on duty to handle the overflow throng on
Hollywood Bvd.”
(‘Los Angeles Times’ 26th
May 1948)
No. 2 19th
December 1948 – ‘Philco Playhouse’ - ‘A Christmas Carol’ (NBC)
*Silent Night (a) with The Bob Mitchell Boys’ Choir
Note:
(a) A video version appeared on Warner Music Video 8536 50294
3 - ‘The Magic Of Bing Crosby’.
This
appears to be identical to the audio version that was broadcast on Philco Radio
Time on the 22nd December 1948.
“Philco Television Playhouse’s
presentation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ on NBC TV, Sunday Night (19th) was a warm,
tender and wholly evocative interpretation of the Charles Dickens classic. As
an epilogue, Bing Crosby made what was advertised as his first appearance on
video, via films with a rendition of ‘Silent Night’ but this highly publicised
stint was completely overshadowed by the preceding dramatisation. Film
production on the Crosby number, which had the Bob Mitchell Boys’ Choir backing
up, was disappointingly flat. There was no mention of the fact that this
section of the show was filmed but viewers probably guessed it from the faded
texture of the screen image. Crosby, incidentally, has been seen on video
before this in several of his old pics.”
(‘Variety’ 22nd December
1948)
Crosby
Formula To Show The Way
(Headline)
“Bing Crosby, who recently transferred his future
radio and television allegiance to CBS’s William S. Paley for a $1,000,000, is
mulling a two-way programming operation that may be the answer to radio stars
going video, yet domiciling in Hollywood. The whole problem of shifting their
base of operations to New York, key production centre of television, has become
increasingly vexing to top air personalities who, despite recognising that
sooner or later, they must embrace TV, are nevertheless reluctant to relinquish
Californian climes. With Hollywood retaining its grip on coast to coast radio
production, the LA to New York problem has been a major factor in stymieing the
pacting of big-time personalities for television.
It was considered inevitable that
someone would evolve a formula that in one fell swoop, would permit to
simultaneous radio/TV video casting to the theme of ‘California Here I Stay’
and if Crosby pioneers the practice which would involve taping for AM and
kinescoping for TV at one and the same time, it’s considered a certainty that
it would spark a succession of star-studded simul-casts, emanating from the
coast. It would also provide the impetus for the taping (such as Crosby,
Groucho Marx etc) of major radio programming from hereon in, a practice that
has already been blessed or had already been given the blessing of Paley, NBC
prexy, Niles Trammell (until this year was strictly verboten on both sides of
the major networks).
Crosby, it is reported is peddling his
show for next season. Philco is now paying him $25,000 a week for his taped AM programme
on ABC but the crooner it is understood wants $27,500 for next season - that’s
for radio alone but he wants a simultaneous AM-TV show-casing on Columbia. This
would be feasible by training the video cameras on his programme while it’s
being tape recorded (weeks in advance of airing) and kinescoping the stanza for
a date release of the transcribed TV version. Such a parlay would also permit
for separate sponsorship for the video edition with a commercial cut-in to
dovetail with the AM commercial insert.”
(‘Variety’ 9th February
1949)
“In New York, Bing had discussions with CBS regarding
a television show. While there, Bing gave all of the shows the once over and
said he’s very enthusiastic about the medium but that it looks like a lot of
work and will take more time to put together than a radio show. He doesn’t
expect to take the leap until the fall of 1950.”
(‘BINGANG’ summer, 1949)
No. 3 27th
February 1951 – American Red Cross Fund Campaign (CBS)
Guest appearance with Bob
Hope and Judy Garland and others. Introduced by Ed Sullivan. Most contributions
were probably, pre-recorded and the show was also broadcast on radio at the
same time. Further details unknown.
No. 4 21st June
1952 – Olympic Fund Telethon (CBS & NBC)
Featuring Dorothy Lamour,
Frank Sinatra, Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, George Burns & Gracie Allen,
Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Liberace, Paul Douglas, Ezio Pinza, Phil Harris
and Orchestras conducted by John Scott Trotter, Victor Young and David Rose.
*Road To Morocco (Parody) with
Bob Hope
*I Found A Million-Dollar
Baby (In A Five & Ten Cent Store) with
Buddy Cole (Piano) & Red Nichols (Cornet)
*Doodle Doo Doo with
Bob Hope & Ezio Pinza
*Carolina In The Morning (a)
Note:
(a) A snatch only.
“Bob Hope and Bing Crosby’s 14½-hour telethon to raise
funds for the U.S. Olympic team was a resounding financial click, topping the
$1,000,000 mark, as the mammoth benefit checked off the CBS-TV and NBC-TV
channels at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
It was one of the few times in video’s
career that the two major networks pooled their facilities and resources for an
entertainment-slanted show, a move inspired by Crosby’s CBS identity and Hope’s
NBC affiliation.
It was an occasion for some major TV
‘firsts’, including the long-awaited debut of Crosby as a video personality. He
demonstrated (toupee and all, an a la the pix Crosby, as distinct from the
hat-toting, sports-attired, pipe-smoking Bingle of the radio studio audience)
that he’s a natural and a ‘sure bet’ in the transition to TV, adding an
affirmative addenda to the current wholesale jockeying among the top
bankrollers in TV to latch onto his services for the upcoming semester.
. . . If by 1 a.m., (two hours after the
telethon got under way) the viewer was sorely tempted to call it quits for the
night, it was because the hoped for Hope-Crosby mental gymnastics and by-play
were conspicuous by their absence; the Groaner was still holding back on the
vocals (except for a ‘Road to Helsinki’, Olympic-slanted duet, with Hope, as
the curtain-raiser) and when he finally got around to ‘Million Dollar Baby’ as
his first legit song contribution to TV, it was attended by an embarrassing
mental void on the lyrics which didn’t even inspire the Groaner to gag his way
out of the fumble.
. . . Those who stayed with it, however,
were rewarded as the show gained momentum and the Hope-Crosby dualistics hit
their stride. (By the Sunday afternoon finale, they were a TV affinity which
suggested they might have been working the video channels for years).”
(‘Variety’ 25th June 1952)
The
Bob Hope-Bing Crosby “telethon” to raise funds for the United States Olympic
Fund, which probably kept a good part of the nation up for most of Saturday
night and Sunday morning, was quite a financial feat. A total of $1.000,020 was
contributed or pledged over a fourteen and one-half hour period, which is a
formidable achievement now that these marathon performances occur so frequently
on TV.
Theatrically, the chief news of the “telethon” was that it marked the
video debut of Bing Crosby. If there ever was any doubt about it, the word is
that the groaner can make the medium his own whenever he chooses. Still
youthful as ever in appearance and in good voice, Bing’s relaxed style and
easy-going ways were made to order for home viewing. The Bing is in.
Otherwise, however, the long show was something of a disappointment.
Perhaps the “telethon” stunt is just becoming too familiar, but much of
yesterday’s program was far from exciting and more akin to a succession of
personal appearances than a real show. Viewers must have been particularly
disappointed that Bing was so sparing with his vocal wares. During the ten
hours that this department watched he did only one complete song.
The “telethon” was staged at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles and was
carried by both the Columbia Broadcasting System and the National Broadcasting
Company television. From the outset Bob and Bing made it clear that for the
night they would be intent on the business of raising the needed funds to
transport the American team to Helsinki. Accordingly, their participation
consisted chiefly of reading figures and the names of contributors, a chore in
which they had the help of Dorothy Lamour. This inevitably made for
considerable repetition and, while some of their byplay was fun, the show as a
whole moved pretty slowly.
Part of the program’s lack of pace could be attributed to the staging,
which was more in the style of radio than television. The guest artists were
forced to work in front of a microphone, which is the old-fashioned way of
doing things now, and this imposed severe limitation on the variety of
acts. The emphasis was mostly on
singing and instrumental solos, with hardly any representation of dancing or
sketches.
In the early morning hours the madcap team of Dean Martin and Jerry
Lewis injected some life into the proceedings and the studio audience really
came alive. Unfortunately, Jerry somewhat overstayed his welcome, but Bing’s
attitude of superiority toward the comedy duo was a mite surprising.
Another star making his TV debut during the “telethon” was Phil Harris,
the veteran of the Jack Benny program. He showed to good advantage in two
lively numbers and his vitality came over very effectively on TV. Frank
Fontaine and his son, Bobby, also had an amusing comedy act during the morning
portion of the show.
Bob and Bing deserve the country’s thanks for pitching in at the last
moment to assure adequate finances for the Olympic team, and it must be hoped
that those who made pledges will keep them. With past “telethons” the actual
cash finally received was only a small part of the total pledged and many of
the “contributions” turned out to be just cheap and thoughtless bids for free
publicity. It’s probably just as well that Bob and Bing rescued the Olympic
Committee from its financial plight before the “telethon” format is worn out.
(Jack Gould, New York Times, June 23)
“I need no crystal ball to tell me that television
looms big in my future, as it does in the future of any entertainer. The
principal reason I haven’t had a go at it is that radio, recordings,
picture-making and the other businesses in which I’m involved take up so much
of my time and mean so many trips away from home that the time to do it right
just isn’t available. Then, too, there are a lot of things I like to do aside
from business, like golfing, and fishing, and
hunting, and if I did TV, when would I so indulge myself?
TV is here to stay, and it will be here when I get ready to go into it.
There’s a question in my mind as to what TV format would be best for me. I’m
investigating the possibility of a filmed half-hour show, employing
motion-picture techniques the way a big studio films a short subject. But the
expense would be tremendous. It might cost so much to make that it wouldn’t be
practical. I’m not sure I could find a sponsor who could get up the large
bundle of coin such a show would cost. But given the right format, television
doesn’t frighten me. I should be able to get by, doing what I’ve done in pictures,
in camp shows, and in vaudeville - - entertain.
I do think this: anybody who goes into
TV should be sparing in how much work he does. No entertainer who’s in
everyone’s home once a week can survive very long. His welcome can’t be
stretched that far. If a new motion picture of mine were released each week for
fifty-two weeks—or even for thirty-nine weeks—1 soon wouldn’t have many friends coming to the theaters to see
me. And they’d drop the flap on me at home, too. They’d weary of my mannerisms,
my voice, my face.
Three years ago the price for my
complete radio package was twenty-seven thousand five hundred dollars a
broadcast. This included my salary of seven thousand five hundred dollars a
week. For my 1951-52 radio-broadcasting season
I made a package deal with General Electric at sixteen thousand dollars a week.
This same contract stipulates that so long as I’m doing a radio show for G.E. I
will not do a TV show of my own - except for General Electric. I have no
agreement on price with G.E. but there are indications that a big show on
television would be worth up to fifty thousand per week.
In view of this, it may be cause for
wonderment on the part of some that I don’t succumb to the lure. Naturally, I
am toying with the idea - who wouldn’t at such prices - but I’m content to take
my time. After all, I’m doing reasonably well now, and I don’t have to work at
all if I don’t want to. The reason I don’t quit is that I’ve stayed in the
entertainment business so long I’ve become a squirrel on a treadmill. I can see
no end to my road, so I can’t jump off.”
(Bing Crosby, writing in
‘Call Me Lucky’. Probably written during the summer of 1952)
No. 5 4th
January 1953 – ‘The Colgate Comedy Hour’ (NBC)
Guest appearance. With Don
Cherry, Marilyn Maxwell, Bob Hope and Jack Buchanan.
“Bob Hope hit his top comedy level of the season with
a sprightly hour of gags and quips on last night’s Comedy Hour. There was
plenty of help around but Hope took over from the start and the tempo whisked
from his opening monolog to the ‘Road To Bali’ scene, which brought on Bing
Crosby as a surprise guest making his debut on commercial television.
. . . Hope reserved the closing minutes
for Crosby’s entry and a long pitch for their Paramount picture, ‘Road To
Bali’, in which each has a financial stake. By actual count ‘Bali’ was
mentioned 12 times and the Groaner walked off with a neon sign that spelled out
‘Road To Bali’. Crosby twitted Hope for his crass commercialism in plugging the
picture but passed off his own guesting with, ‘anything to get a buck at the
box office’. It was a gratis shot by Bing but Hope promised to pay it back. For
a closer, Bing, Bob and Buchanan did a song and dance and then came on with
ukes which they didn’t have time to play.”
(‘Daily Variety’ 5th
January 1953)
No. 6 15th
February 1953 - ‘Toast Of The Town’ (CBS)
Bing was one of the scheduled
guests along with Gene Autry, Roberta Peters, Jimmy Boyd, Molly Bee, Eileen
Barton and Honeychile Robinson.
No. 7 25th
February 1953 - ‘I Married Joan’ (NBC)
Guest appearance. Sitcom
which ran for 4 years featuring Joan Davis and Jim Backus. Bing appeared
carrying a bag of groceries into Joan’s kitchen. The episode was entitled, ‘The
Opera’ and it was filmed in advance.
“In the
Crosby self-kidding tradition, the script took note of the Groaner’s reluctance
to plunge into TV. As he sauntered onstage, Joan Davis gasped: “You’re not . .
. Oh, no, he wouldn’t be on television. Too fat for it - Too slow.”
(‘Newsweek’ 4th January 1954)
No. 8 25th November 1953 – ‘Thanksgiving Party in
aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation’ (ABC-TV)
Hosted by Dean Martin and
Jerry Lewis. Publicity indicated that
Bing was to make a guest appearance with Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Jack Benny,
Rosemary Clooney, Xavier Cugat, Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra, Groucho Marx,
Liberace, Marilyn Monroe, Harry James, Betty Grable, Danny Thomas, Ray Bolger,
Jane Wyman, Dick Powell and others. However it seems that Bing and many of the
guest stars listed were not on the show.
No. 9 3rd
January 1954 - ‘The Bing Crosby Show For General Electric’ (CBS) (a)
Directed by Fred de
Cordova. With the John Scott Trotter Orchestra, Perry Botkin, The Cass County
Boys,
Barbara Logan, Sheree North
and Jack Benny.
*Y’All Come (b)
*It Had To Be You (c) with Buddy Cole (Piano)
*Changing Partners with
the Rhythmaires
*I Love Paris (d)
Notes:
(a) A
video version of the programme was issued on Festival Films (unnumbered) -
‘Bing Crosby’s Cavalcade’ and on Video Yesteryear (number unknown). A
brief video extract from the dialogue between Bing and Jack Benny was included
in the ABC-TV programme ‘Bing Crosby: His Life and Legend’ which was shown on
25th May 1978 and in the Warner Music Video 50294-3-A - ‘The Magic Of Bing
Crosby – Part One – Special Edition’. Brief extracts were also seen in the
BBC2-TV programmes ‘Bing On Bing’ and ‘Living Famously – Bing Crosby’ shown in
the UK on 25th December, 2002 and 23rd January 2003 respectively and in the KSPS-TV
documentary Bing: Going My Way shown
on PBS in May 2003 and subsequently issued on DVD and video. The entire show
was issued on the Collectors’ Choice Music 2-DVD set “Bing Crosby: The
Television Specials – Volume 1” in April, 2010
(b)
A video version
of this item appeared on Warner Music Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The Magic Of Bing
Crosby’ and on the Goodtimes Home Video ‘Bing Crosby - Hollywood’s
Greatest Entertainer’.
(There is no doubt that this is the version of the
song, issued as a commercial recording, which was also heard on the General
Electric radio programme on 22nd November 1953).
(c) A
video version of this item appeared on Warner Music Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The
Magic Of Bing Crosby’. The item was also shown as part of the PBS presentation
“The Legendary Bing Crosby” made available to PBS stations in 2010 and
subsequently issued on DVD. Brief extracts were also used in the Independent TV
presentation ‘The South Bank Show’ shown in the UK on 26th December 1999 and in
the USA on 24th December 2000 on the Bravo channel as ‘Bravo Profiles Legendary
Crooner Bing Crosby’.
(d) A
video version of this item appeared in the Warner Music Video 50294-3-A - ‘The
Magic Of Bing Crosby – Part One – Special Edition’. The item was also shown as
part of the PBS presentation “The Legendary Bing Crosby” made available to PBS
stations in 2010 and subsequently issued on DVD.
“Bing banged over a whopping first show on TV for
General Electric, with the New Year only three days old as Crosby ushered in
his video debut with his own series, sporadic though they’ll be, it
automatically gave an aura of shining expectancy to the ’54 outlook. For years
it has been axiomatic in radio that BC can do no wrong. On the basis of the GE
Sunday night bow (in the usual Fred Waring spot on CBS TV), it goes in spades.
It can be argued that the decision to ‘go film’ instead of live, stripped the
half-hour show of a certain spontaneity element (This reviewer, for one, would
have preferred a ‘live’ Crosby). At this stage of the game it might seem
totally unnecessary and unreal for the Groaner to dandify himself to look
twenty-five again and it can be argued that the singer has yet to achieve an on
camera TV stance, more appropriate to his demeanour than casualness. It can
also be argued that there was no reason for Bing to permit his initial showcase
to fall from grace and its high qualitative level by introducing a stripper
(Sheree North). The fact remains that none of it really mattered - for if there
is a more natural, sure and at ease performer in showbiz, he’s still being kept
under wraps. Whatever the minor flaws of chapter one on the Crosby GE TV agenda
and they were apparent, they will probably be taken care of, now that Mr. Big
has finally succumbed to video’s blandishments. What is important are the
positive factors about Bing’s first show - that he’s got himself a format
without really requiring a format (which, of course, means nothing more than a
relaxed, informed, thirty minute, sequencing of songs and the inevitable banter
with a guest star - particularly when the guest is Jack Benny). As it turned
out this was one of those dream talent parlays, a visual throwback to ex-radio
semesters of the Hope-Crosby by-play, which set some kind of a high mark in
comedics, on the listening only circuit. The Benny-Crosby interlude was a
little gem in itself. It was so good that the introduction of a third party in
the person of Miss North didn’t hurt it but it didn’t help it, either. What is
important too, in the Groaner’s first time up, was the clincher that all the
surrounding Crosby show components, (John Scott Trotter’s musical
backgrounding, Ken Carpenter and more notably, Bill Morrow’s solid contribs as
writer/producer have made the AM to TV transition, with the same grace and
ease). Chalk up as a plus factor too, the directorial assist from Frederick de
Cordova who does the Burns & Allen CBS show. Bing bodes some happy video
semesters for ‘54.”
(‘Variety’ 13th January
1954)
“That old charmer, head of the Crosby clan, finally
showed his face around television. On his own show, that is. The millions who
made up the vast welcoming committee must’ve shared the same thought - he was
well worth sticking around for. One word description of his coming out party:
Socko!
The trepidation and fear of the new
medium no longer can be a mental block with the Groaner. He came off his first
show, dashing and debonair, as sure of himself as in a Decca recording studio.
Only trace of nervousness was in his closing walk-off, he seemed slightly
bewildered but that extra bow is not in BC’s makeup. He’ll do another one for
General Electric in March and probably, six next season. The first one out of
the way, he’ll be old Mr. Confidence himself.
What Crosby and Bill Morrow put together
for the grand entry was a pleasantly persuasive dish that must have been
devoured avidly by the onlookers. His themer for so many years and dropped this
season, ‘Blue Of The Night’ brought him on as a stand-up comic, a monologist of
the Bob Hope stripe. Morrow supplied him with some breezy chatter, such as,
‘Reason I haven’t been on TV before is that I was waiting for colour. GE came
up with green so, I grabbed it’ Hope, he compared to ‘a stricken steer’. Bing
need have no worries on this score, either. He can time and punch a line with
the best of them and has the added plus of spreading his charm with the
friendliness of an old shopkeeper.
Unlike other singers with their own
shows, he warmed his pipes with only four numbers: his current Decca sides,
‘Y’All Come’ and ‘Change Partners’, ‘It Had To Be You’, with Buddy Cole’s piano
accompaniment, and ‘I Love Paris’. To most Crosby fans that would have been the
show in itself, the lush lilt of the Crosby styling. He was given a production
backup for ‘Y’All’ and ‘Paris’, with the Cass County Boys and instrumentals
giving the country beat an oatuneful background. It was impressive and warming,
with Bing wearing a cowboy hat as his only rural effect. In the ‘Paris’ number,
Bing must have titillated the distaffers when he planted a long kiss on Barbara
Logan.
Jack Benny’s guesting, along with Sheree
North, a bosomy blonde, clad in a clinging jersey, was a riotous romp with the
laughs rolling in waves. Benny tried to unsell Bing on TV, working on his
nerves to unsteady him but to no avail. The fright gripped Benny instead and he
leapt on Bing’s shoulders like a femme frightened by a mouse. It was amicable
repartee that passed between them, Bing remarking about Benny’s cosiness with a
buck and how he took his lunch at the Cocoanut Grove and was ordered out. Shot
back Benny, ‘I can remember when you were thrown out of the Grove for another
reason’. That was strictly a trade gag.
The North dance speciality created
somewhat of a crisis but it gave the show a zippy pick-up. The Dulcy type,
she’s a rare find and could, conceivably, give some competition to Marilyn
Monroe or Marie Wilson. She’s the perfect foil for the flip-lipped comic and
worked the scene with Benny to most of the hilarious highs. Morrow’s production
and Frederick De Cordova’s direction were stellar.
Bing’s in and all the way, a stroke of
good fortune for GE.”
(‘Daily Variety’ 4th
January 1954)
“He has
strong objections to too-frequent appearances. “I’ve always felt television is
just like movies, but it’s in the home. I wouldn’t want to be in anybody’s home
too often, and you wouldn’t want to see a movie starring the same person every
week.” He feels performers should limit their TV appearances to no more than
six or seven times a year. Of his own plans, he is vague. One thing is certain,
nonetheless: He will film his second TV show in March, for Easter release.”
(‘Newsweek’ 4th January 1954)
No. 10
10th January 1954 - ‘The Christophers’ (WPIX-TV) (a)
With John Charles Thomas, Igor Gorin and Dennis Day.
Note:
(a)
‘The
Christophers’ was a religious movement, headed by Father Keller. Bing was also featured in other programmes
produced by The Christophers’ shown on television but as these appear to be
re-runs of films, possibly made for another purpose, they are not included in
the main listing but are merely shown as
part of this note: -
28th June 1953 – ‘Films Of Faith’ (WOR-TV New York). The short film,
‘Faith, Hope and Hogan’ was included in this programme. The film featured Father Keller interviewing,
Ben Hogan, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Phil Harris and Ralph Kiner. Perry Botkin
joined the group to accompany Bing’s rendition of ‘One Little Candle’ and also
a snatch of ‘Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive’.
13th October 1953 – (WOR-TV) This programme included ‘You Can Change
The World’, a short film made in 1950 that was directed by Leo McCarey. Bob
Hope, Jack Benny, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Loretta Young, Irene Dunne,
William Holden, Ann Blythe and Paul Douglas were featured. Bing sang ‘Early American’.
No. 11 17th
January 1954 - ‘The Colgate Comedy Hour’ (NBC)
Bing was advertised as
making the presentation to the winner of his National Pro-Am Golf Tournament
from Pebble Beach.
“Colgate Comedy Hour hit a pretty mediocre level last
Sunday (17th), over NBC TV. In a mish mash of video and sports, it looked liked
a carbon of ‘Toast Of The Town’, without any of the latter’s class. Some names
were there with inferior material, only Frank Sinatra’s special guesting in the
final quarter of an hour lent the show some distinction. Advance publicity had
played up promise of scenes from the Bing Crosby Golf Tourney at Pebble Beach,
Cal., with El Bingo and various stars, to participate in the climax of the
event and what resulted was pretty flat. For fifteen long, dull minutes, the
camera floated round the clubhouse after the event was over, as Ben Gage picked
up some golf and baseball players as well as Dean Martin and Phil Harris (but
no Crosby!), in a few chatty inanities that seemed to please the participants,
hugely. Alan Young opened the studio part of the show with a few gags and
passes at a bagpipe. It picked up quite a bit thereafter, when Chicquita and
Johnson came on for their sure-fire class acro act and then segued back to a
routine level with a skit showing Stan Freberg, in a recording studio, disking
a take-off on, ‘C’Est Si Bon’. Although
this sketch had its moments, it didn’t completely, come off. Then Young was
back in a skit about buying a suit which was corny vaudeville in Joe Laurie’s
day. Sinatra looking fuller and fit had some sneak gagging that included ribs
at his own radio programme and offered, a neat solo rendition of, ‘Young At
Heart’ and a somewhat overproduced blues number with a dancing chorus.”
(‘Variety’ 20th January
1954)
No. 11a January 1954 – The Jimmy Demaret Show (color)
Bing is interviewed by
Jimmy Demaret at the Tamarisk Country Club in Palm Springs.
Note:
(a) The interview was included on the Collectors’ Choice Music
2-DVD set “Bing Crosby: The Television Specials – Volume 1” issued in April,
2010
No. 12 21st
March 1954 - ‘The Jack Benny Show’ (CBS) (a)
Guest appearance. With Bob
Hope, George Burns, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Don Wilson, Jay Novello and the
Mahlon Merrick Orchestra.
*My Honey, I Will Pine For
You (b) with Jack Benny & George Burns
*M-O-T-H-E-R (A Word That
Means The World To Me) (b) with Jack Benny & George Burns
*The Gypsy In My Soul (c)
Notes:
(a) A
video version was issued on Congress Video in 1987 (no catalogue number) and
also on Madacy Music Group TVC-6-1115 as part of a two-tape set of Jack Benny
Programmes. Extracts from the show were included in the Goodtimes Home Video
‘Bing Crosby - Hollywood’s Greatest Entertainer’ issued in 1991. The show was
also included on the Critic’s Choice DVD ‘Jack Benny Program Vol. 1’ numbered
CCD 001006D issued in 2003.
(b) The
two songs were included in a ‘vaudeville’ sketch entitled ‘Goldie, Fields, and
Glide’. An abridged video version of the first song was included in the
Goodtimes Home Video ‘Bing Crosby - Hollywood’s Greatest Entertainer’ issued in
1991. Brief extracts were also seen in ‘Remembering Bing’, a 90-minute special
produced by WTTW, Chicago and televised by the Public Broadcasting Service on
28th November 1987.
(c) See also notes for Programme No. 26
6th November 1956.
“The show had its high points, of sufficient laugh
voltage to carry many another comedy stanza. Those three B boys - Bing, Benny
and Burns - did a song and dance turn that dripped with nostalgia of the old
vaudeville days. Decked out in blue coats, white pants and straw sailors, they
sang and soft-shoed like when they ‘killed ‘em in Scranton’. Each encored solo,
with Bing singing ‘Mother’ and Benny reciting the lyrics in mock dejection
while the others hung their heads, sadly. Burns took to hoofing for his turn
after the fashion of a latter-day Pat Rooney. All three then came out with
ukuleles but played not a note. The applause was deafening but this was TV, not
vaudeville and time of the essence. Bing, paying back for Benny’s guesting on
his first TV show, got across another song in his easy and relaxed style from a
sitting position.”
(‘Daily Variety’ 22nd March
1954)
No. 13 25th
April 1954 - ‘The Bing Crosby Show For General Electric’ (CBS)
Directed by Les Goodwins.
Produced by Bill Morrow. With the John Scott Trotter Orchestra, Buddy Cole,
Joanne Gilbert and The Wiere Brothers.
*Dear Hearts And Gentle
People (a)
*Young At Heart
Singin’ In The Rain Joanne
Gilbert
*After You’ve Gone with
Buddy Cole (Piano)
*Secret Love
Note:
(a) A video
version of this item appeared in the Warner Music Video 50294-3-A - ‘The Magic
Of Bing Crosby – Part One – Special Edition’.
“Bing Crosby, obviously, has a casual attitude toward
TV. Almost before he stood up to be counted for his second General Electric
filmed foray on Sunday the 25th, over CBS, he was delivering a whale of a plug
for Decca Records. And he did it in such a manner as to give the impression
that the blurb was more important than the fact that this was his first video
outing since last January. About midway, the Groaner came through with the
second ballyhoo for his wax works when, he and pianist, Buddy Cole, squared off
on ‘After You’ve Gone’. Up front, Crosby one-twoed on, ‘Dear Hearts And Gentle
People’ and ‘Young At Heart’ in deadening, stand-up style. After he gave Joanne
Gilbert the build-up boffo, she proceeded to give a tame treatment to, ‘Singin’
In The Rain’.
There was a bit of needed spark in the
fiddle-faddling vocals and the hoofing of the Wiere Brothers but here’s an act
that cries out for live telecasting. Crosby wound it up with, ‘Secret Love’
which with the possible exception of the highly visual Wieres, it was probably
a crackerjack, radio show.”
(‘Variety’ 28th April 1954)
There’ll be as much critical controversy over this
second telefilm by Crosby as over his first one with Sheree North. The issue
here is clean-cut. Can Bing just stand up and sing without any production or
props and get away with it? Aside from a song by Joanne Gilbert and some
monkeyshines from the three Wiere Brothers, it was all Crosby in front of a
drop and mostly in close-up, flexing his pipes.
The Crosby fans will be pleasantly
serenaded (‘he’s singing to me’) but the critical clan may show their claws.
They might contend that it’s little more than radio with a framed picture of
Bing sitting atop the set. The Crosby camp claims that such simplified
production was the result of a study made of hundreds of letters, most of them
asking only that, ‘Bing sing’. That he does and in as good voice as in the
relaxed calm of his fatherly days.
Decked out in a sports jacket with an
emblem, he gives out with ‘Dear Hearts And Gentle People’ and ‘Young At Heart’,
and all the time with hands in pockets. Miss Gilbert then comes on to thrush,
‘Singin’ In The Rain’ with the softness of morning dew. Changing to a business
suit (‘for the first time, I’ve been left off the list of the five worst
dressers’), Crosby saunters over to a piano where Buddy Cole is benched and
with complete detachment raises his voice (‘from a bag of old chestnuts’) and
pipes ‘After You’ve Gone’. He closes out the musicale with ‘Secret Love’ and
signs off with ‘good night’ and not ‘goodbye’. Bing has been quoted as saying,
‘This is my last’.”
(‘Daily Variety’ 26th April
1954)
No. 14 15th
June 1954 - Ford Automobile 50th Anniversary Celebration (a)
*White Christmas
Note:
(a)
A filmed
contribution to this two hour show with guitar accompaniment only, interacting
with a ‘live’ Rudy Vallee.
No. 15 17th October 1954 - ‘Toast Of The Town’ (CBS)
A filmed guest appearance.
Also featured Irving Berlin and Liberace. Introduced by Ed Sullivan.
*White Christmas
“Ed Sullivan evidently has a soft spot for Liberace
and gave him just about half of his ‘Toast Of The Town’ stanza on CBS-TV Sunday
night (17th) . . . Otherwise, it was a first rate session, marked by a
top-notch film clip of a Sullivan interview with Bing Crosby on the Coast. The
Crosby bit was a plug for the Paramount pic ‘White Christmas’ (which,
incidentally has been getting a hefty slice of cuffo time on both radio and TV,
via Irving Berlin’s current pic and song-plugging activities). But the Groaner
was in his niftiest form as a casual personality and his relaxed way before the
cameras belied what must have been an army of Paramount technicians to make
this ultra professional looking ‘home movie’ sequence. Sullivan opened with a
few remarks and Crosby carried the ball from that point onwards, chatting
amicably and delivering snatches of Berlin tunes without accompaniment, except for
one number, ‘Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army’. It was a tip top trailer.”
(‘Variety’ 20th October
1954)
No. 16 3rd
December 1954 - ‘Person To Person’ (CBS) (a)
Interviewed at his
Hollywood home by Edward R. Murrow, linked from New York.
Note:
(a)
A video version
of the programme was issued on Festival Films (unnumbered) - ‘Bing Crosby
Surprise Package’. (Bing sings the first line of several of his million-selling
records and snatches of ‘This Ole House’ and ‘Count Your Blessings (Instead Of
Sheep)’).
A brief glimpse of Bing standing in front of his Gold
Records was also seen in ‘Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 - 1957’ first shown
on the Disney Channel on 21st November 1993 and subsequently issued on an MCA
video
MCAV-10846.
“With Crosby this was a compelling Cook’s tour of his
Hollywood manse. . .If Crosby were any more relaxed he’d collapse but that
didn’t impair the efficiency of his guideposts to a variety of items, from the
nineteen Decca ‘gold’ platters to the late Dixie Crosby’s Copenhagen China
Collection. He hummed ‘This Ole House’ in tongue-in-cheek manner and
interlarded a dash of ‘Count Your Blessings’ in a casual style which spoke of
innate showmanship - he even had the right ‘theme’ songs for the occasion. He
got in the right degree of plugging for his upcoming ‘Country Girl’, saluted
his late gagman, Barney Dean, spotlighted his ‘real’ friends, spoke about the
boys - Lindsay was the only one present - and even got in a fast dash of his
case against, ‘Oop!’ ‘Shoop!’ and ‘Sh-Boom’ which his four toughest critics,
his sons, apparently hold in higher esteem than does the Groaner. He admitted
that bringing up the four boys was his toughest job.”
(‘Variety’ 8th December
1954)
“Bing Crosby had the crew of Edward Murrow’s, ‘Person
To Person’ show really worried sick. The day of his show, it rained and the one
thing that Bing insisted upon was that, NOTHING should be damaged or dirtied.
Because the house belongs to his mother and it’s her empire.”
(‘Hollywood Citizen News’
4th December 1954)
No. 17 6th January 1955 - ‘The Lux Video
Theatre’ presents ‘Sunset Boulevard’
(CBS)
Bing appeared as a Lux Video Theatre guest. He did not
take part in the play which starred Miriam Hopkins as ‘Norma Desmond’.
No.
18 8th March 1955 - ‘The Red Skelton
Show for CBS’ (a)
Red Skelton presented Bing with the ‘Look’ magazine
Best Actor Award for 1954 for his role in ‘The Country Girl’. Other guests were Edmond O’Brien, Walt
Disney, Alfred Hitchcock and Jack Lemmon.
Note:
(a) A video
version of Bing receiving his award was included in the Goodtimes Home Video
‘Bing Crosby - Hollywood’s Greatest Entertainer’ issued in 1991.
No. 19 30th
March 1955 - 27th Academy Awards Ceremony (NBC) (a)
Guest appearance. Talked
with Bob Hope (MC) and presented all three Awards in the Music categories.
Note:
(a)
The entire show
was included in a Festival Films video ‘27th. Academy Awards Show (1955)’.
Part of the dialogue between Bing and Bob Hope was
included in the NBC-TV programme ‘On the Road with Bing: A Special Tribute to
Bing Crosby’ which was shown on 28th October 1977.
A brief glimpse of Bing on the stage at the Awards
Ceremony was also seen in ‘Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 - 1957’ first shown
on the Disney Channel on 21st November 1993 and has subsequently been issued on
an MCA video MCAV-10846.
“Bing Crosby, making three music awards, was kidded no
end by Hope. But Der Bingle more than held his own, returning quip for quip. It
was one of the night’s most amusing interludes.”
(‘Hollywood Citizen News’
31st March 1955)
No.20 8th May
1955 – ‘Toast Of The Town’ (CBS)
Hosted by Ed Sullivan. With
Eddie Fisher, The Mariners, Eileen Barton, Wonder Boy John, Richard Hearne and
Robert L’Amouret.
During the programme, filmed extracts
from the recent Hollywood premiere of ‘Daddy Long Legs’ starring Fred Astaire
and Leslie Caron were shown. Those
interviewed at the event included Bing Crosby, Claudette Colbert, Joan
Crawford, Jennifer Jones, Jane Russell, Harry James, Betty Grable, Victor
Mature, Maureen O’Hara, Clifton Webb, Robert Cummings, Jeanne Craine and
others.
No. 21 24th May
1955 - ‘The Bob Hope Show’ (NBC)
(a)
Guest appearance. With Don
Hartman and Jane Russell.
Note:
(a)
The entire show was issued on DVD by Bobontv.com,
their reference number 052455. Apart from the
usual Hope monologue, the programme was composed mainly of clips from his
movies (see press report). Bing’s participation was limited to a sketch based
on the premise that he is throwing a party for Bob and Jane Russell is to be
Bob’s date. Bob, in top hat, white tie and tails, arrives at the Crosby
residence. Expecting a surprise party, he enters unannounced, only to find that
the place is deserted. After looking around the house, he finally enters the bedroom
to discover Bing, clad in pyjamas with ice pack on his head, fast asleep in
bed! On enquiring about the party, Bing says, ‘Oh, that was last night!’ Clips
from the ‘Road’ films were shown including the complete ‘Put It There Pal’
scene from ‘Road To Utopia’. When Bob leaves the room, he has a giant movie
poster on his back (placed there by Bing no doubt) advertising the film, ‘The
Country Girl’.
The complete show was included in a video
(un-numbered) issued by Festival Films.
“Bob Hope closed the book on another television season
with a cavalcade of clips from his Paramount past and enough footage on his
future, ‘The Seven Little Foys’ to whet audience curiosity. . . .In the guest
corner were Bing Crosby, Jane Russell and Don Hartman, executive producer at
Paramount. . . .As name attractions, Cros and Russell were point-getters but
they were used only sparingly and their material not conducive to the holding
of sides or shrieks of sheer delight. They served mostly the purpose of
dialoguing the lead-ins to the old films, most of which had Hope in kissing
scenes. . .It seemed a waste of both Crosby and Russell, their participation
being so functional to obviate any attempt at comedy. . .”
(‘Variety’ 25th May
1955)
No. 22 10th March 1956 - ‘Ford Star Jubilee’ - ‘High
Tor’ (CBS) (a)
Directed by James Neilsen.
Orchestra conducted by Joseph Lilley. With Julie Andrews, Nancy Olsen, Everett
Sloane,
Lloyd Corrigan and Hans
Conreid.
*Living One Day At A Time
Sad Is The Life Of A Sailor’s Wife Julie
Andrews
When You’re In Love Julie
Andrews & Everett Sloane
*A Little Love, A Little
While
When You’re In Love (Reprise) Everett
Sloane
*John Barleycorn
Once Upon A Long Ago Julie
Andrews
*Once Upon A Long Ago
*A Little Love, A Little
While (Reprise)
Note:
(a) An
augmented audio version of the programme, containing narration and songs not
heard on the broadcast was issued on the Decca LP DL8272 - ‘Bing Crosby - High
Tor’
Schwartz sent me up the recordings of the
songs for “High Tor” and I think they are quite good. They have a lot of
quality and they are in the mood of the piece. I read the script again and I
think this can be quite a nice film. I don’t know about its commercial
potentialities or whether or not audiences will understand it completely, but
that doesn’t worry me. I would rather be associated with something like this
that at least represents an effort to achieve something lofty, than to fall
into the rut of all that other bilge that is being produced these days for TV.
I anticipate
already that there will be some criticism about this film by some of the
newspaper TV columnists, etc., but if it’s done well, and I anticipate it will
be, I don’t see how we can be too vulnerable. For the same reason, I don’t
think there will be any throwing of hats in the air or dancing in the streets
over the film. Let’s just settle for it being “nice”.
(Bing
Crosby, in a letter dated 5th October 1955 to George Rosenberg.)
“Crosby’s entry
into the 90-minute spectacular on CBS-TV’s ‘Ford Star Jubilee’, Saturday night
(10th) was hardly as rewarding as the auspicious occasion warranted. Out of
Maxwell Anderson’s ‘High Tor’ fancy, originally presented on Broadway 20 years
ago as a straight play, the network fashioned a filmusical version, the joint
effort of Arthur Schwartz and Anderson (with Schwartz also doubling as
producer)
The songs were good, at least a couple
of them way up on the potential list of solid clicks. There was a stunning
performance from Julie Andrews, the ex-ingenue of ‘The Boy Friend’, as the
ephemeral Dutch phantom walking the ‘High Tor’ mountain for 300 years. But
basically, what evolved was a flimsy, ‘boy meets ghost, loses girl, boy loses
ghost, gets girl’ vehicle that would find it tough going as the bottom half of
a theatrical double feature. Through it all, Crosby was lost. True, his
ballading was good. Crosby and his bouncy ‘John Barleycorn’ rendition was one
of the show’s high spots but his love-making had just about as much substance
as the Dutch ghosts on High Tor. His poetic meanderings were neither fanciful
nor symbolic. It just wasn’t in the film clips for a placid and, let’s face it,
not-so-young contented guy in a comfortable jacket to project himself as an
escapist from a material world through the flights of Anderson’s dream on the
Tappan Zee.
When he came upstage to do his songs
(four in all) with all his muted charm and affability, it was strictly Crosby
and not Van Dorn, the man in love with his mountain. For that matter the entire
Dutch crew, from the captain down, had little understanding or feeling for what
Anderson was trying to say.
Strange were many things about the
production. Why, for example, Crosby wasn’t even given a nibble at the best of
the Schwartz tunes, ‘When You’re In Love’, to which, non-singer, Everett Sloane
fell heir. Or why the camera transitions were so awkward, considering the scope
that the filmization afforded. Or why Ford permitted an invitation to a
tune-out even before the film got started with an elongated commercial that
must have consumed five minutes.
This musical version of bank robbers
scheming to buy High Tor. . . also enlisted the services of Nancy Olsen, who,
at least, had a comprehensible role and therefore rang true to her performance.
. . It remained for Miss Andrews to really capture Anderson’s elusive fantasy
on life and love.
The film was made for CBS in 12 days. It
cost about $450,000. The network reserves the right to give it a couple more
screenings, then it reverts to Crosby and Schwartz for any possible residual
values. These are doubtful assets.”
(‘Variety’ 14th March 1956)
“Somewhere in the double translation - from stage to
tv-pix terms and from dramatic to musical comedy form - much of what made ‘High
Tor’ a Broadway success seems to have got lost. What emerges on the home
screens in this film, said to have cost upwards of $500,000, is essentially, a
listless exercise, with rather undistinguished musical and murky
philosophising, leavened only by the stingiest pinches of comedy.
A strangely subdued Bing Crosby walks
through his role with little conviction, making for the most part like a
straight musical comedy juvenile. His gifts of off-hand repartee and clowning
are little in evidence and his ponderous philosophising proves too static to
register dramatically. Only in his vocalising does he show his accustomed style
and verve. . . Miss Andrews, a British import for Broadway’s ‘The Girl (sic) Friend’,
is too ethereal for dramatic conviction but is lovely in her Dutch costuming
and able in her warbling chores with Crosby. . . Nancy Olsen makes the most of
her standard role as the brisk modern maid. . . Editing, while generally
competent, at times, shows regrettable lapses. In one sequence, heavy rain
deluging Conreid and Corrigan, miraculously stops when Crosby walks on the
scene. At other times, playback synchronisation between Crosby’s voice and his
lip movements are noticeably at variance.”
(‘Daily Variety’ 12th March
1956)
‘CBS TV’s presentation of ‘High Tor’ has been described
by Oscar Levant as a sort of sleepy hollow legend, being both ‘sleepy’ and
‘hollow’. Whereas, this is probably too
harsh a judgement of the musical version of the Maxwell Anderson play, the
production wasn’t, exactly, a hundred per cent as successful. What happens to have gone wrong is that the
whimsy that was present in the intimacy of the theatre, just didn’t get
transposed to the screen. The effect as a result was somewhat like trying to
pretend ‘Finian’s Rainbow’ without blarney.
The story is intriguing, if somewhat complex. Bing Crosby owns a mountain, the mountain is
coveted by various scoundrels. A ghostly ship with a ghostly Dutch crew makes
its appearance. There are romantic complications as Crosby is torn between the
shapely spectre of Julie Andrews and a real live girl, Nancy Olsen, while
Everett Sloane pitches woo as a phantom.
The only trouble with all this is that it is taken too seriously. There are some lively tunes among the six or
seven introduced in the teleplay and it should be interesting to see whether
the combination of TV and Bing Crosby boosts any of them into the hit
category.’
(‘Billboard’ 24th March
1956)
No.
23 17th June 1956 - ‘The Bob Hope Sunday
Spectacular’
With Les Brown and his Band
of Renown, George Sanders, Marilyn Maxwell, Betty Grable, Jane Russell and
Dorothy Lamour.
Guest appearance. (a)
Note:
(a) An outtake from ‘Road To Bali’ was shown.
No.
24 15th July 1956 - ‘The Ed Sullivan
Show’ (CBS)
Filmed guest appearance to
promote ‘High Society’ (a). With Harold
Lang, Joan Holloway, Shirley Yagamuchi, Wesson & Polk, Louis Armstrong and
Julie Andrews.
*Mississippi Mud (b)
*A-Tisket, A-Tasket (b)
I Could Have Danced All Night Julie
Andrews
Show Me Julie
Andrews
Muskrat Ramble Louis
Armstrong
Basin Street Blues Louis
Armstrong
The Faithful Hussar Louis
Armstrong
Stompin’ at the Savoy Louis
Armstrong
Note:
(a) Film clips were shown of ‘Well Did You Evah!’, ‘You’re
Sensational’ and ‘Now You Has Jazz’ from ‘High Society’.
(b) Unaccompanied fragments only.
“Frank Sinatra may think that Ed Sullivan is ‘sick,
sick, sick’ but he nevertheless wound up on the latter’s CBS-TV show as a performer
on Sunday night (15th). It was, of course, via the film route, plugging the
Metro pic, ‘High Society’. Sinatra was heard doing a couple of choruses solo
and one with Bing Crosby, who also appeared on the Sullivan show in a filmed
interview. The sequence was a thinly veiled but entertaining plug for ‘High
Society’ and had Crosby, in his usual breezy manner, speaking about various
facets of the pop biz and his favourite personalities.”
(‘Variety’ 18th July 1956)
No. 25 6th
October 1956 - ‘Ford Star Jubilee’ - ‘You’re The Top’ (CBS)
Made a special appearance
(filmed at Pebble Beach) in this tribute to Cole Porter.
Directed by Seymour
Berns. Orchestra directed by David Rose.
With The Don Crichton Dancers, The Toppers,
Louis Armstrong, Dorothy Dandridge,
Sally Forrest, Dolores Gray, Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Shirley Jones,
Gordon MacRae, George
Sanders, George Chakiris and Cole Porter.
So In Love Gordon
MacRae
Wunderbar Gordon
MacRae
Why Can’t You Behave Dolores
Gray
Just
One Of Those Things Dolores
Gray
In The Still Of The Night Gordon
MacRae & Shirley Jones
You’re The Top Mary
Healy & Peter Lind Hayes
Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love George
Sanders & Dolores Gray
Night And Day George
Chakiris
My Heart Belongs To Daddy Dorothy
Dandridge
Begin The Beguine Gordon
MacRae
*Well, Did You Evah! with
cast
*Another Op’nin’, Another
Show with
cast
“Cole Porter was treated to a pleasing
once-over-lightly on CBS TV’s ‘Ford Star Jubilee’ Saturday night (6th) as the
90 minute spec series returned for the new season. . . There was no stinting on
production credits or in the assembling of talent. . . plus a filmed insert of
Bing Crosby and the composer himself joining in for the finale. . . The filmed
Crosby insert, perhaps a concession to the Ford demands, was of dubious merit
and inevitably led to the integration of one of his film clips from his ‘High
Society’ pic. But at least it was one of the more entertaining clips backed by
Satchmo and his combo.”
(‘Variety’ 10th October
1956)
No. 26 6th
November 1956 - ‘See You At The Polls’ (a)
Appeared as part of a
gathering of Hollywood stars including, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, Peter Lawford
and Groucho Marx.
The purpose of the programme
was to remind American citizens of their right to vote.
*The Gypsy In My Soul (b)
Notes:
(a) This
was an assembled programme consisting of clips from television shows and films,
produced by the American Heritage Foundation.
(b) The item was first seen on the Jack
Benny Show (Programme No. 12, 21st March 1954).
No. 27 11th
November 1956 - ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ (CBS)
Guest appearance. With Phil
Silvers, Marcel Marceau, Julie Andrews, Louis Armstrong and Kate Smith.
Medley: Julie Andrews
Wouldn’t It Be Luverly
Someone To Watch Over Me
I’ll Follow My Secret Heart
*True Love
God Bless America Kate
Smith
“. . . The big hoop-la, of course and a rarity in the
area of ‘live’ tv, was the Bing Crosby appearance and soloing of his ‘True
Love’, with an enforced reprise, hitched to a Sullivan wager that it’ll
register second only to ‘White Christmas’ in disc clicks. ‘Love’ was done to a
Bing turn but it was in the banter division, chiefly with Phil Silvers, that
the Crosby personality asserted itself as of old. Their by-play in the show’s
opening moments, set a pace for hilarity that was only topped when Silvers, in
perhaps his most stand-out non-Bilko turn on tv, turned in a skit on ‘Ol Man
River’ at a ‘Show Boat’ rehearsal that hit a peak in comedics.”
(‘Variety’ 14th November
1956)
No. 28 22nd
January 1957 - ‘The Phil Silvers Show’ - ‘Sgt. Bilko Presents Bing Crosby’ (CBS) (a)
Guest appearance.
*The Wreck Of The Hesperus
(Longfellow) Recitation
Note:
(a) A video version of the programme was
issued on Fox Video 0647 - ‘Sergeant Bilko - Volume Two’
No.
29 27th March 1957 - 29th Academy Awards
Ceremony
Guest appearance. (Filmed
contribution)
*True Love
No. 30 16th
June 1957 - ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ (CBS)
Filmed guest appearance.
With Susan Heinkel, Page & Bray, Don Rondo, Rusty Draper, John Raitt, Inger
Stevens, Polly Bergen and Johnny Mathis.
A film clip of Bing singing ‘Temptation’ was shown.
“On film, Bing Crosby exchanged a couple of pleasant minutes
of chatter with Sullivan but for an indifferently, integrated plug on his new
pic, ‘Man On Fire’, he introduced Inger Stevens who appears with him in the
picture.”
(‘Variety’ 19th June 1957)
No. 31 13th
October 1957 - ‘The Edsel Show ‘ (CBS) (a)
Directed by Seymour Berns.
Written and produced by Bill Morrow. Orchestra directed by Toots Camarata.
Musical supervision by Buddy Cole with additional arrangements by John Scott
Trotter. With Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Bob Hope, Lindsay
Crosby, The Four Preps and Mr. Conn & Mr. Mann.
*Now You Has Jazz (b) with Louis Armstrong
Medley:
All The Way Frank
Sinatra
Love And Marriage Frank
Sinatra
Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home Frank
Sinatra
*True Love
South Of The Border (c) Orchestra
*Mexicali Rose (c)
*South Of The Border (c) with Frank Sinatra
*Paris In The Spring (c) with Frank Sinatra
Mademoiselle De Paris (c) Orchestra
*I Love Paris (c) with Frank Sinatra
*Sweet Leilani (c) with Frank Sinatra
*Road To Morocco (c) with Frank Sinatra & Bob Hope
I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan Rosemary
Clooney
Medley:
Boola Boola The
Four Preps
*Collegiate with
Frank Sinatra
*The Whiffenpoof Song
The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi Frank
Sinatra
*September Song (d) with Frank Sinatra
*There’s A Long, Long Trail with
Frank Sinatra
In The Middle Of An Island Lindsay
Crosby
The Birth Of The Blues (e) Frank Sinatra & Louis Armstrong
Medley:
Love Is The Sweetest Thing Rosemary
Clooney
I Want To Be Happy Rosemary
Clooney
Where The Blue Of The Night Frank
Sinatra
*Goody Goody
Love Thy Neighbour Rosemary
Clooney
*I’m An Old Cowhand (From
The Rio Grande) with
Frank Sinatra
*Nature Boy
I’m Always Chasing Rainbows Frank
Sinatra
There Is Nothing Like A Dame Frank
Sinatra
Somebody Loves Me Rosemary
Clooney
It All Depends On You Frank
Sinatra
*Let’s Take An Old
Fashioned Walk
I’ll Walk Alone Rosemary
Clooney
I’m Walking Behind You Frank
Sinatra
*Swinging On A Star with
Frank Sinatra
*Small Fry (Parody)
*I’d Climb The Highest
Mountain with
Frank Sinatra
I’ve Got You Under My Skin Frank
Sinatra
Why Don’t We Do This More Often? Rosemary
Clooney
*It’s Been A Long, Long
Time
*Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The
Positive
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love Frank
Sinatra
*Please
I’ve Got A Feelin’ You’re Foolin’ Rosemary
Clooney
I Get A Kick Out Of You Rosemary
Clooney
June Night Rosemary
Clooney
*You Go To My Head (Parody) with
Frank Sinatra
Just One Of Those Things Rosemary
Clooney
It’s A Grand Night For Singing (Parody) Frank
Sinatra
‘S Wonderful Rosemary
Clooney
*Jealous
I Got Rhythm Frank
Sinatra
*Hound Dog
No Other Love Rosemary
Clooney
Blues In The Night Frank
Sinatra
Tea For Two (Parody) Rosemary
Clooney
Three Little Words Frank
Sinatra
*My Blue Heaven (Parody) (f) with Frank Sinatra & Rosemary
Clooney
Three O’clock In The Morning Frank
Sinatra
*Three Little Fishes with
Frank Sinatra & Rosemary Clooney
On The Atcheson, Topeka & The Santa Fe Rosemary
Clooney
*Sunday, Monday Or Always
Three Coins In The Fountain Frank
Sinatra
*Columbia, The Gem Of The
Ocean (aka ‘The Red, White And Blue’) with
Rosemary Clooney
*Ma Blushin’ Rosie with
Frank Sinatra
*Side By Side with
Frank Sinatra & Rosemary Clooney
*On The Sunny Side Of The
Street with
Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney &
Louis
Armstrong
Notes:
(a) Bing
arranged for this ‘live’ program to be ‘produced’ by Gonzaga University in
order that the profits could go to them in a tax efficient way. The program won
the ‘Look’ magazine TV Award for ‘Best Musical Show.’
A
video version of the programme was issued on International Licensing &
Copyright ILC0094 - ‘Frank Sinatra Live At the Edsel Show’ and on
Festival Films (catalogue no. unknown) ‘Bing Crosby and Friends Volume 1’.
The
item was also shown as part of the PBS presentation “The Legendary Bing Crosby”
made available to PBS stations in 2010 and subsequently issued on DVD. An
abridged version was also included on Questar DVD QD3175 ‘A Bing Crosby
Christmas’. An abridged audio version of the show was issued on Loota LP 4901
‘The Edsel Show’. In addition, short extracts were included in the A. & E.
Biography Channel programme ‘Bing Crosby: America’s Crooner’ which was first
televised on 14th December 1993 and has been repeated on several occasions
since and also issued on video. Brief extracts were also seen in the KSPS-TV
documentary Bing: Going My Way shown
on PBS in May 2003 and subsequently issued on DVD and video and in the BBC2-TV
presentation ‘Bing On Bing’ transmitted in the UK on December 25, 2002.
(b) A
video version of this item appeared on Warner Music Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The
Magic Of Bing Crosby’ and on the Goodtimes Home Video ‘Bing Crosby -
Hollywood’s Greatest Entertainer’ issued in 1991.
An
abridged video version was also seen in ‘Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 -
1957’ first shown on the Disney Channel on 21st November 1993 and subsequently
issued on an MCA video MCAV-10846.
A
brief extract was used in the Independent TV presentation ‘The South Bank Show’
shown in the UK on 26th December 1999 and in the USA on 24th December 2000 on
the Bravo channel as ‘Bravo Profiles Legendary Crooner Bing Crosby’.
(c) Video
versions of these items were included in the Goodtimes Home Video ‘Bing Crosby
- Hollywood’s Greatest Entertainer’ issued in 1991.
The
‘Road to Morocco’ segment was also seen in ‘Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 -
1957’ first shown on the Disney Channel on 21st November 1993 and subsequently
issued on an MCA video MCAV-10846.
(d) This
item was included in ‘Remembering Bing’, a 90-minute special produced by WTTW,
Chicago and televised by the Public Broadcasting Service on 28th November 1987.
An abridged video version was also seen in the Goodtimes
Home Video ‘Bing Crosby - Hollywood’s Greatest Entertainer’ issued in 1991.
A
video version was included in the Public Broadcasting Service TV special ‘Frank
Sinatra - The Classic Duets’ aired in the
USA in December 2002 and March 2003. The special has subsequently been issued
on DVD and video.
An audio version was issued on Capitol CD
72435-42771-2-2 – ‘Frank Sinatra - Classic Duets’
(e) An audio version of this item was
included on Voice CD V-CD-1101 – ‘Frank Sinatra – The Live Duets 1943 - 1957’
(f) A
brief extract was used in the Independent TV presentation ‘The South Bank Show’
shown in the UK on 26th December 1999 and in the USA on 24th December 2000 on
the Bravo channel as ‘Bravo Profiles Legendary Crooner Bing Crosby’.
“The Edsel Show, a special kick-off for Ford’s new
line of cars on tv, was a smooth, fast ride all the way. In fact, without even
seeming to try, it shaped up as one of video’s top musical offerings, in the
same class as the Mary Martin-Ethel Merman layout several years ago, on the
‘Ford Jubilee’ show.
This time, it was the tandem of Bing
Crosby and Frank Sinatra, two savvy pros who were at the top of their form. For
Crosby, it was his best tv showing to date and for those who remember live
radio way back when, Der Bingle generated the same easy charm that was
responsible for his long-time run on the AM kilocycles. Sinatra, likewise,
displayed a finesse and a sureness that bespeaks his multi-faceted showbiz
experience. In addition, the one-hour stanza showcased, among others, another
veteran performer, Louis Armstrong, in some nifty routines.
But basically, it was Crosby and
Sinatra, in a freewheeling songalog and an informal script that never got in
the way of the singing. Working solo, duo and trio (with Rosemary Clooney), they
covered several dozen songs, most of them in quickie versions. In the biggest
production of a show that was marked with a minimum of production frills,
Crosby and Sinatra did a song ‘take-off’ on ‘Around The World In 80 Days’,
winding up with Bob Hope entering for a short routine on ‘We’re Off On The Road
To Morocco’
Crosby’s number with Armstrong and his
combo on ‘Now You Has Jazz’ was a crackerjack getaway. Satchmo returned again
for a nifty rundown of ‘The Birth Of The Blues’ with Sinatra. Miss Clooney had
one solo slot on a show ballad midway in the show, while Lindsay Crosby, son of
Bing, delivered, ‘In The Middle Of An Island’, in fair style, with backing from
the Four Preps. In the hoofing division, Mr. Conn & Mr. Mann, two slick
tapsters were on and off fast.
For the final quarter-hour, Crosby,
Sinatra and Miss Clooney joined in a clever medley of romantic oldies. As with
the rest of the show, this routine was handled with a breezy comedic touch that
didn’t strain for laughs.
The new Edsel cars were effectively
plugged via some film clips and some asides from Crosby and Sinatra. The latter
also appeared to slide in a plug for his upcoming show for Chesterfield on the
TV network.”
(‘Variety’ 16th October
1957)
No. 32 20th
December 1957 - ‘Happy Holidays with Bing & Frank’ (ABC) (a)
Guest appearance. Written
by Bill Morrow, produced by William Self and directed by Frank Sinatra.
Orchestra directed by Nelson Riddle.
Mistletoe And Holly Frank
Sinatra
*Happy Holiday (b) with Frank Sinatra
*Jingle Bells with
Frank Sinatra
Medley:
*Deck The Halls With Boughs
Of Holly with
Frank Sinatra & Chorus
*God Rest Ye Merry
Gentlemen with
Frank Sinatra & Chorus
*Hark! The Herald Angels
Sing with
Frank Sinatra & Chorus
*O Come All Ye Faithful with
Frank Sinatra & Chorus
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear Frank
Sinatra
*Away In A Manger
*O Little Town Of Bethlehem with
Frank Sinatra
*Rudolph The Red-Nosed
Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town Frank
Sinatra
*The Christmas Song with
Frank Sinatra
*White Christmas with
Frank Sinatra
Notes:
(a) Recorded
18th October 1957 at the Goldwyn Studios and originally shown in monochrome. A
colour version was re-discovered by the Sinatra family and was shown on the
TRIO channel in the US during 2001 and then issued on a DVD titled ‘Happy
Holidays with Bing & Frank’ by Hart Sharp Video numbered 29567 0003-2 in
2003. An audio version of the programme was issued on Ho-Ho-Ho Records LP 1088
- ‘A Warm & Wonderful Christmas Eve With Bing & Frank’ and items have
subsequently been issued on many CDs, notably, Laserlight 12775 ‘Christmas Sing
with Frank and Bing’ and Eclipse 64914-2 ‘Christmas with Bing and Frank’.
The programme was sponsored by
Bulova Watches and Chesterfield Cigarettes.
(b) A few bars only.
“Bing Crosby guested on Frank Sinatra’s ABC-TV
Christmas Show, last Friday (20th) and Sinatra & Co., would have been hard
put to find a more vivid contrast with the memorable early season Edsel show.
Where the latter was vibrant, this Sinatra filmed episode was static; where the
Edsel outing was spontaneous and fresh, this was studied, pretentious and
awkward. Comparison is not really invidious, since it was the Sinatra-Crosby
teaming that made the Edsel show the great TV outing that it was. Yet, the
results on this Yule edition of the Sinatra showcase seem a summary of the
failings of the entire Sinatra series on ABC - it’s uncomfortable, Even
discounting the often sloppy production, the absence of a central theme or
point of view, the fact is that Sinatra never quite seems at his best or his
easiest and the attitude affects his guests. Sinatra himself directed this
outing, his first directorial stint and in this regard the show was
commonplace, with Crosby and the Voice, first carolling over a home bar, then,
in old-English costume, in a street setting, then back in the too posh setting
of the Sinatra living room. The pair went through some 15 Christmas songs,
traditional and modern but neither were in their best voice and unlike the
Edsel outing, the combination wasn’t a happy one, with the harmony somewhat
forced and at times, rather strident. Worst attribute of the show and the facet
that seems to cause the most discomfort, in the dialogue, is Sinatra, spouting
a torrent of flip expressions that, presumably, are supposed to be
sophisticated and hep but come across in a completely affected manner. He
doesn’t seem at ease and neither did Crosby who had to suffer with the same
business. It’s a case of writer, Bill Morrow, who should know better than to
try his old ‘Kraft Music Hall’ flippancies in another era and with so
completely a different type of personality as Sinatra. For all the ABC
decisions to do more live shows with Sinatra and with all the big guest star
bookings on the show, no improvement in the programme or the ratings is likely
to begin until Sinatra starts acting himself. He can work all the tension he
wants into a song or even a performance but on television ya gotta be relaxed
and ya gotta be straightforward and believable or it’s murder, as Sinatra is
now experiencing it.”
(‘Variety’ 24th December
1957)
No. 33 12th
January 1958 - ‘Bing Crosby And His Friends’ (CBS) (a)
Directed by Seymour Berns.
With the Buddy Cole Orchestra, John Daly, Tommy Harmon, Kathryn Crosby, Bob
Hope, Phil Harris, Buddy Lester, Red Skelton, Bob Crosby and Fred MacMurray.
The first telecast of the
Bing Crosby Pro-Am Golf Tournament. Bing presented a live variety show and
introduced the song ‘Straight Down The Middle’.
Television coverage of this
annual event continued during the remainder of Bing’s life and for a time,
after his death. No further references to the event will be made in these
listings.
*Straight Down The Middle
*Tomorrow’s My Lucky Day
Note:
(a) A thirty-minute video excerpt was
issued on Video Resources ‘Make Me Laugh - Bing & Friends’ (Catalogue
number
unknown)
“Bing Crosby and Friends put on some sort of a show
yesterday afternoon. Ostensibly, a sports programme, featuring the finals of
Bing’s tournament at Pebble Beach, it also contained attempts at entertainment.
The golf shots were confusing and
meaningless, especially when every other ball flew off into the ocean. The
comedy and entertainment pieces were contrived and superficial excepting a
fairly nice slice of repartee, involving Crosby and Bob Hope.
One rattling piece of incongruity -
During a commercial spell, brother Bob said, in effect, that no ‘plugs’ for
movies or current jobs would be allowed to come from the guest stars, due to the
charity aspect of the affair. Then Bing and Bob did a smart about-face by
giving the old pitcheroo to a new Hope movie.”
(‘Los Angeles Evening
Herald Express’ 13th January 1958)
“Apparently
feeling that straight golf, even with celebrities, is too specialized a field
for the mass audience, Crosby decided to jazz things up, shooting film clips of
celebs in comedy routines, doing a filmed fashion show and providing some other
extraneous inserts. But the technique didn’t work . . . In setting out to give the
audience apples and pears, Crosby and CBS came up with a lemon.”
(‘Variety’ 15th January 1958)
No. 34 2nd
March 1958 - ‘The Bob Hope Show’ (NBC) (a)
Guest appearance. With Les
Brown and his Band, Anita Ekberg, Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner.
Two Sleepy People Bob
Hope and Natalie Wood
*Nothing In Common (b) with Bob Hope
Note:
(a) The
entire show was issued on DVD by bobontv.com in 2010, reference No. 030258.
(b) A video
version of this item was included in the NBC-TV programme ‘On the Road with
Bing: A Special Tribute to Bing Crosby’ which was shown on 28th October 1977.
An
abridged version of this item was also included in the Goodtimes Home Video
‘Bing Crosby - Hollywood’s Greatest Entertainer’ issued in 1991.
“The ‘well-alongers’ must have taken huge delight from
Crosby and Hope, a winning parlay on any track. . . From Hope’s crackling
monologue down through the curtain call bits, it was a gay romp. What looked
like a walk-on for Crosby developed into one of those precious moments on
television when the pair traded gags. It’s a pleasure to hear these vets bandy
words. The dialogue is easy, charming and smooth. Together, they seem not to
need a script. The relaxed give and take does it for them. This was comedy on a
superlative level that beat a steady tattoo on the risibilities of the
onlookers.”
(‘Variety’ 5th March 1958)
No.
35 24th September 1958 - ‘The George
Jessel Show’
Guest appearance.
“Tonight, Bing Crosby trades chit-chat with George
Jessel. . . You may watch Der Bingle at 8.30 on the station he owns, Channel
13. Before Bing shows up on the Jessel show tonight, comic Gene Baylos will
warm up the viewers.”
(‘Los Angeles Evening
Herald Express’ 24th September 1958)
No. 36 30th
September 1958 - ‘The Eddie Fisher Show’
Guest appearance. Walk-on
spot with Dean Martin interrupting Eddie Fisher and Jerry Lewis.
“The big moment in the Eddie Fisher show came when he
and Jerry Lewis were clowning and Bing Crosby and Dean Martin walked onto the
stage. Not a single boo from the audience and Eddie’s representatives vow the
crowd wasn’t screened.”
(‘Los Angeles Evening
Herald Express’ 1st October 1958)
No. 37 1st October
1958 - ‘The Bing Crosby Show for Oldsmobile’ (ABC) (a)
Directed by Bill Colleran.
Musical direction by Buddy Cole. With Tom Hanson & Tad Tadlock, Bill Hayes,
Patti Page
Florence Henderson, Dean
Martin and Mahalia Jackson.
*Well, Did You Evah! (Parody) with
Dean Martin, Patti Page, Bill Hayes & Florence
Henderson
*Swanee (g)
*In My Merry Oldsmobile
(Parody) with
Patti Page, Bill Hayes & Florence Henderson
Summertime Mahalia
Jackson
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child Mahalia
Jackson
Medley:
Torna A Surriento Dean
Martin
*My Wild Irish Rose
Oh, Marie Dean
Martin
*Galway Bay (b) with Dean Martin
*Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (Parody) (c) with Dean Martin
Medley:
*In A Little Spanish Town
*Swinging On A Star with
Dean Martin
I Only Have Eyes For You (Parody) Dean
Martin
Once Upon A Time (It Happened) Dean
Martin
*My Little Buckaroo (d) with Dean Martin
I Heard a Love Song in Paris (La Seine) Patti
Page
*True Love (e) with Dean Martin & Patti Page
*Life Is Just A Bowl Of
Cherries with
Dean Martin & Patti Page
Here’s To My Lady (f) Orchestra & Chorus
‘We Get Letters’ Medley:
*Mississippi Moon
Tears In My Ears Patti
Page
Grace Dean Martin
*Twang, Twang, Twang with
Dean Martin & Patti Page
*When The Saints Go
Marching In with
Mahalia Jackson
*For My Good Fortune with
Dean Martin & Mahalia Jackson
*Far Away Places
*I Guess I’ll Get The
Papers (And Go Home) with Dean Martin
& Patti Page
Well, Did You Evah! (Parody) Chorus
Notes:
(a) This was a ‘live’ show.
(b) Dean Martin’s contribution consisted
of spoken interjections only.
(c) Dean Martin sings ‘O Sole Mio’ in
counterpoint.
(d) Dean Martin’s contribution consisted
of a snatch of ‘Volare’.
(e) A video version of this item appeared
on Warner Music Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The Magic Of Bing Crosby’.
(f) Incidental accompaniment to a dance
routine by Tom Hanson & Tad Tadlock.
(g) The
item was shown as part of the PBS presentation “The Legendary Bing Crosby” made
available to PBS stations in 2010 and subsequently issued on DVD.
“A couple more like this one and ABC-TV
will get a reputation for having put television back in show business. Without
equivocation, the Bing Crosby Special last Wednesday night (1st) was a
delightful viewing experience from beginning to end. A strictly professional
enterprise from which Oldsmobile extracted maximum mileage in a tasteful
serving of some of the best song salesmen extant. If the product itself, the
’59 Olds, can deliver half the qualitative, freewheeling performance that
Crosby & Co achieved last week, then GM’s got itself a happy division.
Here was the plot - Crosby, Dean Martin,
Patti Page and the wonderful Mahalia Jackson in a virtual hour songfest, either
in solo, duet, trio or whatever which way. That’s all! For background, no
elaborate, over-stuffed production but merely a simple crazy-quilt pattern of
lights that made for an ingenious bit of electronic hoop-de-doo and a stunning
effect in keeping the imaginative qualities of the show as a whole.
The pleasures were varied and frequent,
including one of Crosby’s top tv performances to date. In fact the Bingo and
Dean Martin were having themselves a merry romp throughout and even if Bill
Morrow’s scripting wasn’t always at peak form, the ease and naturalness with
which the banter was tossed off, more than compensated for this deficiency.
The opening, ‘What A Swell Party’ (sic) set the
mood and the tempo and from then on it was pretty much of a breeze for everyone
concerned. There was Crosby’s ‘Swanee’, a beautiful Mahalia Jackson rendition
of ‘Summertime’, some Bing & Dean nip-ups, both verbal and vocal, spanning
a wide and tuneful range; some Patti Page soloing and one of those inevitable
Patti, Bing & Dean three-way clambakes, in both serious and satiric vein,
reaching a peak of comicality in some ribbing of ‘We Get Letters’ and kidding
around with ‘Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries’ and a rock ‘n’ roll joust. Then a
lively Mahalia Jackson spiritual and a kidding-on-the-square ‘Wait For The
Reviews’ finale.”
(‘Variety’ 8th October
1958)
Bing Crosby moved up to television's top
rung last night with the first of his programs for the American Broadcasting Company.
The presentation was a musical hour of charm, diversity, humor and taste; it
was produced with enormous style and sophistication. The Groaner, who once had
doubts about TV, has conquered another medium. This was a Crosby both old and
new. Old for his informality, light banter and wry quips. New for his amusing
admission of the passing years, the hard work that obviously went into his TV
show and the refreshing avoidance of any jokes about Bob Hope. Mr. Crosby is
now strictly modern.
(Jack
Gould, New York Times, 2nd
October 1958)
No. 38 22nd
November 1958 - ‘The Dean Martin Show
for Timex’ (NBC)
Guest appearance. Produced
and directed by Jack Donohue. With the David Rose Orchestra, Phil Harris, The
Treniers and
Dean Martin.
*Now You Has Jazz (Parody) with
Dean Martin and Phil Harris
Just In Time Dean
Martin
*Volare (a) Dean Martin
John Henry Phil
Harris
Why, Oh Why The
Treniers
R.O.C.K. The
Treniers
I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a
Letter Dean
Martin & The Treniers
Medley:
What’ll I Do? Dean
Martin
All By Myself Dean
Martin
All Alone Dean
Martin
Makin’ Whoopee Dean
Martin & Phil Harris
Guys And Dolls Dean
Martin & Phil Harris
They Didn’t Believe Me Dean
Martin
*Gigi
Medley:
I Surrender Dear Dean
Martin
Just One More Chance Dean
Martin
May I? Dean
Martin
*Learn
To Croon
*Please
*Thanks
June In January Dean
Martin
*Love
In Bloom
*Love
Is Just Around The Corner with
Dean Martin
*Love
Thy Neighbour
*Soon
*It’s
Easy To Remember
Note:
(a) There
are spoken comments from Bing and Phil Harris and both accompany Dean Martin
for the last few lines, which include a snatch of ‘Where The Blue Of The Night’
from Bing.
“The only sustained bit of entertainment coming out of
Dean Martin’s first show of the season, occurred in the last quarter hour when
Martin and guest, Bing Crosby parlayed a medley of evergreens into a
delightful, easygoing songfest. That the tunes were Crosby perennials helped
add a neat nostalgic flavour to the segment.
But it took Martin a long time to get on
the road to nostalgia. Preceding entries were arranged in hodge-podge manner
without any particular flow or meaning. Although the solo shots by Martin and
Crosby were okay, the horseplay preceding most of the numbers and centring,
particularly, on Martin’s sobriety and/or Crosby’s gold is tiresome stuff at
this point in the game. The studied casualness was strained and didn’t come
off.”
(‘Variety’ 26th November
1958)
“There was an outstanding medley near the wind-up,
with Martin and Bing Crosby, his guest, delivering some of Der Bingle’s hits of
yesterday and a lot of viewers must have wished this piece de resistance had been
lengthier. . . They could have used more of Crosby with Martin for the first
half, when Bing was on rarely. . . Martin’s patter was good and Bing quipped
about his sons’ penchant for marriage in Las Vegas. Martin registered with
‘Volare’, as Bing and Phil Harris kidded him about hamming it up. . . Harris
scored with a dramatic rendition of ‘John Henry’; Crosby was a smooth as syrup
with ‘Gigi’; then Martin and Crosby went into the click hits, reeling off
vintagers such as, ‘Learn To Croon’, ‘I Surrender Dear’ etc’. Martin would sing
a few, then Crosby would pick it up and then they would duet. It was a solid,
terrific routine.”
(‘Daily Variety’ 24th
November 1958)
No. 39 December
1958 - USO Christmas Show (a)
Introduced by President Eisenhower.
With The Band Of The USA, Anna Maria Alberghetti, June Allyson, Louis
Armstrong, Jack Benny, Polly Bergen, Milton Berle, Ray Bolger, George Burns,
Marge & Gower Champion, Cyd Charisse, Van Cliben, Rhonda Fleming, Benny
Goodman, Eydie Gorme, Bob Hope, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Danny Kaye, Frankie
Laine, Tony Martin, David Niven, Kim Novak, Gregory Peck, Walter Pidgeon, Dick
Powell, Jane Powell, Martha Raye, Jimmie Rodgers, Jane Russell, Dick Shawn,
Dinah Shore, James Stewart, Gale Storm, Danny Thomas and Miyoshi Umecki.
Around The World Rhonda
Fleming
They Can’t Take That Away From Me Dinah
Shore
It Might As Well Be Spring Miyoshi
Umecki
Piano solo Van
Cliben
Lullaby Of Broadway Betty
Hutton
It’s A Most Unusual Day Jane
Powell
Avalon Benny
Goodman Quintet
Ivory Tower Gale
Storm
I’d Do Anything Lena
Horne
*White Christmas (b)
I’ve Got The World On A String Anna
Maria Alberghetti
When Your Lover Has Gone Eydie
Gorme
Smiles (c)
Jimmie Rodgers, Tony Martin
&
Frankie Laine
There’s No Tomorrow (O Sole Mio) Tony
Martin
Oh-Oh, I’m Falling In Love Again Jimmie
Rodgers
That’s My Desire Frankie
Laine
Taking A Chance On Love Martha
Raye
My Honey, I Will Pine For You (d)
Jack Benny, George Burns &
James Stewart
Come Rain Or Come Shine Polly
Bergen
When The Saints Go Marching In Danny
Kaye & Louis Armstrong
Silent Night (e)
Notes:
(a) A
filmed all star variety special for Overseas American Forces. Shown on
AFRTS. An edited thirty-minute video
version (with Bing’s portion intact) was issued on Home Video Syndications
VC-210 - ‘Visions Of Christmas’
(b) Bing
appears to sing ‘White Christmas’ by lip-synching to his 1955 recording with
the Paul Weston Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir.
(c) Brief parody
(d) See
programme No.12 when a similar act, under the same banner of ‘Goldie, Fields
and Glide’ was performed. James Stewart deputises for Bing on this occasion.
(e) Various groups of the entertainers
take part (Bing was not present).
No. 40 2nd March 1959 - ‘The Bing Crosby Show for
Oldsmobile’ (ABC) (a)
Produced and directed by
Bill Colleran. With Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Tom Hanson & Tad Tadlock, Jo
Stafford,
James Garner, Dean Martin,
Phillip Crosby and Dennis Crosby.
*Love
Won’t Let You Get Away (Parody) (c) with cast
*Ol’
Man River (b)(c)
I’ll Be Seeing You Jo
Stafford
*It’s
Easy To Remember (d) with Dean Martin
Gunslinger James
Garner
*Hooray
For Love with
Jo Stafford & James Garner
Stardust / Way Down Yonder in New Orleans Chorus
& Orchestra
*Fancy
Meeting You Here (c) with Jo Stafford
*On
A Slow Boat To China (c) with Jo Stafford
*I
Can’t Get Started with
Jo Stafford
*Hindustan (c) with Jo Stafford
*It
Happened In Monterey with
Jo Stafford
*You
Came A Long Way From St. Louis with
Jo Stafford
*Love
Won’t Let You Get Away with
Jo Stafford
*Twilight
On The Trail (b)(c)
*Love
Won’t Let You Get Away (Parody) with
cast
*The
Jones Boy with
Phillip Crosby and Dennis Crosby.
Notes:
(a) An abridged version of the show was shown on the Nostalgia
cable channel in the USA in August 1995.
Phillip
and Dennis Crosby used a parody of ‘The Children’s Marching Song’ to link the
various segments.
(b) Video
versions of these items appeared on Warner Music Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The
Magic Of Bing Crosby’. The item was also shown as part of the PBS presentation
“The Legendary Bing Crosby” made available to PBS stations in 2010 and
subsequently issued on DVD.
(c) These items were included on the Bluebird CD ‘Fancy
Meeting You Here’.
(d) A cappella - Bing has only a line or two.
“Bing Crosby’s second show of the season for
Oldsmobile was a highly entertaining exercise in cleverness. From Bill Morrow’s
script through the special musical material by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen
to the settings by Jim Trittipo, the stanza was sparked by a wit and an ingenuity
which gave an extra edge to the line-up of names…
Morrow’s scripting, as usual, was keyed
to the Crosby style of relaxed but completely constructed palaver. The show
also happened to be solid in the performance department, as well. On hand were
Jo Stafford who was at the top of her form in her solo of ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’
and her wind-up, 20-minute duet with Crosby on a flock of standards. Dean
Martin, unbilled and unannounced, turned up for a gag imitation of Bing Crosby
in his salad days while Garner was ingratiating in his singing and chatter
assignments.
The Crosby twins, Phillip and Dennis,
were used as prop boys, singing the intros and shifting the Trittipo sets in a
flowing transition from number to number. Their integration into the long
Stafford-Crosby duet via do-it-yourself constructions of Chinese junks, Mexican
sombreros, airplanes and the Eiffel Tower was standout. They also joined Crosby
for a pleasant workout on a hit of a couple of years ago, ‘The Jones Boy’.”
(‘Variety’ 4th
March 1959)
A scenic
designer named James Trittipo virtually stole the Bing Crosby Show last night
on Channel 7. His impressionistic settings made of unfinished lumber were
breathtaking in their inventiveness, simplicity and humor...Otherwise the show
was in the best Crosby tradition, unhurried entertainment that was consistently
pleasant.
(Jack Gould, New
York Times, 3rd March 1959)
No. 41 19th
March 1959 - ‘The Dean Martin Show’
(Colour) (a)
Guest
appearance. Produced and directed by Jack
Donohue. With the David Rose Orchestra, The Curfew Kids,
Donald
O’Connor, Gisele MacKenzie and Dean Martin.
Small Fry Dean
Martin & Donald O’Connor
Back In The Old Routine Dean
Martin & Donald O’Connor
Note:
(a) Further
details unknown. This may be considered a doubtful entry. ‘Variety’ of 25th March 1959 carries a review
of the programme, without mentioning, Bing. This need not, necessarily,
preclude his appearance and as he performed both of the songs noted, with
Donald O’Connor, a ‘gag’ walk-on could still be a possibility.
No. 42 29th September 1959 - ‘The Bing Crosby
Show for Oldsmobile’ (ABC) (a)
Directed by Bill Colleran.
With the Axel Stordahl Orchestra, Jayne Turner, Bill Hayes and Florence
Henderson,
George Shearing, Joe
Bushkin, Paul Smith, Peggy Lee, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra.
*I’m
Glad I’m Not Young Anymore (Parody) with
Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee & Louis Armstrong
*Looking
At The World Through Rose-Coloured Glasses
Willow Weep For Me Frank
Sinatra
Baubles, Bangles and Beads Peggy
Lee
Piano Medley: with
George Shearing, Joe Bushkin and
Paul
Smith (Pianos)
*I Love A Piano with
Frank Sinatra & Peggy Lee
Lullaby Of Birdland Peggy
Lee with George Shearing (Piano)
The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else Frank
Sinatra with Paul Smith (Piano)
*Where The Blue Of The
Night with
Joe Bushkin (Piano)
*I Love A Piano (Reprise) with
Frank Sinatra & Peggy Lee
Mack The Knife Louis
Armstrong
*Too Neat To Be A Beatnik with
Peggy Lee
*Basin Street Blues (b) with Louis Armstrong
*Everybody Loves My Baby
*Lazy Bones with
Louis Armstrong
Medley:
Them There Eyes Louis
Armstrong
Some Of These Days Peggy
Lee
If I Could Be With You Frank
Sinatra
Lazy River Frank
Sinatra & Peggy Lee
*High Society Rag with
Peggy Lee
Sleepy Time Down South Louis
Armstrong
*Now You Has Jazz with
Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee &
Louis Armstrong
Notes:
(a) A
video version was issued on Festival Films ‘Bing Crosby and Friends Volume
2’. An abridged edition of the show was
televised on the Nostalgia cable channel in the USA in October, 1995. The
entire show was issued on the Collectors’ Choice Music 2-DVD set “Bing Crosby:
The Television Specials – Volume 1” in April, 2010
(b) An
abridged video version of this item was included in the ABC-TV programme ‘Bing
Crosby: His Life and Legend’ which was shown on 25th May 1978. A video clip of
this item also appeared on Warner Music Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The Magic Of Bing
Crosby’.
“Mount Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Louis
Armstrong, Joe Bushkin, George Shearing and Paul Smith in a tasteful, Bill
Colleran framework and its hardly an accident that you come up with a 60-minute
layout that’s alternately, sophisticated, smart, breezy, snazzy and solid
entertainment. Which just about characterises last Tuesday night’s, ‘Bing
Crosby Show’
Crosby bore the brunt of the show and
for the most part was in fine fettle, whether working solo or dueting with
Sinatra or Miss Lee or ‘Satchmo’. With a Bill Morrow scripting assist, Crosby
and Sinatra tossed the gab ball back and forth and this may have been the only
fall from grace. It wasn’t Grade A gab tossing.
Whether it was Satchmo’s blowing up a
storm or vocalising, or Crosby, Sinatra or Miss Lee singing, dueting or as a
threesome, or yet again, a Bushkin-Shearing-Smith grand slam in their 88
virtuosing, it came out like tv being restored to the show biz pedestal. These
Crosby outings have a habit of upgrading the medium.
There was special song material by Sammy
Cahn (who co-produced with Colleran) and Jimmy Van Heusen; a bang up orchestral
background by Axel Stordahl and an overall decor that was elegant simplicity.
The sequencing of the numbers gave the
show a correct tempo and pacing, from the opening, ‘I’m Glad We’re Not Young
Anymore’ by the Crosby-Sinatra-Miss Lee-Armstrong foursome to the closing
medley by the quartet. Interlaced were such highlights as Crosby’s ‘Looking At
The World Through Rose-Coloured Glasses’, his trademarked ‘When (sic) The Blue
Of The Night’, his duet with Miss Lee on ‘Too Neat To Be A Beatnik’; Sinatra’s
‘Willow Weep For Me’, ‘The One I Love’ and ‘If I Could Be With You’; Miss Lee’s
‘Baubles, Bangles And Beads’, ‘Some Of These Days’ and ‘The One I Love’;
Satchmo’s ‘Mack The Knife’; ‘Basin Street’ and ‘Lazy River’. Dovetailed with
the vocals was a fetching terpsichoreal sequence by Jayne Turner and dancers -
a capsule jazz version of ‘Cinderella’.
There was more, too, virtually all of it
rich in texture and amply rewarding for the viewing and the listening.”
(‘Variety’ 30th September
1959)
No. 43 19th
October 1959 - ‘The Frank Sinatra Timex Show’ (ABC) (a)
Guest
appearance. Directed by Bill Colleran. Executive producers Sammy Cahn and Jimmy
Van Heusen. With the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Dean Martin, Mitzi Gaynor and
Jimmy Durante
*High
Hopes (Parody) with
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Mitzi Gaynor
Day In, Day Out Frank
Sinatra
*Together
Wherever We Go (b) with Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin
Hurricane Mitzi (c) Mitzi Gaynor
Talk To Me Frank
Sinatra
*Cheek
To Cheek with
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Mitzi Gaynor
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams Dean
Martin
Medley:
*Give
Us The Good Old Songs with
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin
*Down
By The Old Mill Stream
The Old Grey Mare Frank
Sinatra
In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree Dean
Martin
That Old Feeling Frank
Sinatra
*Down
The Old Ox Road
Ol’ Rockin’ Chair Dean
Martin
Old Devil Moon Frank
Sinatra
You’re An Old Smoothie Dean
Martin
*My
Old Flame
*Ol’
Man River with
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin
High Hopes Frank
Sinatra & Children’s Chorus
Medley:
Just One Of Those Things Frank
Sinatra
Angel Eyes Frank
Sinatra
The Lady Is A Tramp Frank
Sinatra
Medley:
*You
Gotta Start Off Each Day With A Song with
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin
Who Will Be With You When I’m Far Away? Frank
Sinatra & Dean Martin
*Inka
Dinka Doo with
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin
*Bill Bailey, Won’t You
Please Come Home with
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mitzi Gaynor &
Jimmy Durante
Notes:
(a)
A video version
of the programme was issued on Alpha Distribution VST035 ‘The Frank Sinatra
Show No. 3’, also on Mountain Video VCM035 ‘The Frank Sinatra Show’ and
on Festival Films (No catalogue No.) ‘Bing Crosby and Friends Volume 3’.
(b) A
video version was included in the Public Broadcasting Service TV special ‘Frank
Sinatra – The Classic Duets’ aired in the USA
in December 2002 and March 2003. The special has subsequently been issued on
DVD and video.
An
audio version was issued on Capitol CD 72435-42771-2-2 – ‘Frank Sinatra -
Classic Duets’
(c) Non-vocal. Incidental music for dance routine only.
“ABC-TV atoned for a bundle of vidpix scenes on Monday
night (19th) when it ushered in the first of four Frank Sinatra specials this
season, in an hour frolic that paid off with the desired entertainment wallop.
On deck for the occasion, along with Sinatra, were Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and
Mitzi Gaynor (with a special surprise appearance by Jimmy Durante for the
finale). Spice it up with those
distinctive touches that have now become par for the course where
producer-director Bill Colleran is concerned, and what does it matter if
Sinatra has been in better voice, if there’s too-gimmicky backgrounding or if
the silhouetting, shading and lighting on occasion distracted rather than
enhanced?
In the words of the Bingo, bring forth
three vagrant minstrels together and brother, you got yourself a summit
meeting. You’ve got to go a long way to find three personalities who blend with
such perfection. The trio’s closer, providing a tantalising sneak preview of
their Clayton, Jackson & Durante filmization on the drawing board for ’60,
was whammo from ‘Start Off Each Day With A Song’ to ‘Inka Dinka Doo’ and ‘Bill
Bailey’ (with, of course, the Schnozz himself as the clincher).
Or again, the threesome kicking around a
bagful of old ASCAP standards and clowning up the ‘Together’ number. And if
Sinatra in solo was a bit off the pedestal in his ‘Day In, Day Out’, he more
than redeemed himself as he reprised his nitery routine (backed by a small
combo) as he fractured his audience with ‘Lady Is a Tramp’ and ‘Just One Of
Those Things’ . . .”
(‘Variety’ 21st October
1959)
“Frank Sinatra's first show on Channel 7
last night ranged in mood from torpor to a state of adept showmanship that
might be expected from a combination of his talents with those of Bing Crosby,
Dean Martin and Mitzi Gaynor. The trouble was that the program had a
disconnected quality about it, as if the curtain dropped between its segments.
There was no easy flowing continuity. The high points included songs sung in
night-club fashion by Mr. Sinatra, a medley by his guests, who introduced the
show, and the finale starring all hands, and, surprise, Jimmy Durante.”
(Richard
F. Shepard, New York Times, 20th
October 1959)
No. 44 29th
February 1960 - ‘The Bing Crosby Show for Oldsmobile’ (ABC) (a)
Produced
and directed by Nick Vanoff. Orchestra directed by Vic Schoen. With Elaine
Dunne, Sandy Stewart, Perry Como, Phillip Crosby, Dennis Crosby and Lindsay
Crosby.
*Sing,
Sing, Sing with
Perry Como & the Crosby Boys
*Zing
A Little Zong with
Perry Como
Medley:
*Lazy with
Perry Como
*Gone
Fishin’ with
Perry Como
*Lazy
Afternoon with
Perry Como
*Hoop-De-Doo with
Perry Como
*Getting To Know You with
Perry Como, Elaine Dunne & Sandy Stewart
Medley:
Zing A Little Zong Elaine
Dunne & Sandy Stewart
Dream Along With Me (I’m On My Way To A Star) Sandy Stewart
Where the Blue of the Night Elaine
Dunne
Catch A Falling Star Sandy
Stewart
Swinging On A Star Elaine
Dunne
Hot Diggity Sandy
Stewart
Pennies From Heaven Elaine
Dunne
Papa Loves Mambo Sandy
Stewart
Play A Simple Melody Elaine
Dunne & Sandy Stewart
*A Couple Of Song And Dance Men with
Perry Como, Elaine Dunne & Sandy Stewart
Bye, Bye, Blackbird Sandy
Stewart
Medley: (b)
*Mimi with
Perry Como
Louise Perry
Como
*Thank
Heaven For Little Girls
*Valentine with
Perry Como
*Thank
Heaven For Little Girls (Reprise) with
Perry Como
How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down On The Farm Vic
Schoen Orchestra
Scarlet Ribbons Phillip,
Dennis & Lindsay Crosby
Before I Leave This Town Phillip,
Dennis & Lindsay Crosby
*Joshua
Fit De Battle Of Jericho (c)(d) with Phillip, Dennis & Lindsay Crosby
Come Along With Me To New York Elaine
Dunne
Medley: (b)
*Sing,
Sing, Sing with
Perry Como
*Ma
Blushin’ Rosie
Dinah Perry
Como
*Ida,
Sweet As Apple Cider with
Perry Como
*Gigi
I Could Write A Book Perry
Como
*I
Found A Million-Dollar Baby (In A Five & Ten Cent Store)
*I
Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan with
Perry Como
*Wrap
Your Troubles In Dreams
Dream Along With Me (I’m On My Way To A Star)
Perry
Como
*Get
Happy (e) with Perry Como
*When
The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob Bobbin’ Along
Mr. Meadowlark Perry
Como
*Bob
White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight)
I Whistle A Happy Tune Perry
Como
*Avalon
Manhattan Perry
Como
*Chicago
(That Toddlin’ Town)
*Hit
The Road To Dreamland with
Perry Como
Show Me The Way To Go Home Perry
Como
*Two
Sleepy People (Parody) with
Perry Como
Notes:
(a) Recorded
11th January 1960. An abridged version of the show was shown on the Nostalgia
cable channel in the USA in September 1995.
(b) An audio version of the medley was issued on Broadway
Intermission LP BR-123 ‘Crosby and Como’.
(c) A video version of this item appeared on Warner Music
Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The Magic Of Bing Crosby’.
(d) An audio version was issued on Broadway Intermission LP
BR-123 ‘Crosby and Como’.
(e) Bing ‘scats’ only.
“Pairing Perry Como with Bing Crosby may not be change
of pace casting but the two stars are masters of the song craft and joined
together for a consistently pleasing and of course, always relaxing musical
session. It was the first that they had worked together and now, Crosby is
slated to play the Como show March 16 on NBC-TV on a home-and-home guest
arrangement.
It was, perhaps, inevitable that the Como-Crosby
tandem would invite a script that laid on both performers’ easy-going, if not
somnolent, style. A couple of nifty laughs were extracted from this angle but
it was accented somewhat too heavily through the hour.
Overall, however, the scripting team,
headed by Crosby’s veteran phrasemaker, Bill Morrow, turned out some typically
smooth-riding persiflage for Der Bingle and his guest. In their song stints,
done mostly in duet, C & C delivered with their trademarked casualness,
with no effort to bowl over the viewer. The backgrounds were minimal, with some
chorus boys used as occasional transitions as the baritone crooners worked
through several long standard medleys. Included were a collection of ‘lazy’
songs, a Maurice Chevalier wrap-up midway and a random sample of oldies for the
finale.
Also part of the guest line-up were
three of Crosby’s four sons who contributed a couple of nifty folk songs,
‘Scarlet Ribbons’ and ‘A Fox Went A’Hunting’, joining with their pere in a
slick version of ‘Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho’. They bowed off after
engaging in an amusing display of way-back hoofing.
The guest line-up was completed by a
couple of good-looking talents, singer-dancer, Elaine Dunne and songstress,
Sandy Stewart. Their intro routine via some cross talk between Crosby and Como
was slightly too cute but the girls handled their assignments expertly.”
(‘Variety’ 2nd March 1960)
No. 45 16th
March 1960 - ‘Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall’ (NBC) (Colour)
Guest
appearance. With Mitchell Ayres Orchestra, the Ray Charles Mixed Group,
Genevieve and Peter Gennaro.
*Dream
Along With Me (I’m On My Way To A Star) (a)
*In
The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening (a) with Perry Como
*On
Behalf Of The Visiting Firemen (a) with Perry Como
*In
The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening (Reprise) (a) with Perry Como
Medley: (b)
*Yes!
We Have No Bananas with
Perry Como
*The
Aba Daba Honeymoon with
Perry Como
*Animal
Crackers
Barney Google Perry
Como
*Collegiate with
Perry Como
*C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E with
Perry Como
*Crazy
Words, Crazy Tune (Vo-Do-De-O-Do) with
Perry Como
*It
Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’ with
Perry Como
*I
Scream -You Scream - We All Scream For Ice Cream with Perry Como
*Mr.
Gallagher & Mr. Shean with
Perry Como
Medley:
Who Threw The Overalls In Mrs. Murphy’s
Chowder? Genevieve
*MacNamara’s
Band with
Chorus
*Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral with
Perry Como
*Dear
Old Donegal
It’s A Great Day For The Irish Chorus
Medley: (c)
*Sing,
Sing, Sing
*I
Hear Music with
Perry Como
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning Perry
Como
*Ma
Blushin’ Rosie
*Here
Comes The Sun
Blue Skies Perry
Como
*It’s
A Lovely Day, Today
Breezin’ Along With The Breeze Perry
Como
*Let’s
Get Away From It All with
Perry Como
Back In Your Own Backyard Perry
Como
*Mountain
Greenery (d) with Perry Como
*Aren’t
You Glad You’re You? with
Perry Como
*When
I Take My Sugar To Tea
When My Sugar Walks Down The Street Perry
Como
*At
Sundown
My Blue Heaven Perry
Como
*Moonlight
Bay (e) with Perry Como
*Where
The Blue Of The Night (e)
Dream Along With Me (I’m On My Way To A Star) (e) Perry Como
*Let’s
Put Out The Lights And Go To Sleep (Parody) (e)(f) with Perry Como
*On
Behalf Of The Visiting Firemen (Reprise) with
Perry Como
*In
The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening (Reprise) with
Perry Como
*I
Hear Music (Reprise) with
Perry Como
Notes:
(a) Audio versions of these items were
issued on Broadway Intermission LP BR-123 ‘Crosby and Como’.
(b) An audio version of the medley was
issued on Broadway Intermission LP BR-123 ‘Crosby and Como’.
(c) A video version of the medley was
issued on Festival Films (unnumbered) - ‘Bing Crosby Surprise Package’.
An audio version of the medley
was issued on Broadway Intermission LP BR-123 ‘Crosby and Como’.
(d) A
video version of this item was included in the ABC-TV programme ‘Bing Crosby:
His Life and Legend’ which was shown on
25th May 1978.
(e)
Extracts of these
items were seen in ‘Remembering Bing’, a 90-minute special produced by WTTW,
Chicago and televised by the Public Broadcasting Service on 28th November 1987.
(f)
Shown on ‘An
Evening At Pop’s’ with Perry Como as
guest, on PBS September 1988.
“The flip side of the C & C songalog is just as
good as the original. Which means that Bing Crosby and Perry Como, in taking up
last Wednesday (16th) on Kraft Music Hall, just about where they left off a
couple of weeks previous on the Bingo ABC special, had themselves another ball
as they cavorted through a mile-wide repertory. Practically half of the
full-hour showcase was strictly from duet and a more engaging earful would be
hard to come by. They ranged all over the lot, from the ‘crazy songs’ of the
‘20’s as their forepart contribution to an up-dated 15-minute roundelay as the
closer.
All told, it was a melodic and a
tasteful production, geared for sight values and dressed up in NBC’s finest
compatible hues, with an appropriate genuflecting to St. Pat, as Crosby, Como
and guest star, Genevieve frolicked on the tinted green. Genevieve’s Gallic
tempoed tunes and charm, whether she was working solo or in concert with Crosby
and/or Como, framed themselves favourably around the display. It was an
infectious kind of fun with some supplementary contributions by Peter Gennaro
in the terp department and fine choraling by the Ray Charles mixed group.
Basically, this was Bank Night for C & C fans.”
(‘Variety’ 23rd March 1960)
No. 46 24th
March 1960 - ‘Revlon Revue’ – ‘A Salute To Paul Whiteman’ (CBS)
Presented
by Revlon to celebrate Whiteman’s 50th anniversary in show business and also
his 70th birthday.
Guest
appearance. Hosted by Mike Wallace, with Jack Teagarden, Buster Keaton and
Peggy Lee.
Basin Street Blues Jack
Teagarden
When Day Is Done Paul
Whiteman Orchestra
Pearl
Bailey Medley: Peggy
Lee
Rockin’ Chair
The Gypsy In My Soul
Georgia On My Mind
It’s So Peaceful In The Country
Hold On
Rockin’ Chair (Reprise)
Medley:
Jeepers Creepers Peggy
Lee and Jack Teagarden
Lazy River Jack
Teagarden
Them There Eyes Peggy
Lee with Jack Teagarden (Trombone)
Christmas Night In Harlem Peggy
Lee and Jack Teagarden
*Mississippi
Mud (a)
*Happy
Birthday To You (a)
Orchestral Medley: Paul
Whiteman Orchestra
Tiger Rag
You’re Driving Me Crazy
Song Of India
Rhapsody In Blue
Note:
(a) Snatches only of these items
“Paul Whiteman, one of the major figures in the
history of pop and jazz music, rated a more swinging tribute on his 70th
birthday than he was accorded on the ‘Revlon Revue’ last Thursday night (24).
The stanza was strictly routine and a frequently listless run-down of tunes
associated with Whiteman. Bing Crosby, one of the Rhythm Boys in the Whiteman
band, during the late 1920’s, turned up on the show, via a tape sequence, to do
a fast ‘Happy Birthday’ chorus to the man who launched him on his crooning
career. Like the rest of the show, Crosby’s accolade to Whiteman was devoid of
real warmth…”
(‘Variety’ 30th March 1960)
No. 47 5th
October 1960 - ‘The Bing Crosby Show for Oldsmobile’ (ABC) (a)
Produced
and directed by William O. Harbach. With Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Dennis,
Phillip & Lindsay Crosby,
Carol
Lawrence, Rosemary Clooney and Johnny Mercer.
*On
The Street Where You Live (b)
*Let’s Take An Old-Fashioned Walk with Rosemary Clooney
*Lazy Bones (Parody) with Johnny Mercer
*Lullaby Of Broadway (Parody) with Carol Lawrence
Daddy (Parody) Dennis, Phillip & Lindsay Crosby
Song Writers Medley:
*I Want To Be Happy with
Rosemary Clooney
Great Day! Rosemary
Clooney
*I Found A Million-Dollar
Baby
On The Atcheson, Topeka & The Santa Fe Johnny
Mercer
*That Old Black Magic
Over The Rainbow Rosemary
Clooney with Chorus
Old Devil Moon Johnny
Mercer
*Feudin’ And Fightin’ with
Rosemary Clooney
South American Way Carol
Lawrence
*I Can’t Give You Anything
But Love with Carol Lawrence
I Won’t Dance (c) Orchestra
Long Ago And Far Away Rosemary
Clooney
A Foggy Day Johnny
Mercer & Rosemary Clooney
*Swanee
*I Want To Be Happy with
Johnny Mercer, Rosemary Clooney &
Carol
Lawrence
Limehouse Blues Dennis,
Phillip & Lindsay Crosby
*Please (d) with Dennis, Phillip & Lindsay
Crosby
*Mississippi Mud with
Dennis, Phillip & Lindsay Crosby
Medley:
(e)
If I Had My Druthers Rosemary
Clooney
You Are My Lucky Star (Parody) Rosemary
Clooney
The March Of The Gladiators (Parody) Rosemary
Clooney
The Man On The Flying Trapeze (Parody) Rosemary
Clooney
Love Is Sweeping The Country (Parody) Rosemary
Clooney
*The Love Nest (Parody)
How About You? Rosemary
Clooney
*If I Had My Druthers
*Tea For Two (Parody) with
Rosemary Clooney
*Popeye The Sailor Man
*I Get A Kick Out Of You
(Parody) with
Rosemary Clooney
*You Gotta Be A Football
Hero
(To
Get Along With The Beautiful Girls) with
Rosemary Clooney
*Aren’t You Glad You’re
You? (f) with Rosemary Clooney
I Like The Likes Of You Rosemary
Clooney
*Stay As Sweet As You Are (f)
*Aren’t You Glad You’re
You? (Reprise) with
Rosemary Clooney
*There Will Never Be
Another You (f) with Rosemary Clooney
When I Was Very Young (g)
Old Time Radio Medley: (h)
*Where The Blue Of The
Night
*Mr. Gallagher & Mr.
Shean (Parody) with
Johnny Mercer
*Mr. Meadowlark with
Johnny Mercer
*On Behalf Of The Visiting
Firemen with
Johnny Mercer
*Mr Gallagher And Mr Shean
(Reprise) with
Johnny Mercer
There Will Never Be Another You Rosemary
Clooney
Medley:
(i)
*Pennies From Heaven
*June In January (j)
*Learn To Croon (j)
* I’m An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande)
*Tumbling Tumbleweeds
*Sweet Leilani
*Blue Hawaii
*Play A Simple Melody
Notes:
(a) Recorded
August 1960. The programme was issued on a Festival Films video as ‘Bing Crosby
and Friends Volume 6’. An abridged version of the show was televised on the
Nostalgia cable channel in the USA in January 1996.
(b) An
audio version was issued on Broadway Intermission BR-135 - ‘Crosbyana - Volume
5 from Bing’s Collection’.
The arrangement for this item includes portions of the
four songs shown in italics. A device which serves to introduce the main
participants in the show.
(c) Non vocal. Incidental music to accompany Carol Lawrence
dance routine.
(d) An
abridged video version of this item was included in the ABC-TV programme ‘Bing
Crosby: His Life and Legend’ which was shown on 25th May 1978.
An
abridged version of this item was also seen in ‘Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931
- 1957’ first shown on the Disney Channel on 21st November 1993 and
subsequently issued on an MCA video MCAV-10846.
(e) An
audio version was issued on Broadway Intermission BR-135 - ‘Crosbyana - Volume
5 from Bing’s Collection’. Most of the titles shown are fragmentary and
parodies. A brief glimpse of Bing and Rosemary Clooney together was also seen
in ‘Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 - 1957’ first shown on the Disney Channel
21st November 1993 and subsequently issued on an MCA video
MCAV-10846.
(f) Video versions of these items
appeared on Warner Music Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The Magic Of Bing Crosby’.
(g)
Orchestral introduction
to dance routine by Carol Lawrence, including ‘Little Orphan Annie’ sung by
Chorus.
(h) An audio version was issued on Broadway Intermission
BR-135 - ‘Crosbyana - Volume 5 from Bing’s Collection’
(i) With
the aid of split screen technique, Bing duets with several versions of himself.
An audio version was issued on Broadway Intermission BR-135 - ‘Crosbyana -
Volume 5 from Bing’s Collection’ (Date shown as ‘1961’). Extracts were shown as
part of the PBS presentation “The Legendary Bing Crosby” made available to PBS
stations in 2010 and subsequently issued on DVD.
(j) Video versions of these items appeared on Warner Music
Video 8536 50294 3 - ‘The Magic Of Bing Crosby’.
“Bing Crosby, in his first special of the new season,
was the front man of a neat musical stanza, last Wednesday night (5th). Keyed
by Crosby in his customary relaxed groove, the session framed an excellent
roster of supporting performers in a swinging format. The quartet of scripters
supplied a breezy continuity which didn’t get in the way of the music, while
the production mountings were imaginative without being pretentious.
The music was pegged to a series of
flexible medleys which permitted Crosby and company to work ensemble and solo.
After Crosby’s, ‘On The Street Where You Live’ opener, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny
Mercer and Carol Lawrence brought on in a ‘singing game’ involving a chain of
cleffing collaborations. It started with the Irving Caesar-Vincent Youmans, ‘I
Wanna Be Happy’ to Youmans-Billy Rose’s, ‘Great Day!’ to Rose-Warren’s, ‘I
Found A Million Dollar Baby’ etc. It was a clever device for running through
about a dozen great standards.
The Crosby sons, minus Gary, contributed
a bright, ‘Limehouse Blues’ and then joined with papa on a couple of numbers,
including a rock ‘n’ roll take-off on, ‘Please’. Crosby’s ‘old master’ quality
was vividly, on display, in this contrast with the younger generation’s
derivative talent. Crosby also teamed with Miss Clooney in a nifty piece of
material cut from ‘Aren’t You Glad You’re You?’ and then worked with Mercer in
a nifty creation of the old days of radio…. Miss Clooney handled one solo
number, ‘There’ll Never Be Another You’, in classy style against an
appropriately formal background.
For the wind-up, Crosby delivered a
medley of his past hits, playing against two other Crosby images, in a cleverly
and precisely executed process of film super-impositions. Nelson Riddle’s
Orchestra cut the show sharply, throughout.”
(‘Variety’ 12th October
1960)
“. . . besides the three junior Crosby’s, there will
also be, three of the senior. Aided by a little electronic chicanery, the old
man appears on screen in triplicate for a brace of numbers.”
(‘TV Guide’ 5th October
1960)
Bing Crosby’s first special of the season, an
attraction on Channel 7 last night, was a highly tuneful outing of very
considerable style and imagination. Dispensing with the Palm Springs chatter
that had grown a trifle wearing last season, the Old Groaner concentrated this
time on a variety of medleys done in different styles with Rosemary Clooney,
Johnny Mercer, Carol Lawrence and his sons, Dennis, Phillip and Lindsay. It was
unpretentious, relaxed and musically fresh. Admittedly, the individuals in
charge of the sound portion of the show were not at their most efficient. At
the outset a mixture of delightful standard numbers was all but obscured by
Nelson Riddle’s orchestra...The show’s final number involved a triple exposure,
which had three different Bing Crosby's in different costumes, singing
simultaneously. It was a real technical feat and interesting and amusing to
watch. The three Crosby sons, once the brats of video, have come a long way,
the number with their father, adapting “Please” to a Presley rhythm was fine.
(Jack Gould, ‘New York Times’ 6th October
1960)
No. 48 19th
October 1960 - ‘Tonight’ (BBC)
(a)
Interviewed at Sunningdale
Golf Course in the UK by Derek Hart. Bing whistles a few bars of ‘Where The
Blue Of The Night’.
Note:
(a) Recorded 15th
October 1960.
No. 49 20th March
1961 - ‘The Bing Crosby Show for Oldsmobile’ (ABC) (a)
Produced and directed by
William O. Harbach. With the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Aldo Monaco, Hugh
Lambert,
Carol Lawrence and Maurice
Chevalier.
*Ridin’ High (b) with Maurice Chevalier & Carol
Lawrence
*Without A Song
*It’s A Good Day (c) with Chorus
*In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of
The Evening (d) with Maurice Chevalier & Carol
Lawrence
Sing, Sing, Sing / Big Noise From Winetka (e) Orchestra
Medley:
*Once In Love With Amy
*Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider with
Maurice Chevalier
*Gigi
Charmaine Maurice
Chevalier
*Candy
*Gigi (Reprise)
*(I’m) Chiquita Banana with
Maurice Chevalier
In My Merry Oldsmobile Maurice
Chevalier
*Louise with
Maurice Chevalier
*Mexicali Rose
Mimi Maurice
Chevalier
*If You Knew Susie with
Maurice Chevalier
*Evelina with
Chorus
Linda Maurice
Chevalier
*Count Your Blessings
(Instead Of Sheep) (Parody)
Margie Maurice
Chevalier
*Ma Blushin’ Rosie with
Maurice Chevalier
*Thank Heaven For Little
Girls with
Maurice Chevalier
Anema e Core (How Wonderful To Know) Aldo
Monaco
Granada Aldo
Monaco
Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries Maurice
Chevalier
*Pigalle with
Maurice Chevalier
*Alouette with
Maurice Chevalier and Chorus
*The Second Time Around with
Chorus
*Flattery (Can Charge Your
Battery) (f)
with Carol Lawrence
Medley:
*Yesterdays
September Song Maurice
Chevalier
Young At Heart (g) Chorus
*I’m Glad I’m Not Young
Anymore with
Maurice Chevalier
*I Wish I Were In Love
Again (h) with Maurice Chevalier and Chorus
Notes:
(a) Recorded
February 1961. An edited audio version of the programme was issued on De Baron
Grouch LP 47 - ‘Three Giants’. The final medley was not included. ‘Flattery’ is
shown on the sleeve as ‘What Do You Think Of Me?’
(b) Includes a snatch of ‘In My Merry
Oldsmobile’.
(c) Arrangement includes snatch of ‘Great
Day!’.
(d) Arrangement includes snatch of
‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’.
(e) Orchestral accompaniment to Carol
Lawrence dance routine.
(f) Arrangement
includes snatches of ‘Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home’ (sung by Bing)
‘Too Marvellous For Words’ (Bing) and ‘Cheek To Cheek’ (Carol Lawrence).
A brief glimpse of Bing dancing with Carol Lawrence
was also seen in ‘Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 - 1957’ first shown on the Disney
Channel on 21st November 1993 and subsequently issued on an MCA video
MCAV-10846.
(g) Fragment only.
(h)
Closes with a
reprise of ‘I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore’.
An abridged video version of the item was included in
the ABC-TV programme ‘Bing Crosby: His Life and Legend’ which was shown on 25th
May 1978.
“Bing Crosby keeps topping himself. His latest
semi-annual ABC-TV romp for Oldsmobile, with Maurice Chevalier as his singing
partner and Carol Lawrence as an added starter, was a zestful, fast-hour with
wit, warmth and good humour.
Crosby and Chevalier made a fine team,
not so much in their vocal meshing as in their wonderful reactions to each
other. And since producer-director, Bill Harbach and his three writers played
the hour as a sort of ‘fun with music’ show, the Crosby-Chevalier pairing
played off, incandescently.
The twosome got their best licks in,
during a pair of medleys, one pegged
on femme names in a ‘little black book’ sequence of memorabilia which gave them
a crack at ‘Louisa’ (sic), ‘Mimi’, ‘Gigi’, ‘Ida’, ‘Candy’ and
several more, done with appropriate tongue in cheek and cameraderie. And a
second, more sentimental, turn pegged to ‘I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore’ and
‘I Wish I Were In Love Again’. Both were top-flight in performance and effect.
Miss Lawrence got her licks in, vocally
and dancewise . . . And her turn with Crosby, a cute piece of fluff titled,
‘Flattery Charges My Battery’ was pure fun.
Monaco is a Crosby discovery, an Italian tenor with a remarkable control
of his vocal nuances plus lots of lung power. Other high points of the show
were Chevalier’s solos on ‘Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries’ and ‘Pigalle’ (sic) and Crosby
and Chevalier with a femme chorus on the jazziest version of ‘Alouette’ yet.
Nelson Riddle Orchestra backed with verve and distinction.”
(‘Variety’ 22nd March 1961)
No. 50 3rd
August 1961 - ‘Tonight’ (BBC) (a)
Another recorded interview
for this popular early evening magazine programme. (See Programme No. 48)
Note:
(a) Recorded 2nd August 1961
No. 51 5th
August 1961 - ‘The Rosemary Clooney Show’ (ATV) (a)
Guest appearance.
*Fancy Meeting You Here with
Rosemary Clooney
*Fancy Meeting You Here (b) with Dave King
Notes:
(a) This was a ‘live’ show.
(b) Rosemary Clooney introduces Bing to
Dave King resulting in this duet of the final lines of the song.
No. 52 26th
August 1961 - ‘A Big Night Out With Peggy Lee’ (ATV) (a)
Guest appearance. With the
Bob Sharples Orchestra, The Victor Feldman Quartet, David Kossoff, Jimmy Van
Heusen and Sammy Cahn.
I Love Being Here With You Peggy
Lee
Moments Like This Peggy
Lee
Fever Peggy
Lee
Mary Ellen Peggy
Lee and David Kossoff
Till There Was You Peggy
Lee
Fly Me To The Moon Peggy
Lee
*All Of You with
Peggy Lee
Medley: with
Jimmy Van Heusen (Piano)
Swinging On A Star Sammy
Cahn
Three Coins In The Fountain Sammy
Cahn
All The Way Peggy
Lee
Love And Marriage Sammy
Cahn
The Second Time Around Peggy
Lee
*Moonlight Becomes You
*But Beautiful
*High Hopes with
Peggy Lee, Sammy Cahn & David Kossoff
Life Is For Livin’ (Parody) Peggy
Lee
Note:
(a) Recorded 31st July 1961
“ABC TV’s ‘Big Night Out’ which had previously suffered
delusions of grandeur, not justified by the outcome, at least lived up to its
sizeable handle in this offering. The show was built around Peggy Lee, quite an
edifice in herself and its chief guest was Bing Crosby, who’d groaned his way
over from the local movie studios where he’s making another ‘Road’ picture with
Hope.
It was Peggy Lee’s first outing on
British tv and she scored with a relaxed and polished selection of standards,
sprinkled with the odd novelty. . .There followed a neat tour of waxworks, to
the accompaniment of ‘The Look Of You’ (sic), at the end of which, Bing Crosby, who was
pretending to be a dummy, took life.
A gay interlude introduced songwriters,
Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, who strung along some of their past hits, such
as, ‘Swing (sic) On A Star’ and ‘Second Time Around’, with Cahn striding out with his
amateur pipes. Peggy Lee gave snatches of ‘All The Way’ and the whole thing was
agreeably informal.
Crosby, in faltering vocal form,
reminisced with numbers from past ‘Road’ movies and joined the assembled
company in a final ‘High Hopes’. It was one of those guestings when it seemed
more important to be there than to bring a contribution.”
(‘Variety’ 26th August
1961)
No. 53 10th
September 1961 - ‘Sunday Night At The London Palladium’ (ATV)
Guest appearance. With the
London Palladium Orchestra conducted by Jack Parnell, the Tiller Girls, Yana,
Bruce Forsyth and Bob Hope.
“The big draw was its star, Bob Hope, who was given 20
minutes of the running time and deserved 10. He was content with a string of
cracks about TV westerns, golf and Crosby, all of which seemed vaguely
familiar. . .A surprise finale brought on Bing Crosby, in cap and apron, to
sweep the stage but groan nothing. It was a good mechanical act but others could
have read the gag book, too.”
(‘Variety’ 13th September
1961)
No. 54 24th
September 1961 - ‘The DuPont Show’ - ‘Happy With The Blues’ (NBC)
With the Paul Weston
Orchestra, La Vern Baker, Joanie Sommers, Robert Strauss, Peggy Lee, Vic Damone
and Harold Arlen.
Bing narrates the story of
Harold Arlen’s song-writing career. (Voice over only)
“Take a score or more of Harold Arlen stock tunes and
entrust them to some of today’s most expert practitioners, it’s a cinch you got
yourself a show. . . Bing Crosby (offscreen) narrated a sequence capsulising
the Arlen career with accompanying stills augmented by some brief Crosby - Judy
Garland - Ethel Waters vocals.”
(‘Variety’ 27th September
1961)
No. 55 1st October 1961 - ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ (CBS)
Filmed guest appearance with
Bob Hope. With Phil Silvers, Nancy Dussault, John Readon, Peter Nero and the
McGuire Sisters.
Film clips of Sullivan’s
recent trip around the world include a visit to London, where he talks with Bob
Hope and Bing about their new ‘Road’ picture ‘The Road to Hong Kong.’
No. 56 29th
October 1961 - ‘The World Of Bob Hope’ (NBC)
Further details unknown.
“As the first of the ‘World Of’ Specials for Purex in
1961-62, this series looks like a promising venture into the relatively
uncharted area of television biography. The kick-off focussed on the life of
Bob Hope and while the show did not dig too deeply into the man or his
environment, it was an interesting, informal glimpse of the great entertainer. Fascinating
bits of film interlaced Hope’s career with such names as Frances Langford,
Jerry Colonna, Bill Goodwin and Dorothy Lamour etc. In the case of Bing Crosby,
it was symptomatic of this overall superficial prose that no attempt was made
to depict Hope’s personal reactions to Crosby.”
(‘Variety’ 1st November
1961)
No. 57 5th
November 1961 - ‘The Time, The Place And The Camera’
Interviewed. Further
details unknown.
No. 58 11th
December 1961 – ‘The Bing Crosby Show’ (ABC) (a)
Directed by Peter Croft.
Choral direction by Norman Luboff. With the Peter Knight Orchestra, The Happy
Wanderers,
Sean Glenville, Ron Moody,
Miles Malleson, Miriam Karlin, Marion Ryan, Shirley Bassey, Dave King,
Terry-Thomas and
Bob Hope.
*Great Day! with
Chorus
That’s Amoré Dave
King
*Learn To Croon
Medley:
*Tea For Two with
Marion Ryan
*When I Take My Sugar To
Tea with
Marion Ryan
A Nice Cup Of Tea Dave
King & Marion Ryan
Java Jive Dave
King
*A Cup Of Coffee, A
Sandwich And You with
Dave King & Marion Ryan
*So Long! Oo-long (How Long
You Gonna Be Gone?) with
Dave King & Marion Ryan
*Tea For Two (Reprise) with
Dave King & Marion Ryan
Bye, Bye, Blues (b)(c)
The Happy Wanderers
*The Sheikh Of Araby (b)(d)
with The Happy Wanderers
*My Melancholy Baby (Parody) (b)(e)
*My Fate Is In Your Hands (b)(f)
*Fings Ain’t Wot They Used
T’Be with
Miriam Karlin
Medley:
Lucky Day (This Is My) Shirley
Bassey
I’m Shooting High Shirley
Bassey
As I Love You Shirley
Bassey
Medley:
Make Yourself At Home Chorus
Where Did You Get That Hat? Chorus
*Any Old Iron with
Chorus
*Lily Of Laguna
*If You’re Irish Come Into
The Parlour with
Sean Glenville & Chorus
*Knees Up Mother Brown (g)
*White Christmas (h) with Chorus
Notes:
(a)
Recorded 12th
November 1961 in the Associated-Rediffusion Television Studio 5 at Wembley,
London. The entire show was included in the Infinity Entertainment DVD “Bing
Crosby: The Television Specials – Volume 2” released in November 2010. An
abridged version of the show was televised on the Nostalgia cable channel in
the USA in November 1995. Also the entire show was issued on the Festival Films
video ‘Bing Crosby & Friends - Vol. 9 - Christmas Show’. Brief glimpses of
Bing with Marion Ryan and Dave King were seen in ‘Bing! His Legendary Years,
1931 - 1957’ first shown on the Disney Channel on 21st November 1993 and
subsequently issued on an MCA video MCAV-10846.
(b) All
four of these items were interpolated into what, in fact, amounted to a lengthy
sketch, concerning Bing’s arrest and trial on a charge of ‘singing in the
street without a licence’. The ‘policeman’ was played by Ron Moody and the
‘judge’ by Miles Malleson.
(c) Accordion only, providing incidental accompaniment to a
dance routine by the Happy Wanderers.
(d) Sung as accompaniment to a further dance by the Happy
Wanderers.
(e) A snatch only, sung a cappella.
(f) An
audio version was issued on Crosbyana Collector’s Library EP CCL-1 - ‘Bing And
Phillip Crosby Sing Thanks and Other Hits’.
(g) The
song is interrupted by the ‘surprise’ appearance of Bob Hope (suitably attired)
as Bing’s long-lost ‘Aunt Matilda’.
(h) An
abridged video version appeared in the CBS-TV special ‘Bing Crosby: The
Christmas Years’ which was shown on 2nd December 1978. An extract was also
shown as part of the PBS presentation “The Legendary Bing Crosby” made
available to PBS stations in 2010 and subsequently issued on DVD.
“It was a
cold day on November I2th in London, and as I had journeyed a considerable
distance, I went into the TV studios foyer early, where I was allowed to sit in
the warm until it was time to enter the studios. This part, offered me by
fortune, the opportunity of seeing another great star. As I sat there, in came
about five men wrapped in heavy overcoats; they went to the reception desk and
asked to be directed to the studio where Bing was working. The first person I
recognised was the well known Radio and TV personality Jerry Desmonde, who used
to be the side kick for the late and great comedian Sid Field. Then I took a look
at another chap who was wearing a hat, and it was the one and only Bob Hope. I
did not recognise the others; as they went down the stairs to enter the
corridor leading to the studio Bob Hope cracked ‘We look like an audition for a
Gypsy band’. Well, I did not see Bob do his part in the show; and Shirley
Bassey also did her part before I had entered the studio, due to her having an
engagement at night in the South of England.
At about 4.30 p.m., I along with a lot
of other people made our way into the studio, and I just stood and stared at
the hundreds of huge lights hanging from all angles from the studio roof, along
with monitor sets, microphones, and on the floor great tangles of cables and TV
cameras. I sat myself on the front row of seats on the studio floor and waited,
and as we waited, Bing and Rosie Clooney were to be heard singing for our
entertainment from the ‘Fancy Meeting You Here’ LP. A studio manager then came
along and said a few words to the audience, explaining about the scenes that
had already been shot, and those which we were to see being recorded. Then he
introduced that great personality Dave King, who did his best to warm up the
audience. Dave did a great job, but everyone seemed to be waiting for someone
else by this time. Dave sensed this and shouted out words to the effect of
‘Fetch that guy in from the golf course.’ And sure enough, from behind the
crowd of studio staff and TV cameras wandered that so familiar figure, to the
tune of great applause. Bing Crosby came up to the audience and explained about
the show which was running late, and he hoped that it didn’t cause
inconvenience to anyone. If Bing only knew what his presence meant to all those
in the audience, he need never have spoken those words.
Bing then commenced with the opening
announcement of his TV show and then sang ‘Great Day’. This scene was shot
twice as the tapes were not running smoothly on the first take. From then on,
the whole thing was a dream come true; there was Bing and his guests going
through one scene after another with no trouble at all. And Bing looked so
smart in a very nice suit, and a delightful head of hair. He really looked in
his forties, and most certainly not in his late fifties. They say Como is
relaxed, but you should see Bing. He wandered about the huge studio floor as
the cameras switched to another set, doing a little soft shoe shuffle to amuse
himself, and whistling here and there. Then as the 30 second count down for the
next take commenced, he just stood there without any apparent care in the
world. And as the orchestra struck up he launched into his next song or scene
as I can only imagine Bing can.
We saw him sing duets with Marion Ryan and
Dave King, do a comedy routine with Terry Thomas and one with a girl whose name
escapes me [Miriam Karlin]. She was taking the part of a painter, and with Bing
did a number called ‘Fings Ain’t What They Used To Be’. Bing then joined some
real London street buskers, and sang a song with them which leads up to another
very funny scene in a law court; Bing having been arrested by a London
Policeman for singing in the street without a licence. The Judge turns out to
be a fan of Bing’s, and comments ‘Whatever has happened in Hollywood for you to
have to turn to singing in the streets?’
My great moment came when Bing walked
right up to a TV camera not many yards from me, and announced his final number,
I had never dared to dream that I would ever hear Bing sing in person, but I
have always longed to hear him sing one number; within easy earshot of his actual
voice . . .and my great moment came . . . he did not name the number but said
words to the effect that ‘Here’s one I should know well.’ A shiver of delight
ran right through me as the orchestra and choir came in . . . and Bing’s great
voice was only equalled by the great song itself, Irving Berlin’s one and only
WHITE CHRISTMAS. As long as I live I swear I’ll never forget that precious
minute or two as Bing entranced everyone with the most famous song he has ever
sung.
Bing thanked the audience for being so kind to
him; and that was that. . . I travelled home on that Sunday night with a memory
which overshadowed any other show business event I have ever witnessed - I
recall with pleasure the first time I ever saw and heard Louis Armstrong, Jack
Teagarden and Earl Hines, Michael Holliday, Kid Ory and his Jazz Band. I shall
recall this Crosby show with pleasure, but that final number of Bing singing
‘White Christmas’ within actual earshot, is the memory which overshadows
everything.”
(Stan White, writing in ‘Crosby
Post’ December, 1961)
“This first of two Bing Crosby specials for ABC-TV may
have been thin and tired in theme and some of its comedy but the hour managed
to present some easy-going and bright musical moments. Videotaped on London
locations and at Associated Rediffusion’s Wembley studios, with Crosby and an
all-British cast, it opened and closed effectively but sagged in the middle in
sequences that had the vet crooner seeking out his British ancestry.
Highlights were the opener, a
song-and-dance number in the traditional Crosby style aided by comedian, Dave
King and singer, Marion Ryan; a Crosby and Terry-Thomas comedy bit in a
Somerset House setting; songs of Welsh, blues-belter (and a looker), Shirley
Bassey (although marred by poor dubbing) and a wind-up pub scene with Crosby
and the Happy Wanderers, a buskers group, with a string of songs in the Mitch
Miller sing-a-long vogue. Crosby closed with ‘White Christmas’, natch, backed
by the Norman Luboff Choir.”
(‘Variety’ 13th December
1961)
“It was time last night for Bing Crosby's occasional
television special on Channel 7; this one was taped in England and used a
number of British artists in an outing that was to prove very thin. By now it
is no secret that the timbre and resonance of the Crosby voice have altered
with the passing year, and last night the strain of the assignment imply could
not be concealed. For some strange reason the obvious way out of the
difficulty, capitalizing on the Crosby suavity and reinforcing him with a
strong supporting company, was not utilized. A favorite British comedian,
Terry-Thomas, had one or two moments of fun but David King was not employed to
good advantage. The sketches were of no help either. A young lady named Shirley
Bassey, who Mr. Crosby described as a major London hit, encountered formidable
difficulty in living up to her billing. And Marion Ryan and Miriam Karlin had
somewhat similar problems.”
(Jack Gould, New York Times, 12th
December 1961)
No. 59 27th
February 1962 - ‘The Bob Hope Show’ (NBC) (a)
Guest appearance. Directed
by Jack Shea. With the David Rose Orchestra, Steve Allen, Joan Collins, Joanie
Sommers and
Jack Paar.
It’s Love Joanie
Sommers
*‘Jobs For The Kids’ Sketch (b)
with Bob Hope, Steve Allen &
Jack Paar
Note:
(a) The entire show was issued on DVD by bobontv.com in 2010,
reference No. 022762.
(b) An extract from the skit featuring Bing was included in
the NBC-TV programme ‘On the Road with Bing: A Special Tribute to Bing Crosby’
which was shown on 28th October 1977.
Finale was a zany, erratic skit with Paar, Allen, Hope
and, as a surprise ‘walk-on’, Bing Crosby. They played children soliciting a
job from General David Sarnoff, the RCA (and NBC) mastermind. Sarnoff was
simulated, of course.
(“Variety’ 6th March 1962)
No. 60 25th Marc