OSCAR FLASHBACK - 1944

World War II was still raging in May 1944. The allied invasion of Normandy — aka D-Day — was just around the corner on June 6th. Americans kept the home fires burning and escaped from the global conflict by going to the movies. Two of the biggest films of the year, Leo McCarey’s “Going My Way” and George Cukor’s “Gaslight,” recently celebrated their 80th anniversaries.

Actually, “Going My Way” had a special “Fighting Front” premiere on April 27th: 65 prints were shipped to battle fronts and shown “from Alaska to Italy, and from England to the jungles of Burma.” The sentimental comedy-drama-musical arrived in New York on May 3rd.

And it was just the uplifting film audiences needed. Bing Crosby starred as Father O’Malley, a laid-back young priest who arrives at a debt-ridden New York City church that is run by the older, set-in-his ways Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). The elder priest initially isn’t happy with O’Malley’s newfangled ways, but soon he and the rest of the parish realize O’Malley is someone special.

Though not specifically a musical, Crosby does sing the title tune as well as “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral,” “The Day After Tomorrow” and duets on “Ava Marie” with his co-star, Metropolitan Opera soprano Rise Stevens. The fun “Swinging on a Star” by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, which Crosby sings with Robert Mitchell Boy Choir, became a huge hit for Crosby. The ending was a real four-hankie weepie moment as O’Malley reunites Fitzgibbon with his elderly mother.

The New York Times’ Bosley Crother was besotted with “Going My Way” calling it a “tonic delight,” adding that Crosby “is giving the best show of his career” …” he has been beautifully presented by Mr. McCarey.” The top box office attraction of 1944, “Going My Way” turned Crosby into the No. 1 box office star and proved he was more than comedic actor playing “pat-a-cake” with Bob Hope in the popular “Road” films.

“Going My Way” had strong competition at the Academy Awards most notably from Billy Wilder’s crackling film noir “Double Indemnity,” which earned seven nominations. But “Going My Way” won by a knockout leaving “Double Indemnity” in the dust. “Going My Way” earned seven Oscars including best film, director, song, actor for Crosby and supporting actor for Fitzgerald. And for the first and only time in Oscar history, Fitzgerald was also nominated for best actor.

Crosby would be the first actor to earn an Oscar nomination for reprising a role. The following year, he returned to the Academy Awards’ race in the beloved sequel “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” which earned eight Oscar nominations winning for best recording. Ironically, Wilder’s dark “The Lost Weekend” was the big winner at the 1946 ceremony...

SOURCE

A LETTER FROM BING: FEBRUARY 28, 1945

In recent years, letters from Bing to soldiers fighting in World War II have been discovered, and it shows what a caring man Bing was. The war and the plight of these brave men affected Bing greatly...

BING'S MOVIE SHORTS

Mack Sennett was to Bing's film career what Paul Whiteman was to Bing's music career. Sennett, who had brought the film world Fatty Arbuckle, the Keystone Kops and Charlie Chaplin, first met Bing on the Lakeside golf course in Los Angeles and in March, 1931, caught Bing's act with the Rhythm Boys at the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel. "What struck me about this guy," Sennett said of Bing, "was that all the stuffed shirts at the Grove stopped dancing and gathered around the bandstand to watch him croon. They came to hear him night after night. He held them."

Sennett was impressed enough with Bing's performance at the Grove that he signed him to do a short musical-comedy film that month in which Bing would play himself. The film, I Surrender Dear, was named after Bing's first solo hit recording and was filmed in March, 1931, and released in Los Angeles the following June. The film was so successful that it led to 5 more with Sennett. Bing was paid $750 for each 20-minute picture.

Sennett was more famous for his slapstick and special effects than his dialogue. Crosby worked without formal scripts for these movies ... only outlines. During the filming Crosby found himself dunked in water tanks, chased by lions and half-baked in quick-rising dough. Bing's success with Sennett helped convince him that the time was ripe to leave the Rhythm Boys and get on with his solo career. The Rhythm Boys dissolved following the release of "I Surrender Dear."

The six Sennett two-reelers in the order of their filming were:"I Surrender Dear" (March 1931)
"One More Chance" (June-July 1931)
"Dream House"
"Billboard Girl"
"Sing, Bing, Sing" (Summer 1932)
"Blue of the Night"

"Sing, Bing, Sing" and "Blue of the Night" were released in 1933...

BING AND INGRID BERGMAN

Here's a great candid photo of Bing and Ingrid Bergman. They were holding their Oscars that they received for best performances in 1944, in Hollywood, USA, March 16, 1945. Crosby won for 'Going My Way' and Bergman for 'Gaslight'...

AUDIO ASPIRIN: TRADE WINDS

NEW CD: BING CROSBY - RARITIES FROM THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Another masterpiece from Sepia Records is coming out! The 2 CD set of previously unavailable tracks are taken from studio playback and movie exploitation discs or alternative versions from 1933 to 1958, spanning 25 years of Bing Crosby's career. The contents of both CDs were produced by and for the film studios for differing uses in the making of the films and the records themselves were never intended to reach the hands of the public. These unusual and rare tracks have been remastered and sound amazing...

Title: Rarities from the Hollywood Studios 1933-1958 (2 CD Set)
Artist: Bing Crosby
Catalogue No.: SEPIA 1388
Barcode: 5055122113881
Release Date: June 2024

CD 1

1. 42nd STREET: You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me; Young And Healthy
2. COLLEGE HUMOR: Learn To Croon; Moonstruck
3. WE'RE NOT DRESSING: Once In A Blue Moon; Love Thy Neighbor; It's A New Spanish Custom
4. WE'RE NOT DRESSING: I Positively Refuse To Sing; May I?
5. HERE IS MY HEART: Love Is Just Around The Corner; June In January; With Every Breath I Take
6. DOUBLE OR NOTHING: It's The Natural Thing To Do; Smarty; All You Want To Do Is Dance; The Moon Got In My Eyes; After You
7. PARIS HONEYMOON: I Have Eyes; You're A Sweet Little Headache; The Funny Old Hills; Joobalai
8. RHYTHM ON THE RIVER: Rhythm On The River; What Would Shakespeare Have Said; When The Moon Comes Over Madison Square; I Don't Want To Cry Any More; That's For Me; Ain't It A Shame About Mame

CD 2

1. I'm Hummin', I'm Whistlin', I'm Singin'
2. Old Folks At Home
3. I Wished On The Moon
4. Takes Two To Make A Bargain
5. Empty Saddles
6. Our Last Hawaiian Moon
7. Blue Hawaii
8. In A Little Hula Heaven
9. Smarty
10. Small Fry
11. A Man And His Dream
12. Music from 'The Star Maker': Medley: "Go Fly A Kite" - "If I Was A Millionaire" - "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" "School Days" - "Go Fly A Kite"(reprise)
13. It's Always You
14. By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
15. Swinging On A Star
16. In The Land Of Beginning Again
17. Say It Isn't So
18. Get Yourself A Phonograph
19. Camptown Races
20. You've Been Looking Thru My Dreams
21. You're The Top
22. Blue Moon

SOURCE

FLASHBACK: 1952

Here is a sad photo, but I wanted to share it. It ia the closet picture I have found of Bing at his wife Dixie's funeral on November 3, 1952. I feel that Dixie's death changed Bing's life...

JOHNNY HOLIDAY: NOT RELATED TO BING

 As a Bing Crosby fan and writer, I have come in touch with some of the wonderful people in Bing's family. I have had the pleasure to correspond with his nephew Howard Crosby (Ted's song) and his grandson Phil Crosby Jr. Off and on through the years though I have crossed paths with someone claiming to be related to Bing. His stage name is Johnny Holiday and "performs" the old standards and claims to be the great nephew of Bing Crosby, but he has not relation to Bing. Johnny Holiday (aka Scott Ables) claims to be the grandson of Bing's sister Mary. However, no one in the Crosby family has ever met him!

Howard Crosby, genuine nephew of Bing Crosby on Mary Rose, sister of Bing Crosby and supposed grandmother of Scott Ables/Johnny Holiday:

“Aunt Mary Rose had two children, cousin Carolyn who is 89 and lives in Las Vegas, and her son Bill Miller who died many years ago. Carolyn had 6 children, the Quinns, 5 of whom are still with us. I know them all...”

“This guy is NOT one of our relations, that's for sure!”

Furthermore, Johnny Holiday claims to have gotten his start on The Lawrence Welk Show, but I contacted someone I know in the Lawrence Welk organization, and they have no record of him. There are no pictures of Scott with his world-famous great uncle Bing, and when he presented a picture to the woman who woman who produced a channel spot on Cicada club (where he performs) of supposedly himself with Bing. It was actually a picture of Harry Crosby with his father Bing.

Reportedly Kathryn Crosby, the widow of Bing, has sent this Johnny Holiday letters to cease and desist using the Crosby name. There are no records of Johnny Holiday online prior to 2004. If his real name is Scott Ables there is even less online about him than Johnny Holiday.

His last posts were regarding cancer treatment. If he is suffering from cancer, godspeed and no one deserves to have that infliction, but someone close to him that wishes to remain anonymous claims that Scott/Johnny has been "suffering" from cancer for years. The source claims people feel bad for him, and think he is delusional. Whether he is delusional or just trying to make a buck, I do think the truth needs to come out. There are talented people in the Crosby family that are trying to keep the memory of Bing alive, and while Johnny Holiday is saying good things about Bing, he is also spreading lies that he is part of the Crosby family.

I have reached out to Scott Ables/Johnny Holiday for comments and/or his side of the story, but I have not heard back from him. If anyone knows the truth of how Scott Ables came to be called Johnny Holiday, please reach out to me...

BING AND MINUTE MAID

 Here is another great advertisement Bing did for Minute Maid. This looks to be from the 1950s. It is interesting that they were giving away orange juice too...

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: BING AND FRANK SINATRA

Here are some wonderful photos of the two blue eyes - Bing and Frank Sinatra. They appeared together many times during their careers...