DOUBLE BING

In this Stetson ad, you get two Bings promoting their line of hats. This ad came out when Bing was promoting his new film Emperor Waltz in 1948...

BLUE SKIES OUTTAKES

One of Bing Crosby's greatest musicals was 1946's Blue Skies. For sheer amount of songs alone, the film boasted over two dozen Irving Berlin songs. Bing recorded a lot of songs for the movie soundtrack in July of 1945, and many of them were short medleys. Some of the songs made it into the film and some did not. Here is a video with all of the medleys Bing recorded for the film...

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: BING AND PHIL HARRIS

One of Bing Crosby's best friends - an even better friend than Bob Hope - was the great Phil Harris (1904-1995). Bing and Phil did not do a lot of professional work together, but from the pictures below you can see they shared a love of hunting. Phil was one of the few celebrities who was allowed to attend Bing's very private funeral and burial in 1977...

Bing and Phil with Jack Benny

Bing and Phil with James Garner and Randolph Scott

A BING SONG: BALLAD FOR AMERICANS

During this 4^th of July season, now more than ever, we need to listen to songs that really spotlight how great our Country was and could still be. One such composition is the beautiful “Ballad For Americans”. The song is actually an American patriotic cantata with lyrics by John La Touche and music by Earl Robinson.

Originally titled "The Ballad for Uncle Sam", it was written for a WPA theatre project called Sing for Your Supper. The show opened on April 24, 1939. Congress abolished the Project on June 30, 1939. The “Ballad of Uncle Sam” had been performed 60 times.Producer Norman Corwin then had Robinson sing “Ballad of Uncle Sam” for the CBS brass. CBS was impressed and hired Paul Robeson to perform the song. 

Corwin retitled the song “Ballad for Americans.” Robeson and Robinson rehearsed for a week. On Sunday, November 5, 1939, on the 4:30 pm CBS radio show The Pursuit of Happiness, Robeson sang “Ballad for Americans” (Time, November 20, 1939). Norman Corwin produced and directed, Mark Warnow conducted, Ralph Wilkinson did the orchestration (in Robeson's key), and Lyn Murray handled the chorus. Robeson subsequently began to perform the song, beginning with a repeat on CBS on New Year’s Eve. Robbins Music Corporation published the sheet music.

Victor Records decided to record and release the song. Robinson recommended the American People’s Chorus for the recording and he re-rehearsed them in Robeson’s key. (Robinson had written the song to the key of E.) Nathaniel Shilkret conducted the recording. Time Magazine mentioned the album on the May 6, 1940 issue. On May 14, 1940, a full page ad for the records (a four-sided album on 78 rpm records) appeared in the New York Daily News. Each side of the album ended with the lyrics “You know who I am.” By the end of 1940, the album had sold more than 40,000 copies.

On July 6, 1940, Bing Crosby recorded the song for Decca. It became a huge hit for Decca and rivaled Paul Robeson’s version of it. Bing’s version is a scaled down version, along with more wording to fit his personality. Decca released the song as a two doubled sided blue label 78rpms. MGM then included the song as the finale of the 1942 movie Born to Sing (choreographed by Busby Berkeley and sung by Douglas McPhail). Jules Bledsoe, James Melton and others also performed the song. Lawrence Tibbett performed it on NBC for the Ford Hour. The British premiere was in September 1943 with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hugo Weisgall.

In the 1940 presidential campaign it was sung at both the Republican National Convention (by baritone Ray Middleton) and that of the Communist Party. Its popularity continued through the period of World War II — in autumn 1943, 200 African American soldiers performed the piece in a benefit concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. After the war, Robeson transferred from Victor to Columbia Records. Victor responded by withdrawing Robeson’s Ballad from their catalogue. In 1966, Vanguard Records released Robeson’s recording on a 33¹⁄₃ rpm record. It has been periodically revived, notably during the United States Bicentennial (1976).

Invoking the American Revolution (it names several prominent revolutionary patriots and quotes the preamble of the Declaration of Independence), and the freeing of the slaves in the American Civil War (there is a brief lyrical and musical quotation of the spiritual "Go Down Moses"), as well as Lewis and Clark, the Klondike Gold Rush, and Susan B. Anthony, the piece draws an inclusive picture of America: "I'm just an Irish, Negro, Jewish, Italian, French and English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Polish, Scotch, Hungarian, Litwak, Swedish, Finnish, Canadian, Greek and Turk and Czech and double-check American — I was baptized Baptist, Methodist, Congregationalist, Lutheran, Atheist, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, Presbyterian, Seventh-day Adventist, Mormon, Quaker, Christian Scientist — and lots more."

If you want to listen to what America is and should be listen to Bing’s version and the other versions of “Ballad For Americans.” It will give you a lump in your throat and pride in your country. God bless America…

GUEST REVIEWER: MR. MUSIC

Bing Crosby guru Bruce Kogan is back to review another Bing film - Mr. Music. This forgotten 1950 film has always been a guilty pleasure Bing movie with me...

When this film first came out in 1950 it was like Babe Ruth hitting a double. The score by Burke-Van Heusen is serviceable for Crosby, a couple of nice numbers. In fact the best number in the movie is And You'll Be Home, sung at a college assembly by Bing who is later joined by the whole ensemble. Unfortunately it occurs in the first 20 minutes of the movie so then it's downhill.

Bing plays a golf loving composer who's lost his muse and would rather spend more time on the links and at the track then working. His producer, Charles Coburn, hires Nancy Olson who is a graduating student from Bing's alma mater as a secretary to keep Bing's nose to the grind- stone. That has complications for Bing's steady, Ruth Hussey and Olson's inamorata, Robert Stack. Suffice it to say that everyone winds up with someone in the end.

It's a show business story, but not one like those Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney let's put on a show. We got some sophisticated folks in this story, not the usual kind who Bing hangs around with in the normal course of his films. A whole lot of the film action takes place in Bing's Park Avenue penthouse and Crosby looks a little lost there. He has some funny moments with Ida Moore, Tom Ewell, and Richard Haydn.

Of course a show is the highlight of the film and one awkward moment comes when Charles Coburn is amazed at some of the show business types Bing's obtained the services for a preview of his new Broadway show. At one point Coburn remarks to Crosby, "there's Dorothy Kirsten of the Metropolitan Opera" like he doesn't know who she is. But the audience probably doesn't. Still it looks so phony when the next performer they run into is Groucho Marx. No one thought of giving Coburn a line like "there's Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers."

Speaking of Groucho he and Crosby sing a duet of Life Is So Peculiar which Bing had sang earlier in the movie with Peggy Lee. The film should be seen for both versions of this number also.

If you love Bing as I do or if you want to see him sing with Groucho Marx and Peggy Lee by all means see this film...

BRUCE'S RATING: 5 OUT OF 10
MY RATING: 8 OUT OF 10

BING ON WHEATIES

Bing was very athletic, but I never realized he made it to a Wheaties ad! He had to share it with Bob Hope in 1950. By the way, I always hated the taste of Wheaties, and it never made me any more athletic!

BING'S EX GIRLFRIEND, ACTRESS MONA FREEMAN, PASSES AWAY

Former child star Mona Freeman has died, aged 87. She also dated Bing Crosby around the 1953/1954 period after Bing's wife died of cancer in 1952. 

The actress, who starred in films like The Heiress, Dear Ruth and I Was a Shoplifter in the 1940s and 1950s, passed away at her home in Beverly Hills on Friday (06 Jun14), according to the Los Angeles Times. She was battling an illness for a long time, and had been retired from movies for decades.

Her movie credits also include Till We Meet, Again Together Again, Mother Wore Tights, Streets of Laredo and Angel Face, while her Tv roles included appearances in Maverick, Perry Mason and Wagon Train.

The fresh-faced star played teenagers onscreen throughout her twenties and then quit to become a portrait painter.

Her daughter Monnie Ellis, who confirmed the sad news of her mother's death, starred in the 1972 Tv movie Gidget Gets Married. She was survived by her daughter and grandchildren....

MOVIE REVIEW: DR. COOK'S GARDEN

Bing Crosby was one of the biggest movie stars of all-time. He was the number one box office draw from 1945 to 1949. After his contract with Paramount Studios was over in 1956, Bing moved away from making movies and concentrated on raising his second family. However, even in Bing's "golden years" he did make an occasional movie. One of his last screen appearances was in the television movie Dr Cook's Garden on ABC television in 1971. Bing was 68 at the time the movie came out.

Dr. Cook's Garden was originally a Broadway play written by Ira Levin. It premiered on Broadway in 1967 with a cast including Burl Ives and Keir Dullea. George C. Scott was meant to direct but was replaced during rehearsals by Levin. When the play was made for television Bing took over the Burl Ives roles as a seemingly friendly elderly doctor. Frank Converse plays the young doctor that looks up to Bing, and a young Blythe Danner plays Bing's secretary and Converse's love interest. Originally airing as the ABC "Movie of the Week", Dr. Cook's Garden seems more relevant with the passage of time with the real world bringing us Doctor Kevorkian types in the decades since.

Der Bingle is a kindly G.P. in a Greenfield, arguably the most beloved person in this idyllic area. How idyllic? The town boats a very low crime rate and few unpleasant citizens. Greenfield is about to host recent medical school graduate Converse, returning to visit high school sweetheart Danner and mentor Crosby. The budding young doctor is pleasantly surprised by his home town's evolution into a paradise---and increasingly concerned about the number of abrupt, mysterious deaths occuring in heavenly Greenfield. Crosby's Dr. Cook is calm and rationalizing as his describes the thought he puts into his decisions, and admits that marking the "R" is always difficult for him. His unfailing composure adds creepiness that helps make up for the missing uncertainty and almost raises this otherwise average tale into the must-see category.

Two decades before Alec Baldwin brazenly declared himself God in Malice, Crosby let actions speak louder than his downright humble words possibly could, giving us a thriller more than interesting enough to watch despite its deficiencies. By 1971, Bing was no longer the leading man who made Dorothy Lamour or Mary Carlisle swoon with the notes of his beautiful voice. At an age now when many people were retired, Bing could pick and choose what movies he wanted to make. I am glad he picked the role of Dr. Cook. Some of the dialogue is as dated as a 1971 television movie, but I think Bing should have done more dramas. He definitely had the acting chops to do so. The ending of the movie is completely different than the ending of any other Bing Crosby movie, and Dr. Cook's Garden proved that Bing still had "IT" at the age of 68...

MY RATING: 10 OUT OF 10

KATHRYN CROSBY PERFORMS RODGERS & HART

Local fans of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart--who produced some of the most gorgeous melodies of the 20th century--are in for a treat. On June 1, South Bay Musical Theatre will present a tribute to composer Rodgers and lyricist Hart, starring 18 singers who have all appeared in SBMT productions. Joining the ensemble will be guest artist Kathryn Crosby, the Hollywood starlet who became the second wife of crooner and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby.

The 7:30 p.m. concert takes place at the Saratoga Civic Theater, 13777 Fruitvale Ave., featuring selections from the Rodgers and Hart canon. Music director Bob Sunshine will conduct a four-person combo.

Rodgers and Hart collaborated on 28 stage musicals and a half dozen films during their partnership. The alliance began in 1919 when they worked on a show as students at Columbia University. From then until Hart died in 1943, the duo was responsible for Broadway classics like Pal Joey, Babes in Arms, A Connecticut Yankee and On Your Toes.

Rodgers and Hart churned out in excess of 500 songs, among them "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Blue Moon." If the pair had written just one of these gems and none other, that would have been enough to gain them lasting fame.

Despite Crosby's early career as an actress pretty much ending once she and Bing wed in 1957, she is no stranger to musicals. In 1996 she appeared in a Broadway production of Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's State Fair.

Three years later, the mom of three (including daughter Mary of "Who Shot J.R. Ewing?" fame) attended a South Bay Musical Theatre production of State Fair.

According to C. Michael Traw, who has produced shows for SBMT, Crosby has liked the company ever since.

It was Traw who had the bright idea of asking Crosby, 80, to take part in this Rodgers and Hart salute. She "was so delighted that I asked her to sing with all of us," he says, "and we are so thrilled that she accepted our invitation."

Tickets are $33 general admission, $31 seniors, $20 students and children under 12. Available atsouthbaymt.com or 408.266.4734.

SOURCE

BING SELLING PIPES

Do people even smoke pipes today? Here is an ad Bing did in 1946 selling/promoting a brand of pipes called Mastercraft. Those were the days...