Television » Bing's Christmas TV Specials » 12/12/2022 9:25 pm

JoeDoakes
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ModernBingFan0377 wrote:

JoeDoakes wrote:

Ian Kerstein wrote:


Sorry this an even (far) later response but I'm a new member. This link might be worth a try as it offers both. I was also looking for these specials but haven't yet attempted to purchase them.     

http://www.classicretrovintagedvds.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1122

Also, as they look to be unofficial releases, I checked as to the reliability of the sight offering this (admittedly as part of a bundle with many other shows). Although headline wise, the below link doesn't read too well - but if you scroll down a little further from the single posted critical review, more potentially assuring detail emerges to the right of the screen.

https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/pensacola/profile/dvd-sales/classic-retro-vintage-dvds-0683-90033312

With specic regard to lack of official availablilty of "Merry Christmas, Fred, From the Crosbys": This will more than likely be at least partly due to the keyholder of the Astaire estate's (widow, Mrs Robyn Astaire) long history of reticence, exorbitantly high fees and sometimes controversial litigation on matters pertaining to newly released material featuring her late husband (sighted image rights, Etc). The odds are that we'll be waiting an eternity for any sort of official full release. 

 

The quality of the Christmas specials from this seller is very good. They are taken from the Get TV broadcasts and look just about as good as they did there.  Personally, I think the Fred special is a disappointment due to insufficient Christmas content and song selection. The Sun Valley special is perhaps the best.

I agree about the Fred Astaire one to an extent because it’s still great to see them working together and reprising songs from the album they did earlier in the year, but it is lacking in Christmas content. The Sun Valley one from the copy I’ve found is kind of disappointing, but with your endorsement I’ll have to get t

Television » Bing's Christmas TV Specials » 12/12/2022 3:30 pm

JoeDoakes
Replies: 5

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Ian Kerstein wrote:

ModernBingFan0377 wrote:

I know I am a bit late to this being 3 days after Christmas and all, but does any one know any ways to get some of Bing's Christmas specials that weren't released in that The television specials volume two? Specifically Merry Christmas Fred, From the Crosby's? I've found snippets online, and I know it was partially included on that TimeLife set, but alas it was chopped up.

On a side note I have the same question for Bing's 50th anniversary special.

Sorry this an even (far) later response but I'm a new member. This link might be worth a try as it offers both. I was also looking for these specials but haven't yet attempted to purchase them.     

http://www.classicretrovintagedvds.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1122

Also, as they look to be unofficial releases, I checked as to the reliability of the sight offering this (admittedly as part of a bundle with many other shows). Although headline wise, the below link doesn't read too well - but if you scroll down a little further from the single posted critical review, more potentially assuring detail emerges to the right of the screen.

https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/pensacola/profile/dvd-sales/classic-retro-vintage-dvds-0683-90033312

With specic regard to lack of official availablilty of "Merry Christmas, Fred, From the Crosbys": This will more than likely be at least partly due to the keyholder of the Astaire estate's (widow, Mrs Robyn Astaire) long history of reticence, exorbitantly high fees and sometimes controversial litigation on matters pertaining to newly released material featuring her late husband (sighted image rights, Etc). The odds are that we'll be waiting an eternity for any sort of official full release. 

 

The quality of the Christmas specials from this seller is very good. They are taken from the Get TV broadcasts and look just about as good as they did there.  Personally, I think the Fred special is a disappoi

Announcements » Winter Wonderland Animated Music Video to Premiere Tomorrow » 13/11/2020 7:57 pm

JoeDoakes
Replies: 35

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Does anyone know who is producing these videos?  They seem to be done in a common style.

Television » Crosby in Search of Crosby on Amazon Prime » 21/7/2020 5:51 am

JoeDoakes
Replies: 9

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As a documentary, it’s a low budget effort for sure.  Other than the great interviews with Terry Moore being the only real outlier, it seems like a good fan type effort. As I wasn’t enticed by the hype, I also wasn’t let down by it, and could appreciate it for what it was.  The main absence in the interviews is Kathryn and her children.  I didn’t know it, but the Film indicates that there Was a rift between Kathryn and Bob Crosby.  This is not the documentary for newbies, but I think there’s a lot for fans.

Television » Crosby in Search of Crosby on Amazon Prime » 19/7/2020 5:52 am

JoeDoakes
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Sorry. I didn’t know it was covered before. Still, it’s ludicrous to say that little brother Bob Crosby, Bob Hope, and Phil Harris are outliers.  There are a lot of famous people who worked with and knew Bing here.  The only real outlier is Terry Moore.  This is what I indicated, a good collection of interview clips recorded in the early years after Bing’s passing with some other stuff thrown in.

Television » Crosby in Search of Crosby on Amazon Prime » 18/7/2020 3:20 am

JoeDoakes
Replies: 9

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I stumbled upon this, free to Amazon Prime members.  It's a documentary by Chris Crosby (Bob's son) about Bing Crosby.  It contains clips of great vintage interviews Chris Crosby did in the years immediately following Bing's passing.  Included are Phil Harris, Bob Hope, Rhonda Flemming, Bob Crosby, Terry Moore, and others.  Interspersed with that are clips from Bing's 1930's shorts, a few films, and selections of Chris singing (not bad).  At the end, they touch on what was done to Chris's sister, which was much worse than anything alleged to have been done to Bing's sons.  As a documentary, it's no Rediscovered, but I found it very good, largely for the interviews that I don't think are available anywhere else.

https://smile.amazon.com/Crosby-Search-Bing-Behind-Legend/dp/B06XDQSCYC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=crosby+in+search+of+crosby&qid=1595041897&sr=8-1
 

Film » Movie with Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) » 01/7/2020 12:55 pm

JoeDoakes
Replies: 3

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The fact that they talked about making a film together is interesting.  My pet/unevidenced theory is that the part of the General in White Christmas was written with him in mind.  William Boyd would have been a more natural person to evoke the affection the General does, and the General prominently walks with a limp.

Links » Quite a Bargain » 18/6/2020 6:40 pm

JoeDoakes
Replies: 3

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what are the rarities you mention?

Film » Terror in the Wax Museum (1973) » 18/6/2020 6:38 pm

JoeDoakes
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I just finished watching this 1973 release from Bing Crosby Productions on Amazon Prime and it left me puzzled. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_in_the_Wax_Museum  I am curious what the thought process was behind its creation.  Its plot is a throw back to nonadventurous B pictures of the 1930s and 1940s.  They were making more daring television movies than this in the 1970s, not to mention the theatrical releases that this was competing with.  Castwise, its a sort of Love Boat of horror films and uses Ray Milland, Louis Hayward, Elsa Lancaster, Patrick Knowles, Broderick Crawford, Maurice Evans, and Ben Wright in prominent roles.  The director was relatively inexperienced, and its filming, which may be on videotape, isn't much more artful than your average soap opera. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it left me wondering why it was made?  Was it made in hopes of selling to television, but that never happened?  Was it made as a tax shelter, as was the case with many films of the period?  Was it made largely to give employment to many old stars?  Does anyone know?

Announcements » Bing on MeTV on April 27 » 08/5/2020 5:59 pm

JoeDoakes
Replies: 2

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The two Bing Carol Burnett appearances are free to Amazon Prime members, along with most other Carol Burnett shows.  Unfortunately, they have all been edited down to 22 minutes,  Bing doesn't sing after the edits, but he seems to have had a nice surprise at the end of the one skit he was shown in in the 1969 episode.

Film » Roku » 08/5/2020 5:55 pm

JoeDoakes
Replies: 4

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Malcolm Macfarlane wrote:

I see that the films on the Bing Crosby channel are


  • Paris Honeymoon (1939)
  • Star Maker (1939)
  • Road to Rio (1947)
  • Duffy's Tavern (1945)
  • Mr. Music (1951)

I think everything on that list except Road to Rio is unavailable generally, so that's something.  How much did it cost?
 

Radio » Easter with Bing » 24/4/2020 5:38 pm

JoeDoakes
Replies: 4

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There aren't too many Easter songs.  Does Bing sing anything Easter themed outside of Easter Parade?

Radio » Where are the recordings for the Christmas Sing with Bing Shows » 17/1/2020 7:58 pm

JoeDoakes
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A number are listed here: https://archive.org/details/ChristmasSingWithBingBroadcasts/1955+Christmas+Sing+With+Bing.mp3

The run times don't always look complete.  Also, 1959 and 1960 are still missing.  Does anyone know where they are?

Radio » Where are the recordings for the Christmas Sing with Bing Shows » 16/1/2020 8:36 pm

JoeDoakes
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According to Wikipedia, there were seven of these shows (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Sing_with_Bing_(1955–1962).  I understand that the first one was released as Through the Years Vol. 10.  However, where are the other six.  I understand why Bing's early 1930s radio shows are missing (although they'd be the top of my want list), but with so much radio material available somewhere on the internet, it is odd that these are missing.  Does anyone have access to these shows?

Links » The Great Jazz and Pop Vocal Albums. What? No Crosby? Unbelievable. » 27/7/2019 4:49 am

JoeDoakes
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Many of Bing’s best recordings in the jazz vein were before the album era so that may be part of it.  Is there any 1950s album that people think is the best.

Member Introductions » New member! » 27/7/2019 4:46 am

JoeDoakes
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Personally, I find Bing’s 1930s recordings to be his overall best.  His voice was never better and the arrangements are often much more lively than what followed in later years

Others of Note » Dick Haymes - Empty Saddles » 27/7/2019 4:43 am

JoeDoakes
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Dick Haymes is the most underrated crooner of the 40s.  His Christmas recordings are remarkable and almost as frequently played as Bings at my house.  It’s too bad he didn’t catch the a Christmas wave to continue with that into the 60s and 70s like Bing and Perry Como

Television » BEST OF BING CROSBY SPECIALS - TIME LIFE » 26/7/2019 7:14 pm

JoeDoakes
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I guess people actually got this.  It seems to have disappeared from Time-Life's website.  Does anyone know what happened?

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