I don't know how much effect this would have on the delay of the upcoming War Years book, or any book that would follow, whether to Bing's passing or some other point in his life, but I do remember there being some discussion about the delay due to the fact that the Crosby family had opened the archives of Bing's basement to Gary Giddens to augment his other research. Even if Mr. Giddens had basically finished his manuscript, there would be time needed to rewrite his manuscript based on these new details, not to mention how much time it took to rummage through everything, which I have heard is quite voluminous.  

I keep going to the Game Show Channel to see if they will ever rebroadcast some of the newer, syndicated  "What's My Line" shows from the 1970's when I appeared on one of their airings. I just happened to catch the very end of a show from 1956 which identified the mystery guest as Gary Crosby. The show was over except for the signing off. As John Daly and each of the panelists said goodnight, Bennet Cerf, the last to speak, said he thought that Gary Crosby sounded more like Billy Daniels than his famous father. Does anyone know what the conversation was after the panelists had guessed, or had Gary Crosby's identity revealed to them?

I recently purchased the DVD of "State Fair", 1945 version , in a batch of other DVDs. I wasn't particularly interested in this DVD, but thought I would give it a look see. I was pleasantly surprised to get a little bit of Bing in the film. Very early in the film, Jeanne Crain is singing "It Might As Well  Be Spring" as she packs in her bedroom. She goes downstairs to help her mother and then goes into the backyard on a big swing and reprises the song with some different lyrics. She is daydreaming of "a man she has yet to meet" and describes him as a combination of Ronald Coleman, Charles Boyer, and Bing. I guess it is good that Bing rhymes with spring. We then hear Ronald Coleman speak, then Charles Boyer speak, and then we hear Bing sing one line of the song, then a little boo-boo-boo, and finally some classic Bing Whistling. This must have been specifically recorded for this film. Does anyone know any more details than that.

I understand that Bing charted in England with "Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree", I guess in 1973. I presume that would have been his last chart record anywhere in the world. Does anyone know what the highest position on the charts that recording hit?

As I wrote earlier, I did learn a number of interesting details in reading this book. In a earlier post I made in this thread, just after I had viewed the restored film at MoMA in New York City in late June, I questioned why three of the short comedy skits that I have on my VHS version of "The King of Jazz", were not in the restored version that was aired that evening. The answer is that those three skits were cut from the originally released version of the film, but were added to the 1933 released version, when some of the original footage was cut.

This was something I already knew, and posted on the old Bing Crosby Internet Museum, but since we have revisited it now, this was an earlier question about "The King of Jazz" that bewildered me until I had enough information to figure it out. In the film during the "A Bench in the Park" number, The Rhythm Boys come behind the seated Brox Sisters and scat while the Brox Sisters sing the second half of their verse. Bing is directly behind Bobbe Brox, the only blonde of the three. At the very end of the number, The Brox Sisters get one last line to sing, while sitting in the laps of the Rhythm Boys. The Rhythm Boys are in the same lineup as earlier, Bing, Al, and Harry, from left to right, but Bobbe who was on the left in front of Bing, is now in the center sitting in Al Rinker's lap, a direct result of the run in Bing had with Bobbe at the rehearsal.

I remember reading about Bobbe Brox passing away in 1999. I was surprised that she was still alive and that she was still considered newsworthy enough to be in the obituary page of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The fact the she married Jimmy Van Heusen later in life probably helped her status for such coverage.

I received my copy of the "King Of Jazz" book and have completed reading it. First of all it has so many great photographs. The book is organized into chapters, short bios if you will, about the major players in the making of King Of Jazz, such as Paul Whitman, John Murray Anderson, Carl Laemmle Sr. & Jr. Whitman's bio is also a bio of his orchestra. You also have the story of the original, unrealized, film as a story line. And then you have the story of the revue which was actually produced. There is a chapter of the film broken down scene by scene, with very short bios of some of the other performers featured in the film.
Finally you have chapters on the critics and audiences response to the film, one on foreign versions of the film, one on the rediscovery of the film, and lastly a chapter on the restoration of the film. There are 8 appendices at the end of the book with various statistics on many facts and figures.

The book is printed on very high grade stock and well bound with hard cover. There is also a stunning dust jacket which should be preserved with a protective cover. It would actually make a great presence on a coffee table.

Having been a "King Of Jazz" groupie for a couple of decades at least, this book has filled in many questions I have wondered about over the years. Although I first wanted to see the film because of Bing Crosby's participation in it, I really took to all the performances and performers in this unique film. I ardently hope that Universal will release this restored version on CD soon.

I was able to see this 35mm version in 2006 when it was shown at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan. It is worlds better than the kinescope version that is out there commercially. I am guessing that even though the Crosby family has this 35mm film of "High Tor", they do  not have the rights to produce and sell it commercially. Hopefully, someday, we will all be able to own this version in our film libraries.

I don't know about anyone else, but I had a blast. Got to see almost everything, but only parts of the last three. Like most of you, I have all Bing's films in my private film library and can watch them anytime I want. The problem is that I very seldom do that. But when I know millions of others are watching the film at the same time as I, it just adds a special satisfaction to the viewing. I was a bit disappointed that there were no introductions to the films by TCM hosts until, I think, "Going My Way" was about to be aired. Michael Feinstein certainly showed his true enthusiasm for Bing and his films and singing when he did make opening and closing remarks. And it was very coincidental that I was reading the article about Rhonda Fleming in my newly received BING magazine at the same time as I was watching "Connecticut Yankee"

I always find something new or rediscover something when I watch these films, especially if I have not viewed them in some time. My something new is that in the "High Society" film when Bing and Frank are singing, "Well, Did You Evah?", Bing goes to the bar to refill his glass, which he does, and them he goes to the front of the bar and Frank goes behind the bar and refills his glass, and then Bing picks up the glass Frank had been drinking from and Frank picks up the glass Bing has been drinking from. They march out of the room never consuming anything from the glasses and return from off camera with empty glasses which they then refill. Very trivial, but something I had never taken notice of before.

My something rediscovered was the song, "Our Big Love Scene", from the film, "Going Hollywood". I understand that "Temptation" is the definitive song from that film, but "Our Big Love Scene" is not too far behind it. A really driving song that Bing gets to belt out and raise emotions at a critical point in the film.

When can we do this again?
 

I do not remember seeing Noel Neill on "Road To Utopia" and she is not credited in my books of Bing's films. But she did have decent billing in "Here Come The waves" (about 6th or 7th) and was very recognizable as the actress who would become Lois Lane in the Superman films and TV shows.

I too, have always thought Road To Singapore is an excellent film, and certainly in the running for best "Road" film. The thing I like about Singapore is that it is the only "Road" film where Bing's character has a family, a father and a fiancé. Also, it predates the antics of speaking to the camera and talking camels, etc. It is not that I do not like the zany developments as the "Road" films progressed, but I do like the fact that in Singapore they played it straight. I think the first 5 "Road": films are all excellent. Bali is a step down and Hong Kong a couple of further steps down.

When they had the Bing Crosby Film Festival for a week at the Lincoln Center a number of years ago. I went for two of those days. "Road to Zanzibar" was screened one of those days and I got such a big kick out of hearing people, who had obviously never seen the film before, laughing out loud at jokes and gags that I only smile at now after dozens of viewings of each "Road" film. They are classics and whenever they are on TV, I watch and wonder who out there is seeing it for the first time and laughing their head off.
 

I have checked out the website of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and can find no information about the screening of the restored "King of Jazz". Nothing about viewing times, admission costs, or even acknowledging that the screening will take place. Can James Layton or someone clue me in as to how I can make plans to attend the June screening?

I am continually amazed that previously unknown surviving studio recordings are discovered. After decades of diligent searches to uncover all such "lost" recordings, a number of such recordings will now be released on Sepia's Good And Rare, Volume 3. I am always delighted to be able to obtain such recordings and add them to my Bing musical library. But every time I wonder, 'Is this It?". Is there anything else left to find? I probably will never get to track down and own (and afford) all of Bing's radio recordings that are available, and probably more of them to be discovered also. But I thought I had almost completed all the studio recordings (all but one from Wig's first discography, which Malcolm MacFarlane  generously provided a sound chip of), and now I need to reorganize my card file once again.
I guess I need to tell the Good Lord to keep me around until all such recordings are brought to light. Then I'll be ready.