Thanks for the welcome,

Let me introduce myself,
I am from Athens Greece and I was born in 2004, 101 years after Bing and I am a Law School student at the University of Athens. I always new who Bing Crosby was through his Christmas music. Every year we were listening to his wonderful Christmas CD’s, so he was always a familiar name and voice in our home. The first non-Christmas song of his that I heard was “I found A Million Dollar Baby” Also I was never a big fan of today’s music. I remember while I was in elementary school I saw a documentary on television about Grace Kelly and they were many clips from the movie “High Society” including “True Love” and “Well did you Evah”. I soon obtained the DVD version of “High Society”-my first Bing movie. My second Bing movie was the “Bells of St Mary’s”, and the third was the “Road to Rio”. After that I started exploring his life and career more systematically, watching his movies, reading books about him, listening to his thousands of records and his radio shows etc. I have read Kathryn’s three memoirs, the Gary Giddin’s books, hundreds of articles and of course Malcom’s Day by Day, the Songography etc. I am a member of the International Club Crosby since July of 2023 and I am very happy to become a registered member in CROSBY FAN WORLD.

Last edited by Pantelis Kavouras (07/10/2024 9:15 am)

Thank you for your warm welcome Ian. I am very happy to join you all. My legal studies are going great no matter who much time I dedicate to our favorite hobby.

My favorite Christmas songs (beside White Christmas) is  the 1962 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and his 1950 duet with Carol Richards Silver Bells. Winter Wonderland is also a wonderful Christmas song that I always liked a lot. I don’t remember how I find the  “Million Dollar Baby" I suppose it was coincidental. The 1945 version of "Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day" is one of my favorites and I strongly believe that it is the best version of his theme song.

“Road to Rio” was my first road film (and third Bing’s film) but I was never able to decide which is my favorite road film. I think that Singapore is perhaps the best, though I must agree with you that “Morocco” has the best music. Bing’s favorite I think is “Road to Utopia”. My favorite High Society song is not a difficult choice “True Love” is my favorite mostly because I believe that Bing enjoys an amazing chemistry with his co-star Grace Kelly. “Well Did You Evah?" is one of the most memorable film scenes that I have ever seen (and believe me I have seen many) and "Now You Has Jazz" is classic masterpiece. Bing was able to create some of the most memorable duets ever in that movie singing with the biggest musical stars of his time Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra.

I enjoyed all of Bing’s book. I adored all Kathryn’s books I believe that they offer a wonderful image of their fascinated family life. My favorite was the lesser-known 1968 “Bing and Other Things” even though was less revealing and it covers a more limited period than the others, it is very well written.

I thought I knew enough about Bing when I first run into Malcolm’s Day by Day only to understand that I knew nothing. His book is by far the most interesting and useful, after I read it 3 or 4 times I started selecting a couple of years per week to revisit. And I am amazed because still I found that there are so many things that I don’t remember.
 
I am very glad to be with you all at this forum!

Last edited by Pantelis Kavouras (07/10/2024 2:44 pm)

Bing Crosby was also popular in Greece during the 1940s and 1950s specially in Athens, but he is unfortunately pretty much forgotten now. All his movies were also released in Greece with subtitles, usually some months after their US premier and some of them were very popular.

Today during the Christmas season his songs could be heard in restaurants, department stores etc. Many Greeks even at my age are aware of him but only for his Christmas music. Some of his movies such as “The Bells of St Mary” are broadcasted on national TV networks once every blue moon. This summer though High Society enjoyed a limited release in some summer outdoor cinemas (summer outdoor cinemas are very popular in Greece during the summer months and they often play old movies).

In 1953 the King of Hellenes Paul and Queen Frederica during their State Visit to America they wanted to meet Bing Crosby so they visited the set of White Christmas, but as Rosemary Clooney revealed in an interview Bing preferred to play golf than to entertain our sovereigns. A clip though with the royal couple and Bing’s Co-Stars was on a newsreel at the time https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/on-the-film-set-of-white-christmas-king-paul-and-queen-news-footage/506387498 

Bing also made a private visit to Athens on July 28 1969 in which he visited Acropolis.
It’s a very beautiful country and I am sure you will like it.
 

Last edited by Pantelis Kavouras (09/10/2024 1:59 pm)

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

Thank you for your warm welcome Ian. I am very happy to join you all. My legal studies are going great no matter who much time I dedicate to our favorite hobby.

My favorite Christmas songs (beside White Christmas) is  the 1962 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and his 1950 duet with Carol Richards Silver Bells. Winter Wonderland is also a wonderful Christmas song that I always liked a lot. I don’t remember how I find the  “Million Dollar Baby" I suppose it was coincidental. The 1945 version of "Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day" is one of my favorites and I strongly believe that it is the best version of his theme song.

“Road to Rio” was my first road film (and third Bing’s film) but I was never able to decide which is my favorite road film. I think that Singapore is perhaps the best, though I must agree with you that “Morocco” has the best music. Bing’s favorite I think is “Road to Utopia”. My favorite High Society song is not a difficult choice “True Love” is my favorite mostly because I believe that Bing enjoys an amazing chemistry with his co-star Grace Kelly. “Well Did You Evah?" is one of the most memorable film scenes that I have ever seen (and believe me I have seen many) and "Now You Has Jazz" is classic masterpiece. Bing was able to create some of the most memorable duets ever in that movie singing with the biggest musical stars of his time Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra.

I enjoyed all of Bing’s book. I adored all Kathryn’s books I believe that they offer a wonderful image of their fascinated family life. My favorite was the lesser-known 1968 “Bing and Other Things” even though was less revealing and it covers a more limited period than the others, it is very well written.

I thought I knew enough about Bing when I first run into Malcolm’s Day by Day only to understand that I knew nothing. His book is by far the most interesting and useful, after I read it 3 or 4 times I started selecting a couple of years per week to revisit. And I am amazed because still I found that there are so many things that I don’t remember.
 
I am very glad to be with you all at this forum!

My pleasure, Pantelis. I'm sure more members of this forum will be delighted to have a new member – and one who's managing his admiration of Bing to run parallel with his legal studies.  I think “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” must be my second or third favourite Christmas recording by Bing, along with the same album's “Little Drummer Boy”, which I enjoy far more than the later Bowie duet. I must listen this Christmas to his “Silver Bells” pairing with Carole Richards. I wonder if they performed a “B” side to this? 

I couldn't agree with you more about his 1945 version of “Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day”. I originally heard it on my first ever Bing vinyl LP some friends had bought for my thirteenth birthday and was immediately captivated by the beautiful strings of John Scott Trotter's orchestra.  

I know some Bing fans may disagree with me but this particular compilation had been (1970's) electronically re-processed in a primitive, echoing form of stereo, which to my thirteen year old ears, gave the recording an added atmosphere. Just think with digital and AI technology, what they could do with it now!  Speaking of which, I don't know if you've heard this fairly recent stereo treatment of another Crosby Christmas moment with The Andrews Sisters?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KGAno704pk 
“ … Singapore” is one of the Road films I have yet to see. I believe this was the first one to be filmed and released? You never know, it may end up taking over from Road to Morocco as my favourite – and I agree with you, from the ones I've so far seen, that this is the best for the songs – and showcases Dorothy Lamour beautifully.  

Not wishing to be too negative but so far, “.. Hong Kong” is my least favourite. I do think there's number of good things there - Bob Hope worked wonderfully with Peter Sellers and the song and their performance of “Teamwork” provided a really promising opening, right up to she old standard. However, much of it seemed to me to be a little bit tired.

I think it was such a mistake not having Dorothy Lamour as the main female lead (she goes into detail with all this in her own book). At a mere forty-seven years, she still looked great and she would have been far more age appropriate - and the chemistry between the three was still very much in evidence during her extended cameo.  I thought Joan Collins did much to remove some of the warmth of old. Plus long before I read it to be the case, I though the space plot belonged in another film.  

Far happier, I completely agree with you over Bing's chemistry with Grace Kelly. I've yet to see them together in The Country Girl but in High Society they played off each other beautifully.  

You are so correct in Bing's duet with Sinatra in the film. It certainly stands alongside some the greatest “tingle” inducing moments of US cinema – just musically alone and for my money there's also:  

Busby Berkeley's“The Lullaby of Broadway” from Gold Diggers of 1935, Astaire & Rogers' “Never Gonna Dance” from Swing Time, Laurel & Hardy's “At the Ball, That's All” soft shoe from Way Out West, Mickey Mouse's “The Sorcerer's Apprentice” from Fantasia Charlie Chaplin's globe scene from The Great Dictator, Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell's “Begin The Beguine” from Broadway Melody of 1940, The Nicholas Brothers' title dance from Down Argentine Way, Dooley Wilson singing “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca, James Cagney's “Give My Regards to Broadway” from Yankee Doodle Dandy, Gene Kelly's immortal title number solo from Singin' in the Rain, “Chopsticks” from The Eddy Duchin Story,“Shall We Dance?” from The King and I, Robert Preston's “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man and Barbra Streisand's (supported by Louis Armstrong) title number from Hello Dolly. 

I'd be so interested to know what some of those film moments, musical or otherwise, you or anyone else holds in such affection and esteem?

Yes, I thought Kathry's first book was very well and interestingly written. I must now read her later two.
Malcolm's book is beyond superb,isn't it? Such a wealth of knowledge and research from him and some incredible reading for us!! 

David has very nicely added a new "Books" section to the forum where we can chat all about Bing between the covers:

https://crosbyfanworld.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=1736
 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (11/10/2024 11:01 pm)