I found the gray suit one alongside a Louis Armstrong one at my local pawn shop, I got it but the circuit board fried when I accidentally put in the wrong voltage cord tried to get plug it in. Still had the box too!

I had the Bing Father Christmas doll and gave it to my niece

I LOVE the sound of all of this. I've only ever seen them standing still on television. I love as they age, you caringly assist these aging stars with their singing. 

Blonde56 wrote:

I had them 16 years ago before I moved. They were robbed when I moved. I haven't been able to replace them. EBay has beat up ones posted on there site. Does anyone no where I can get these dolls in decent working condition?

Did the house removal workers steal them?
 

Yes Ian, the movers had to take them. I realized it too late. I had too much to move and unpack. I miss my Bing Benny dolls!

Oh no!!! This is beyond awful. Is this sort of thing common in the USA? I have assisted friends and family move house, with approved removal companies on a number of occasions and yet have never come across anything like this on these shores. I've heard of whole unlicensed and unapproved removal vans, here - disappearing with an entire household's worth of furniture - but never odd items. I am so sorry!!!!!!

I had a scrap book on Bing - number 1 book -and started a second.
I posted it to Bing but it never saw the light of day again and I doubt that Bing ever received it as he would have responded.
Another item “lost in the mail”

Ron Field wrote:

I had a scrap book on Bing - number 1 book -and started a second.
I posted it to Bing but it never saw the light of day again and I doubt that Bing ever received it as he would have responded.
Another item “lost in the mail”

Oh Ron! That is so sad to hear. I wasn't old enough to have known about Bing during his lifetime but I remember sending a letter and postcard to Bing's sometime co-star and duet partner, Fred Astaire on Astaire's eighty-fifth  birthday in the mid-1980's and also not receiving a reply. I've subsequently learned from what his household staff have been quoted as saying, that old twinkletoes did respond to fan mail - but only when supplied with a stamped address envelope. Perhaps a case of Mr Astaire being as careful and as exacting with his expenditure as he was with his routines?
 

Ian,
Bing always sent a letter saying what he was sort of up to - latest movie - and saying photo was coming under separate cover which arrived a couple of days later-a 10” x 8” photo protected by a piece of cardboard so photo wouldn’t be bent.
Bing was probably the only one to do this.
Have you ever seen the photo of Bing sitting on the desk with a pile of envelopes (photos) to be posted.
He certainly was a rare one compared to the rest of Hollywood.
I’ve also been very fortunate in meeting a number of the Crosby family and they all certainly had their feet solidly on the ground.

Ian, you are too funny! I want to fix bing's mouth when the broken one arrives. Did anyone fix one? I'm good at fixing things.

Archiefit, I did what you said, but it's too much work. He is like the Tin Man, only oil won't work.  Maybe if I give him a kiss? 

Ron Field wrote:

Ian,
Bing always sent a letter saying what he was sort of up to - latest movie - and saying photo was coming under separate cover which arrived a couple of days later-a 10” x 8” photo protected by a piece of cardboard so photo wouldn’t be bent.
Bing was probably the only one to do this.
Have you ever seen the photo of Bing sitting on the desk with a pile of envelopes (photos) to be posted.
He certainly was a rare one compared to the rest of Hollywood.
I’ve also been very fortunate in meeting a number of the Crosby family and they all certainly had their feet solidly on the ground.

Ron, 

I have never knowingly seen the photograph you describe. Do you have a link to this or advice if it features in a particular book? I love how Bing would personally respond to your contacts - and in such a thoughtful and careful manner. If he'd have lived another seven or eight years or so, I'm almost certain I'd have been then old enough to have written, too..

I've heard Bob Hope, Stan Laurel and Joan Crawford were also very committed correspondents. Although from what I've read, Crawford's could, particularly in later life, sometimes border on the obsessional. 

I've just had a rare thought: Bing had his sporting buddy, Stan Laurel's comedy partner, Oliver Hardy cameo in a film of his, Bob and Bing together are now the stuff of legend - I wonder how any potential on screen chemistry of Bing and Joan Crawford would have fared? 
 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (02/10/2022 3:24 pm)