Archiefit wrote:

There are exceptions and "Pennies From Heaven" is definitely an exception, an excellent movie, thoroughly entertaining thru-out.  I also like "If I Had My Way" (I haven't looked it up) but if this movie was made before 1938 then it's another exception, I like this one a lot too.  It seems after 1938 the Bing movies were all good to excellent, don't ask about the ones before.

I think The Big Broadcast is watchable just for all the great stars and Bing's first movie. Then Bing hit a rut where they just threw together scripts for him. The Star Maker is pretty good but that is 1939 I think. I agree after 1938 Bing did a good job for almost a decade of picking good roles. He slumped a little bit in the 1940s, but then rebounded in the early 1950s I think.
 

Sadly, it would be easier to make  a list of the movies I've seen...

Ashamedly, quite a number still to see but with it being one his television films (if these are allowed to be considered) an unseen one I've long been most curious over is Doctor Cook's Garden. Partly because I'm always so fascinated by later/final star acting performances but also that this is of course one of Bing's rare, non-singing character parts. Country Girl, High Torr and Man on Fire are three other dramatic curios which have (only so far) passed me by. 

I consider "Paris Honeymoon" to be Bing's worst film of the 1930s how anybody thought it was meant to be funny especially the scene where the girl puts her hands over Bing's eyes while he's driving what were the scriptwriters thinking.

Yes, Bing brightens an otherwise lacklustre "Let's Make Love". He always convinces when others around him are acting as cardboard cut outs. As a teenager, I only sat through the whole thing to see Mr Cros  - and damn near missed him on account of briefly falling asleep while waiting. I seem to remember he was giving Yves Montand singing lessons and then Gene Kelly did similar with some dance instruction. Did I read somewhere that a certain previous co-star of Bing's, Mr Astaire was approached but passed on that particular pleasure, or am I just still dreaming of a white Christmas?

Another so far unseen (by me) film appearance by Bing and in a similar vein (and year), is his turn of "Singing in the Rain" with Cantinflas in the all star "Pepe". Is this film any better than the making love effort? I know he also sang a snatch of this while being telly interviewed by the arm linking Barbara Walters on her now infamous special. This was where she separately interviewed and profiled Bob Hope (who during this segment and despite her overtures, barely looked at wife of a gazillion years, Dolores seated right next him).

Although he also beautifully sang it on the radio - did Bing ever commercially record this song? I'm now as I type, trickily slapping my own wrist for already in '25, wandering slightly (?) off topic. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (19/1/2025 5:25 am)

As for "Singing In The Rain"  Bing commercially recorded it for one of his singalong albums.

STEPO wrote:

As for "Singing In The Rain"  Bing commercially recorded it for one of his singalong albums.

Thanks again, Stepo. I have those singalong albums, so I'll seek that one out. At least the radio version was recorded uncluttered by a permanent chorus and sound quality wise, well into the days of Uncle Bing's Ampex tape discovery, use and investment. I'll see if Bing appears on the "Pepe" soundtrack album. I know it's all subjective but does anyone have a view that entertainment wise,  would it be worthwhile my seeking out a DVD copy of the whole film?

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (19/1/2025 8:45 pm)

Oh by the way i saw "Pepe" on you tube a couple of years ago and the film overlong Bing appears driving a car and stopping to get out of the car greeted by the film's star Cantinflas.

Yes, come to think of it I do remember Mr Randall being a little less flamboyant and excitable than his onscreen outings with for example, Rock Hudson and Doris Day. Talking of unseen screen performances (this one due to not actually having been made), I believe it would have been most interesting to see how Bing and Doris would have fared in a film musical pairing. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (20/1/2025 4:10 pm)

I ordered my copy on E Bay the seller was Rewind Retro Shop. I received my copy today but was disappointed that Bing's three songs were in a short medley fortunately there was a track each by Bonny Darin and Sammy Davis Jnr. that i also never had on CD before.

Up until last weekend I had never seen Top of the Morning. 

I knew Pantelis was going to be doing a tribute to Ann Blythe on the ICC online meeting. Jason had told me when we were emailing about other things. So, I made the effort and made sure I had seen the film prior. 

That was the last of the starring cinema roles for me. 

I still have to watch High Tor and one of the Paramount shorts. Then I can say, done!

Ian, I expect to hear you've seen Road to Utopia by the time we next meet. The school teacher in me can't help but set homework!

Say One For Me is not Bing's best. However, it does not deserve to be on the list of top 20 worst films. Not when you consider the B shock films of the 1950s and 60s along with the straight to VHS rubbish  from the 1980s. There'd be thousands of contenders for the list long before Say One For Me should ever got a look in.