Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: PASSPORT VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: November 9, 2004
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002O76MY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,086 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: E1 Entertainment Release Date: 06/21/2005 Run time: 60 minutes Rating: Nr

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars B/W not color!, October 13, 2006

By 

Greg Van Beek "co-editor, BING magazine, publ... (West Bend, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas with Bing Crosby and Kate Smith (DVD)

Beware...this DVD is in Black & White, not color as advertised! It is a b/w kinescope of the 12/24/66 episode of ABC-tv's Hollywood Palace. The show originally aired in color.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Frederic March "Christmas Carol" as an "extra", January 12, 2008

By 

CD Maniac (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas with Bing Crosby and Kate Smith (DVD)

While the "main" feature of this DVD is a Christmas-Eve themed "Hollywood Cavalcade" from 1966, hosted by Bing Crosby, the real highlight is an "extra" which is a rare 1954 hour-long TV version of "A Christmas Carol" with Frederic March.

The main program is not what we've come to expect from Christmas specials, but is really nothing more than a vaudeville show, complete with comic (Bob Newhart), trained dogs, and a dance number (Cyd Cyrisse, dressed as a marionette). It's fairly ordinary (and typical of the time), but the best parts are when Bing sings, alone, with Kate Smith and with his family and very young children, ages 5-9. These parts are more reminiscent of Bing's Christmas specials which more people are familiar with.

But the extra "Christmas Carol" is a delight. Most people have never heard of it, and it has many excellent actors, especially Frederic March as Scrooge. But the highlight of it is the music by famed film composer Bernard Herrmann (more known for his association with Hitchcock than for his heartwarming Christmas tales--but he pulls it off beautifully)! His Christmas Carols are sung by the outstanding Roger Wagner Chorale, and they also provide a very etheral background for Jacob Marley's ghost, played by Basil Rathbone (better known as Sherlock Holmes in the 1940s).

It's early TV, but it was filmed, not live (rare for the time), so production values are higher than for the time. But, it is an old print, so don't be expecting modern sound or picture quality. But, how nice to have this available again.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Two great entertainers, January 7, 2008

By 

Linda I. Am "oldie fan" (LI, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas with Bing Crosby and Kate Smith (DVD)

I love Bing and Kate. I was not disappointed in their performances, but I did forget that since it was so old, it would be in black and white. The picture wasn't as clear as I had hoped but the singing made up for whatever the picture lacked.