Product Details

• Actors: Crosby & Kate Smith
• 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
• Rating: 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.com Sales Rank: #35,959 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Music Video & Concerts > Other Music > Christmas

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The holidays just wouldn't be the holidays without Mr. White Christmas himself - Bing Crosby. His seemingly effortless, easygoing singing style and good humor made him an audience favorite for generations. In this rare episode of The Hollywood Palace, first telecast in 1966, der Bingle is joined by dancer Cyd Charisse, comedian Bob Newhart, the Crosby family, and Kate "God Bless America" Smith. Bing lends his smooth style to such favorites as The Christmas Waltz, Silver Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Do You Hear What I Hear and, of course, White Christmas; Kate Smith belts out Christmas Eve In My Home Town and there's a special Crosby-Kate medley of catchy Christmas carols. Also included is a special bonus: The rare, 1954 live-television version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starring Fredric March and Basil Rathbone! All in all, a special holiday treat!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 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)

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.

3 of 3 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

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 2 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

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.