Customer Reviews

Christmas with Bing Crosby and Kate Smith

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

The DVD bring back the memory when I first saw it on T.V.. I think I even love it better now than when I first saw it. Bing Crosby is the greatest, and I love Kate Smith.

I was pleased with the CD. It brought back many old memories. Kate Smith was always a favorite of mine.