Sentimental Ballad - 1934

[JimMLINY]

Fantastic, nice job finding this and putting it up!

[panamintjoe]

There's nothing like Bing in full voice.

[antoniod]

Was there another early-mid 30s Technicolor short with Bing singing at a mike? A friend of mine insists that the clip shown in a 1978 special on ABC was not this one.

[perfectjazz78]

@antoniod Yes, he was in the all technicolor musical production "King Of Jazz" and he sings in a microphone with the Rhythm Boys. That clip is also on Youtube.

[Jefferson1942]

It's true that everyone only gets One good talent. Both Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra were amazing vocalists but ravishingly ugly. This is a nice vid. Deffinatley staged, as most musicals were. You can tell this is a studio recording. But all of the people are who they are portraying.

[drmorb]

@Jefferson1942 moron

[wahoo76]

According to imdb.com, this short, "Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove" (1934) is an extra on the DVD of "The Gay Divorcee" starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The short runs 20 minutes. 

[BigBingFan]

On a Bing documentary, Anthony Quinn remvarked that all of Hollywood's elite met there, and when Bing was due there, the whole Hollywood community came calling in excitement to hear that "new" and profoundly moving, genuine voice, pure phrasing, etc....I can't remember the others who appeared, but they all say Bing brought the "house down." Just fyi.

[BuyBenco]

Is this a real clip or staged?

[perfectjazz78]

MGM filmed this in 1934 at the Cocoanut Grove

but it is most likely staged and scripted.

[meredith218461]

What a delightful historical clip. Bing had an amazing voice during the 30s.

[genatzvalee]

Love Bing! And it's so great to see Mary here, in color! Although she's obviously older she still has those "Little Girl" manners and mimics. She didn't change at all! Her voice is so nice, too.

I associate some of Bing songs with Mary: "Let me call you sweetheart", "Some Enchanted Evening" etc.

[loombaron]

this happened 76 years ago. wow!

[lcmoorejr]

Johnny Mack Brown had a great game (and season) as an Alabama running back, and after the Rose Bowl game had a screen test (as Paul "Bear" Bryant had in the mid-thirties). He was the most popular cowboy star in the movies, until Gene Autrey and Roy Rogers came along years later.

[antoniod]

Did Bing ever do a similar Technicolor short where he sang in front of a round mike in front of a dark background

[olderngod]

Such a beautiful journey back in time! Thanks for sharing, and thanks to reduxmisc for the tip!!!!

[ibtitrg]

What can you say about Bing's voice that hasnt already been said. What a performer!

[dannyditer]

Mary Pickford e Bing Crosby é perfeito.

[ababsurdo1567]

*Sigh*, the good old day when real men wore lipstick and eye-liner.

[acla9000]

Wow, such a team! And with Bing to finish!

[54spiritedwill54]

Crosby was brilliant, what a voice.

[BingandNelsonFan]

Thanks so much for posting this! I love young Bing and this is such a great song. Also cool to see the color.

[seproductionsyt]

As always, Bing show us just why he'll always be #1. Never seen him in colour THIS YOUNG. Thanks for posting!

[johndhackensacker]

Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove (1934) MGM

[AnInfant]

30s lol...funny people...HAAAH!

But I must admit...even though his style is outdated, he does have a better voice than anyone I have heard...

[Mr1920s]

This has terrif color for'34 !

[Corrie121]

I have waited many years to hear this Bing Crosby rendition of this lovely song. It is just beautiful.

I think Elizabeth Welshs' version is great too. Must Check if it is on "You Tube".

[waserman123]

beautiful song but the technicolor makes Bing look so pale and ghostly, they did a very bad job on the technicolor, but a gorgeas song.

[skot66]

I am so glad there are still films like this left..to escape from the world of today.

[vertxxgg]

ted Fiorito Orchestral renditions in Radio long recordings are too marvelous for words (I adore the kin o Hal Kemp soft syncopation telegramas too),...BING CROSBY what can I say inmense crooner.X.Q

[igallega]

beautiful song!

[crooner62]

Thank you for this wonderful glimpse of Mary Pickford and the lovely song from Bing. Is it from a traditional film? Or just a "short"?

[rocketlonscher]

Is that Leo Carillo? (Poncho the sidekick of the Cisco Kid)

[panamintjoe]

Thanks for the video perfectjazz78. Any chance we can see the FioRito Orchestra segment from this feature with the Johnny Candido vocal?..........This was a most difficult period for Bing, with the recent tragic loss of his brilliant guitar accompanist Eddie Lang, from which I don't think he ever really fully recovered.

[oldkiesel]

What a lovely voice Bing had! He was a powerful baritone but could be so gentle and ends with that light falsetto. And Bing was always so natural and "cool" - like Gary Cooper sitting at a table nearby. Isn't that Harry Barris at the piano - composer of MIssissippi Mud, I surrender Dear etc. and one of the 3 Rhythm Boys. Wonderful little time capsule! Thanks so much.

[DGatsby]

Thank you so much for hosting this! So wonderful to see it!

[64102256]

Beautiful song. Beautiful vocie of Bing. The best of all the crooners. Thanks for posting love it.

[MyLuckyCars]

70 years ago...

the great of 1934...

[Pschitt123]

Make-up was essential in early Technicolor as real skin tones looked artificial.

[breen2099]

Yea thats true about much of early film because they use the style of stage acting, that why some might think there is a bit of over acting, I can feel thier pain because I am a stage actor and have had enough make-up on my face to put Joan Rivers to shame. I like the fact that the biggest star of that time, and the biggest sex symbol was Bing even though he was a big guy just make you wonder whats up with our need to be skinny now a days.

[Saturnome]

Great to see the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub in it's primetime.

[bigcity233]

This is really great - Bing at his best! Thank you for uploading. This particular song was a big Bing Crosby hit.

[norfolk03]

This is pure gold, thanks so much for posting!

[perfectjazz78]

No, this is the Cocoanut Grove that was DEMOLISHED in 2006, along with the Ambassador Hotel complex in Los Angeles. Now a high school stands in its place.

[ConfusedSponge]

@perfectjazz78 the school must be haunted

[lorgain2]

Crosby was brilliant, what a voice.

[shealways]

mary still thinks shes in silents..all that gurning

[Ulysses61]

Too bad Bing was wearing make-up. He was beautiful without any make-up. The lipstick bugs me. But his voice... Perfection!!!!

[VintageLady1980]

Thank you for posting this! I love these early three-strip technicolor shorts featuring the big names of the day!!! Wooo! Grazie! :)

[pickfair]

Thank you SO much for uploading this !!! I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE mary pickford SO MUCH !!!!!

[650142]

What other singer has his range of smooth up and down thrown in with beautiful whistling.

No one. Thanks for this great clip of this great singer. Bing Crosby the one and only.

[Bloozboy91]

@650142  Al Bowlly

[MerleOberon]

Mary was a has-been and a lush by this point, she made Joan Crawford's life hell when Joan was married to her son Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

[nedsparks]

Fairbanks, Junior was the son of Anna Beth Sully, not Mary Pickford. Sully was married to Fairbanks, Senior from 1907-1919. Junior was born in December 1909.

[perfectjazz78]

Well, the Coconut Grove Nightclub was a nightclub in Los Angeles popular for entertainment during the years 1924-1970. The Ambassador Hotel in which it resided was demolished in 2006. This film was made as a star showcase to be shown before the main feature movie. The payment for all stars that appeared went to charity.

[wik699]

i have a question:what is " Cocoanut Grove Nightclub"?

And second question is:for what occasion this film was made?Please,answer.

[RetroArcaicoRex]

amazing clip!!!

World's Sweetheart were 42 years old!!!

excuse me, what movie is this?

[disco79]

Yawn... Bing Crosby lost it by this time. I think competition from Russ Columbo had made him imitate his style... which was much better. Crosby sang much better from 1929 to early 1934 ...before Russ Columbo died.

[Gregg30]

Lost it by 34?? Have you heard any clips of him from 77? He still had the most beautiful voice around.

[Victrolaman1]

I agree,Bing was the best of all time.

[scenicdesigner]

Just lovely. Thanks for posting this. Pickford is about 40 here, but still America's Sweetheart.

[Ulysses61]

Tood bad they put all that makeup on Bing, including eyeliner and lipstick. Bing didn't need makeup to look hot.

[perfectjazz78]

For Early technicolor movies, they had to put makeup on everyone, in order for the skin tone to register properly on the screen.

[disco79]

Bing Crosby hot? Please lol He wasn't hot even when he was young and he always looked older than his real age. Some handsome singers from this period include Lawrence Tibbett, John Boles, Paul Gregory, Lawrence Gray, Ramon Novarro, Charles Buddy Rogers, Dick Powell, Rudy Vallee, Scrappy Lambert, Charles King, Jack Whiting, Russ Columbo, Walter Pidgeon, Frank Fay, etc. etc. but Crosby? Give me a Break... lol

[sweetaliena]

yes he was!

[perfectjazz78]

My grandmother is 91 and was a HUGE fan of Bing when she was a teenager in the 1930's (She was 13 in 1929, so Bing's popularity coincided with her coming of age) After all these years she still has a color tinted photograph of Bing that she bought in 1932 !

[motoautotren]

television a color en 1934!!!

[perfectjazz78]

This is actually a Short Film.

[Sicamous]

And in Color too