A Bing Crosby Christmas
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: B Main Program: B-
Until
Elton John cut his revised “Candle In The
Wind” in honor of the still controversial death of Princess Diana, Bing
Crosby’s “White Christmas” was the
most successful single record ever cut in records history. It may even reclaim that position sometime,
but you do not need to get the DVDs of Mark Sandrich’s Holiday Inn (1942) and Michael Curtiz’s White Christmas (1954) to see Bing kick it.
A Bing Crosby Christmas is a decent amalgamation of all
the great stars that appeared with Bing over the years on his Christmas
specials. The fine roister includes Fred
Astaire, David Bowie, Carol Burnett, Melba Moore, Mary Martin, Gene Kelly,
Connie Stevens, Michael Landon, Roy Clark, Twiggy, Bernadette Peters, and
Jackie Gleason. That’s a fine roster
anyway you look at it. This is held
together by filmed segments with Kelly and Crosby’s widow Kathryn.
Who knows
where these film segments are today, but they are here a few generations down
on this old analog-video produced program.
Everything on the DVD is full frame, including the supplements. This includes the Bing Biography which is not
text, but voice-over with pictures, a Christmas Discography with the over 70
songs he cut on the subject, down to one of the best for last, “Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy” duet
with David Bowie included in the main program, a Mack Sennet-produced
one-reeler “Blue of the Night” from early in his career, and an early black and
white program that rivals the main feature.
Dubbed Bing on TV, the videotaped (or is that
kinescoped) image is muddy, but the performances are non-Christmas and
exceptional. Frank Sinatra, Louis
Armstrong, Rosemary Clooney, and Bob Hope all appear in their spontaneous prime
in what has to be one of the great early TV specials. It is an historic event as far as TV history
is concerned and pushes the extras beyond what this critic could have ever
expected form a Christmas DVD.
The Dolby
Digital 2.0 sound is various and monophonic throughout, but is never as much of
a problem as one might expect. There is
no remixing here, but it is never harsh, shrill or too stressed.
It may
not be for everyone, but for a Christmas title, you can do much worse than A Bing Crosby Christmas for your
holiday needs.
- Nicholas Sheffo
