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| Also Known As: | Harry Lillis Crosby | Died: | October 14, 1977 |
| Born: | May 3, 1903 | Cause of Death: | heart attack |
| Birth Place: | Tacoma, Washington | Profession: | singer, actor, comedian, drummer, producer, businessman |
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Popular crooner and durable boxoffice star of the 1930s, 40s and 50s who amassed one of the entertainment world's largest fortunes. Crosby made his screen debut as a band singer in "King of Jazz" (1930), but his most successful films were the "Road" movies with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Crosby's effortless baritone, caramel-mellow singing style, and his easy-going, self-mocking charm helped him endure while other, flashier talents faded around him. His escapist material both in song (with mostly a "Sunny Side of the Street/Pennies From Heaven" upbeat philosophy) and in reassuring, sentimental films--"Holiday Inn" (1942), "Going My Way" (1944), "The Bells of St. Mary's" (1945), "White Christmas" (1954) and "High Society" (1956)--helped audiences forget the Depression, WWII and its aftermath and account for his enormous popularity. Although he refused to play screen heavies, in the 1950s Crosby proved his skill as dramatic actor with his complex performance as a washed-up alcoholic singer in "The Country Girl" (1954); he played another alcoholic, this time a doctor, in the 1966 remake of "Stagecoach". Crosby co-authored an autobiography, "Call Me Lucky" in 1952, but his son Gary's scathing...
Popular crooner and durable boxoffice star of the 1930s, 40s and 50s who amassed one of the entertainment world's largest fortunes. Crosby made his screen debut as a band singer in "King of Jazz" (1930), but his most successful films were the "Road" movies with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Crosby's effortless baritone, caramel-mellow singing style, and his easy-going, self-mocking charm helped him endure while other, flashier talents faded around him. His escapist material both in song (with mostly a "Sunny Side of the Street/Pennies From Heaven" upbeat philosophy) and in reassuring, sentimental films--"Holiday Inn" (1942), "Going My Way" (1944), "The Bells of St. Mary's" (1945), "White Christmas" (1954) and "High Society" (1956)--helped audiences forget the Depression, WWII and its aftermath and account for his enormous popularity. Although he refused to play screen heavies, in the 1950s Crosby proved his skill as dramatic actor with his complex performance as a washed-up alcoholic singer in "The Country Girl" (1954); he played another alcoholic, this time a doctor, in the 1966 remake of "Stagecoach". Crosby co-authored an autobiography, "Call Me Lucky" in 1952, but his son Gary's scathing portrait of his father in "Going My Own Way" (1983) revealed a stern, unloving disciplinarian contrary to Crosby's easy-going public image.
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CAST: (feature film)
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Notes
"I don't think I would have been believable as Scrooge for a minute. Everybody knows I'm just a big good-natured slob." --Bing Crosby quoted in his The New York Times Obituary, October 15, 1977.
Acquired nickname, "Bing-o" when he was seven or eight years old, because of his fondness for a comic strip called "The Bingville Bugle". An alternate story is that Crosby annoyed at teacher with a wooden gun while shouting "Bing-Bing!" and the teacher began calling him "Bing-Bing" [Source: The New York Times obituary, October 15, 1977.
"Bing sings like all people think they sing in the shower." --Dinah Shore
Bing Crosby was the most popular film star of the 1940s. His appearances in the annual exhibitor's poll of the top 10 most popular stars are as follows: Number 7 in 1934, Number 4 in 1937, Number 7 in 1940, Number 4 in 1943, Number 1 for five years in a row from 1944 to 1948 (a feat only equalled by Burt Reynolds in 1978-82), Number 2 in 1949, Number 3 in 1950, Number 5 in 1951, Number 4 in 1952, Number 5 in 1953, and Number 8 in 1954.
As of 2000, he till held the number of most Number One hit records -- 38. (By comparison, Elvis Presley had 18 and The Beatles had 24.)
"I can't think of any better way for a golfer who sings for a living to finish the round." --wife Kathryn Crosby at news conference after Crosby's death
Received the William D. Richardson Memorial Trophy for his contributions to the game of golf (1950).
Helped establish and became president of the Del Mar race track in California (sold interest in 1946 for nearly half a million dollars).
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