The Bing Crosby Show was recorded on November 12 1961 at the Associated-Rediffusion Television Studio 5 in Wembley, London. It was shot while Bing Crosby was making the movie The Road to Hong Kong (1962) in Britain with Bob Hope. It was directed by Peter Croft, a British director who had directed such British TV shows as Here and Now and Rush Hour, and would go onto direct episodes of Ready, Steady, Go!; Sexton Blake, and The Black Arrow. The guests on The Bing Crosby Show were almost exclusively British. Among them are names that are still recognizable to people world-wide today. Singer Shirley Bassey was just a few years away from world-wide fame with her rendition of the theme song to the James Bond movie Goldfinger (1964). Comedian and actor Terry-Thomas had already appeared in such films as Tom Thumb (1958), I'm All Right Jack (1959), and Make Mine Mink (1960). In an uncredited role as a bobby was Ron Moody, who had already appeared in an uncredited role in Make Mine Mink and would go onto appear in such films as Summer Holiday (1963) and The Mouse on the Moon (1963), as well as TV shows from The Avengers to Gunsmoke. Bob Hope had a cameo in The Bing Crosby Show. Miles Malleson had a career going back to the Thirties, and had appeared in such films as Brewster's Millions (1935), The 39 Steps (1935), The Thief of Bagdad (1940), Dead of Night (1946), and The Brides of Dracula (1960). While he was an American citizen, he was born in Eltham, London, his family immigrating to the United States when he was about five years old.
The other guests on The Bing Crosby Show may be recognizable to connoisseurs of British film and television. Dick Hills and Sid Green were British comedy writers who had written the British TV series The Strange World of Gurney Slade and Winning Widows, and would go onto work with the comedy team of Morecambe and Wise. Miriam Karlin was a British actress who starred on the British sitcom The Rag Trade and had appeared in the film The Entertainer (1960). Dave King was an English comedian, actor , and singer who had an uncredited role in The Road to Hong Kong, and would go onto play Clifford Duckworth on the British soap opera Coronation Street. Lennie Mayme was an actor who would become a TV director, directing such shows as Vendetta, Z Cars, The Troubleshooters, and Doomwatch. Marion Ryan was a popular British singer who appeared frequently on British television. Two rather obscure British vocal groups were also on the show, The Buskers and The Happy Wanderers.
The idea behind The Bing Crosby Show was that Bing Crosby was in England researching his family tree. Of course, this was primarily an excuse for appearances by British actors and singers. While there is some acknowledgement of Christmas at the start of the special, it is largely forgotten until the very end. In fact, Bing Crosby would sing only one Christmas song in the entire special. The special began with Bing Crosby performing "Great Day!," "That's Amore," and "Learn to Croon." Afterwards it would shift to a sketch in a tea shop, where Mr. Crosby, Marion Ryan, and Dave King performed such tea-themed songs as "Tea for Two" and " When I Take Sugar in My Tea." During the special Bing Crosby would find himself arrested for performing on the street without a licence by a policeman played by Ron Moody. There was then a courtroom sketch in which he performed Fats Waller's "My Fate is in Your Hands." Later Shirley Bassey performed "Lucky Day (This is My)," "I'm Shooting High," and 'As I Love You." Towards the end of the special there would be a medley of such songs as "Make Yourself at Home", "Any Old Iron," and "Knees Up Mother Brown." Bing's performance of "Knees Up Mother Brown" was interrupted by a cameo by Bob Hope in drag as Bing Crosby's long-lost Aunt May. The Bing Crosby Show ended with Bing singing the only Christmas song in the special, "White Christmas."
The Bing Crosby Show aired on the American Broadcasting Company on December 11 1961. The December 13 1961 review of the special in Variety was somewhat mixed, with the critic writing "The first two of Bing Crosby specials for ABC-TV may have been thin and tired in theme and some of its comedy but the hour managed to present some easy-going and bright musical moments." Jack Gould in The New York Times on December 12 1961 gave a more negative review, writing, "It was time last night for Bing Crosby's occasional television special on channel 7; this one was taped in England and used a number of British artists in an outing that was to prove very thin."
The Bing Crosby Show would not air in Britain until February 27 1963, when it aired on ITV. The reason for this was an ongoing dispute between ITV and the Equity Union. The special was then delayed until after the dispute was settled. This could possibly explain why, despite airing in the United States in December, The Bing Crosby Show features only one Christmas song, the aforementioned "White Christmas." They realized it wouldn't air in Britain until later.
While American critics may not have been impressed by Bing Crosby's initial Christmas television special, he would continue to appear in his own Christmas specials or host the Christmas editions of regularly scheduled programs until 1977. Although it was not done on purpose, Bing Crosby's first Christmas special, The Bing Crosby Show, and his final Christmas special Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, bookend each other rather well. Both specials were filmed in England and feature almost entirely British guests. Ron Moody appeared in both specials, playing a policeman in The Bing Crosby Show and multiple roles (including Bing Crosby's cousin Sir Percy Crosby and Charles Dickens) in Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas. Of course, at the time no one expected Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas to be Bing Crosby's last Christmas special. He died on October 13 1977 of a massive heart attack, only a little over a month since he had filmed the special.
The Bing Crosby Show is currently unavailable on streaming, not even YouTube. It was released on DVD in November 2010 as part of the set Bing Crosby: The Television Specials--Volume 2--The Christmas Specials. It was also included in the Time-Life DVD set The Best of the Bing Crosby Specials in 2018. Festival Films has also released the special on DVD. Since it first aired The Bing Crosby Show has not aired regularly, although the Nostalgia Channel showed a shortened version of the special in November 1995. Portions of the special have appeared on yet other DVDs, as well as special aired on television over the years.
I rather suspect many modern viewers, accustomed to the later Bing Crosby specials filled with Christmas songs, would be disappointed by The Bing Crosby Show. Regardless, it was Bing Crosby's first Christmas special of many. It would lead to his regular appearances on television during the holiday season, whether as the host of his own special or the host of a regularly scheduled show such as The Hollywood Palace.
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