The Bing Crosby Show

A rare TV special from 1968 in that it was filmed rather than taped at the Paramount Pictures studio. The bits with Hope are perhaps the weakest part of this special. The highlights are Bing singing "Mama Don't Allow" with Jose Feliciano and later singing a medley of current hits with Feliciano and Diana Ross and the Supremes. Feliciano also contributes a pretty good cover of "California Dreaming" while Diana Ross and the Supremes do a very upbeat version of "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" from "High Noon" that was shot on the Paramount western set which is now a parking lot. Bing also sings "That Face" on a crane as he swoops past pictures of great Hollywood faces of the past, ending on a ski nose joke about Hope. The western sketch with Hope as the Ski Nose Kid and Crosby as Marshall Noon ("Hi, Noon.") is pretty weak with a lot of "nance" comedy but does at least feature Stella Stevens and an appearance by Dorothy Lamour. Notably Bing's musical guests are all people of color, perhaps a bit risky in the turbulent 1960's, but its clear der Bingle is enjoying their talents and working with them. Well worth seeing for the music and the shots of what Paramount used to look like back in 1968.