Bing Crosby Double Feature I - Here Is My Heart and Mississippi

Bing Crosby was one of the most beloved entertainers of the 20th century. He helped popularize the term "crooning" and pre-recording on radio and television, among other things. He started out in the 30's in two-reelers, but his popularity couldn't be contained to a mere 20 minutes for long. These two short musicals are among his earliest feature vehicles. How does Bing's star charm hold up today?

Here Is My Heart
Paramount, 1934
Starring Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Alison Skipworth, and Roland Young
Directed by Frank Tuttle
Music by Ralph Rainger and Lewis E. Gensler; Lyrics by Leo Robin

The Story: Wealthy radio crooner J. Paul Jones (Crosby) has always dreamed of presenting two dueling pistols once held by his namesake to the United States Navy. He owns one, but the other pair is in the possession of the Princess Alexandra (Carlisle). It's a family heirloom, and she won't part with it for anything. For all her haughty grandeur, she and her family of former Russian nobles are now poor, and are living in a luxury hotel off goodwill and borrowed money. Jones poses as a waiter to get into their private suite. The truth is, Alexandra is really bored and tired of hanging around with her dull elderly relatives. She wants something different...and this waiter who seems to be interested in her is certainly that. For his part, Jones finds himself falling for her when he realizes that she has a good heart under the icy demeanor and starts to wonder if his deception is a good idea.

The Song and Dance: This low-key romantic comedy with music coasts on the considerable charm of it's two leads. As good as Crosby is as the crooner, I was most impressed with Carlisle as the royal who has a warm heart under her cold outer shell. I also liked Young as the most enterprising of the nobles and William Frawley as a reporter digging for a story. Some of Jones' commentary on the idle rich and how they live (and are condescending to those who aren't in their circles) is actually pretty interesting (and still spot-on).

Favorite Number: The lovely "June In January" was the hit, but "Love Is Just Around the Corner" wins for a very original number where Bing sings a duet with a recording of himself performing the song. I also liked his first duet of "January" on the boat in the opening with Marion Mansfield as his girlfriend Claire.

What I Don't Like: Don't come here looking for big numbers or complicated plots. Jones' playing another waiter to make Alexandra miss him is as complicated as it gets. While the three main songs are quite good, they're played constantly throughout the short running time. I kind of wish there'd been at least one other number, maybe something a tad more uptempo. Carlisle and Crosby have some nice chemistry in their dialogue scenes, but her meticulous instrument doesn't mix well with his crooning, making their duet on "With Every Breath I Take" sound a bit odd.

The Big Finale: Short and sweet, this isn't the most important musical in the world, but it's worth checking out if you're a big fan of the leads or romantic comedy.

Home Media: While it is currently available as part of Universal's made-to-order Vault series on Amazon, your best bet may be to do what I did and buy it as part of a Crosby set with five other films (including Mississippi, below).

Universal Vault DVD
The Bing Crosby Collection DVD Set

Mississippi
Paramount, 1935
Starring Bing Crosby, Joan Bennett, W.C Fields, and Queenie Smith
Directed by A. Edward Sullivan
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Lorenz Hart

The Story: Tom Grayson (Crosby) is a northerner who has just become engaged to southern belle Elvira (Gail Patrick) at her father's plantation in the pre-Civil War south. Her younger sister Lucy (Bennett) has a crush on him, but he just thinks of her as a nice kid. The wedding is called off after the pacifistic Grayson refuses to fight a duel with Major Pattison (John Miljan), who is also interested in Elvira. He eventually gets a job on a show boat owned by Commodore Jackson (Fields), who promotes him as "The Singing Killer" after a man is accidentally killed in a brawl. He returns to Elvira to find that she's married...but Lucy is all grown up and still crazy about him. She's not so crazy about that new reputation of his, though...

The Song and Dance: While the sets and costumes aren't bad and Crosby and Smith get to sing some great Rodgers and Hart numbers, it's Fields who really walks off with this one. He supposedly worked well with Crosby, especially in the sequence where he tries to teach the young singer how to be tougher. Probably the most famous sequence from this is Fields' outlandish stories during a poker game on how he survived among a bloodthirsty Native American tribe.

Favorite Number: Rodgers and Hart wrote two songs for Crosby in this film that became major hits. While "Soon" gets the big build up, the one that's more associated with him is the sweet ballad "It's Easy to Remember." Smith also gets to have fun with the other Rodgers and Hart number, "Roll Mississippi."

What I Don't Like: For all the fun Crosby has with Fields mid-way through, he's mostly awkward and out-of-place in a period film. Bennett and Patrick aren't much better. Fields feels like the only actor who actually belongs here. The plot seriously hasn't dated well. Many people would likely agree with Tom's views on honor and violence today and think that the Major is being something of a drama queen, while others would be offended by the way the black characters are treated like furniture.

The Big Finale: Worth seeing at least once for fans of Crosby and/or Fields if you can handle the dated plot.

Home Media: Same deal here. It's also part of the Universal Vault, but you're probably better off getting that set, which is cheaper and easier to find.

Universal Vault DVD