Ondas Sonoras

Microphones not only changed cinema, the relatively new sound-capturing technology in the 1930s was also instrumental in introducing a new way of singing. No longer were vocalists, such as Al Jolson, forced to belt out tunes to listeners in cavernous auditoriums. An emerging generation of so-called crooners used the improved microphones to give a softer vocal delivery. Bing Crosby, at 29, was one of radio's more popular new crooners. Capitalizing on his widely-heard CBS radio show, '15 Minutes,' Paramount Pictures took advantage of the singer's star power by slotting him as the lead in his first feature film, October 1932's "The Big Broadcast." Based on William Ford Manley's 1932 play 'Wild Waves,' the movie served as a vehicle showcasing a bevy of radio personalities and musical acts built around Bing.

"The Big Broadcast" has Bing (also his character's name) more preoccupied with his fiancee Mona Lowe (Sharon Lynn) than his radio show when he shows up late for his broadcasts. The manager, George Burns (yes, the comedian), is on the verge of losing his radio station to bankruptcy. The movie's premise parallels Bing's early radio career when he didn't appear for the first couple of days to his premier '15 Minutes with Bing Crosby.' CBS had heavily promoted the singer's August 31, 1931 debut, but after rehearsing in a frigid air-conditioned studio earlier that day, his failure to come to the station that evening and on the following night led to rumors he was either too drunk or too nervous to sing. In reality, Crosby came down with a case of laryngitis.

"The Big Broadcast" was also George Burns' and his wife Gracie Allen's first feature film. Orphaned at a young age, Burns teamed up with three other kids to form the "Pee-Wee Quartet." Later in vaudeville, he was paired with females as a sounding board for his comic, singing and dancing routines. After one brief marriage, he partnered with Gracie Allen in 1923 and married her three years later. Burns recalled, "And all of a sudden the audience realized I had a talent. They were right. I did have a talent-and I was married to her for 38 years." At first Gracie said all the serious lines while George was the comic. As time passed, Burns discovered her quips were getting more laughs than his supposed funny jokes, so they switched deliveries. Gracie is the station manager's secretary in their debut film. The couple went on to become highly popular on the screen, in radio and on television.

"The Big Broadcast's" showcased several popular radio personalities as the station's new owner, Texas oilman Leslie McWhinney (Stuart Erwin), organized a single-night singing extravaganza to raise money. Cab Calloway, The Mills Brothers, Eddie Lang and Kate Smith are shown performing in front of the mic. Crosby himself sang three songs , including his hit 'Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day,' nominated by the American Film Institute as one of 400 tunes for the top 100 Songs in American Movies. The film was such a box office hit it spawned three additional feature films, "The Big Broadcast of 1936," "1937" and "1938." Newspaper reviews were generally very positive about Crosby's future in the entertainment world. Wrote the film critic for The New York American, "Bing Crosby is the star, make no mistake about it. He has a camera face and a camera presence. Always at ease, he troupes like a veteran." The reviewer must have had great intuition because Crosby went on to make over 70 feature films in his lifetime.

...That is, the storyline would plod. It actually does plod, but everything else distracted me from most of the plodding. And besides an intriguing screenplay was never the point of these "big broadcast" films.

So what is so odd? The film opens with a loudly ticking clock as everything in the radio station acts in synchronization with the sound of the clock. The steps of a messenger boy as he goes down the hall, the steps of a black cat as he walks, Cab Calloway's baton, as everybody is waiting for a tardy Bing Crosby.

When the sponsor of the show appears and demands that Bing be fired for persistent lateness, the clock face grows astonished eyes and its hands move in horror. The cat freezes and slips under a door through a half inch crack. A radio microphone grows astonished eyes when a surprising announcement is made.

Who else runs the radio station but George Burns aided by his hare brained secretary, Gracie Allen. "A lot of people around here have been driving me crazy for years and I thought for once I'd hire somebody that would drive them crazy." - Burns' explanation of why he hired this secretary.

The really oddest scene in the entire film? An attempted suicide by Bing and his new pal Leslie McWhinney (Stuart Erwin). Both just dumped by their gals, they turn on the gas in Bing's apartment and wait for the end. They begin to hallucinate, seeing a skull and dancing skeletons. Very precode. That and Stuart Erwin trying to make up with Leila Hyams while she is in the shower and he is just outside the curtain wearing her lingerie. If you want an explanation of this watch the film.

Note that Stu Erwin is top billed over Crosby as Bing's career is just starting out. In fact, this was Bing's first feature film for Paramount, the studio that would become his home. Erwin acquits himself well, including a long mute comic bit towards the end that he handles deftly.

The real reason to watch this besides the weird humor and the macabre and precode moments are the musical acts - Kate Smith, Cab Calloway and his orchestra, the Mills Brothers, and the Boswell Sisters. And Bing Crosby singing "Please" should please just about anyone.

Watch it for the comical and musical oddity that it is. I wish that somebody would clean it up and put it on physical media.

The Big Broadcast was the first major film of singing sensation Bing Crosby in which he had a starring role. Playing a fictional version of himself, Bing puts his comedic skills (that he had worked on for the shorts he made for Mack Sennett) to great use. The songs, direction by Frank Tuttle, the crazy special effects (that are amazing for 1932), and the list of famous radio stars of the day make this a really fun and entertaining film. This has recently been restored by UCLA but as yet there has been no official DVD release which is a pity. I rate this amongst the best of Bing's early films as it shows his complete naturalness in front of the camera whilst his renditions of Dinah, Here Lies Love and the hit song Please highlight his wonderful voice.

I first watched this movie 32 years ago when I moved to Jacksonville, FL, at 19 and was watching lots of afternoon TV during days I was looking for a job living at an aunt's house. This was Bing Crosby's big break in the movies having previously appeared In shorts and cameoed in other features. Also appearing are the comedy team of George Burns & Gracie Allen with Gracie's logic only making sense to Burns! Also, some of the most popular music stars of the time like Kate Smith, Donald Novis, Arthur Tracy, Vincent Lopez and His Orchestra, the Boswell Sisters who came from New Orleans which is a two-hour drive from where I now live in Baton Rouge, the Mills Brothers who perform "Tiger Rag" which is the theme song for my hometown's beloved LSU Tigers football team, and Cab Calloway and His Orchestra being his own crazy, hip self. In fact, he appears at the beginning as well! Director Frank Tuttle employs some great visual comedy whether through some silent comedy scenes or with some cartoonish effects with inanimate objects. There's even some surrealistic touches during a suicide attempt that's played for laughs. Stuart Erwin makes a good foil for Crosby. Leila Hyams is a fine leading lady, and Sharon Lynn is amusing as the lady that initially jilted Crosby. By the way, I mainly think of her as Lola from Way Out West, my favorite Laurel & Hardy movie. So on that note, I recommend The Big Broadcast.

The first of several films of the '30s with the title "The Big Broadcast" A mostly non-musical first hour of drama is followed by about 25min of 'the big broadcast', featuring various musical performances, interspersed by tom foolery by costar Stuart Erwin, who plays at being a wealthy Texas oil man, who buys the radio station, when it's about to fold up. Bing emerges from a taxi, to be swarmed by a large gang of women, on his way to the radio station, covered with lipstick on his face when he gets to sing. The drama mostly consists of several skits of inane talk by Burns and Allen, or interactions between Bing and Stuart and sometimes blonde knockout Leila Hyams, who can't make up her mind if she likes Bing or Stuart better. She has a competitor for Bing in Mona(Sharon Lynn), who married another, to Bing's disappointment. But she shows up later, having divorced. Thus, Bing then has a choice between her and Leila. During the first 60 min., Bing sings some, including "Dinah" with a shoe-shine 'boy' creating the rhythm. Later, he does a warm up of "Please", which will be the last number in the 'the big broadcast'

I give you three choices: 1) Watch the whole movie, to experience the drama, along with the actual 'big broadcast'. 2) Watch only the film beginning with the 60min mar, to delete most of the drama. 3)watch the YouTube 'the Big Broadcast 1932 excepts': a 12 min. Extraction of what are considered the most entertaining musical numbers of the actual 'big broadcast'. The musical performances during the actual 'big broadcast' include the following: 1) the Mills Brothers sing "Tiger Rag" I don't know how the one manages to make a very good imitation of a musical instrument with just his hands together. 2)The Vincent Lopez orchestra does a rather amusing novelty number 3)Vincent Novis sings the inspirational song "Trees" (Only God can make a tree) 4) The 3 Boswell sisters sing the jazzy "Crazy People" 5 )Kate Smith sings an inspirational number 6 )Cab Calloway dances around while singing "Minnie the Moocher", backed up by his band. Lastly, Stuart tries to mimic Bing, who is late, in singing "Please". Eventually, Bing shows up, and sings the last part. You also get a brief look at the luscious Leila, if you haven't already,. Mona is also present, with an unexplained black eye(she was last seen in Bing's company).

If you aren't familiar with the 3 Boswell Sisters, they grew up in New Orleans during the birth of jazz there, which influenced much of their music. They were very popular on radio, as well as records from mid '20s to mid '30s, encompassing the late 'jazz Age' and early 'Swing Era'. The Andrew sisters took over their spot in the late '30s and 40s, during the height of the 'Swing Era' and WWII. Hence, they tend to be more remembered, although they learned much from the Boswell Sisters. The McGuire Sisters then largely replaced the Andrew Sisters in the'50s, I tend to remember the McGuire Sisters the least of these 3. There are several songs by the Boswell Sisters at YouTube, or you can buy one of the several CDs of their music currently available.