Billboard Girl

In the very early 1930s, Bing Crosby made a big splash as a singer for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. He was part of a trio but stood out for his crooning ability...so much so that film offers soon arrived for him. What IS surprising is the types of film offers. Instead of going right into feature films, Crosby made a string of shorts for Mack Sennett of all people...the man associated with slapstick in the 1910s. For the most part, they are amiable little films...pleasant diversions.

In "Billboard Girl", Bing has been corresponding with a girl and is going with a friend to go meet her. However, he doesn't know it's a cruel joke...and a cross-dressing guy is planning on making love to him! What's next? And, does he get the girl?

This is a pleasant comedy with Bing singing a pleasant tune at the end. It's not exactly life-changing to see but pleasant and entertaining....and with a couple laughs.

Bing is a magazine salesman on the road who falls in love with a college girl who is featured on billboards. Bing writes her letters, which are answered by her nelly brother. When Bing arrives at the college town, expecting a hot romance, the girl doesn't know him. The nelly brother than arranges a date with Bing. He is dressed in drag by his fraternity brothers, down to undies and stockings. The billboard girl witnesses Bing's impassioned wooing of her brother and wants it for herself. She takes her brother's place, myopic Bing being none the wiser, and swoons when Bing sings to her. Bing convinces the girl to elope with him. Her father objects. A wild Mack Sennett chase ensues. Bing wins out. The brother will have to seek love elsewhere. One of the best of the Bing-Sennett two reelers.

College student Bing Crosby is in love with billboard girl Babe Kane. His classmates decide to torment him by intercepting his letters and sending passionate replies to the poor goof. When he meets her on the street, he kisses her heartily, which earns him a punch in the jaw form her fiancee; however, when he starts to croon, how can any girl resist?

It's one of the half dozen shorts with Crosby produced b Mack Sennett..... a good stpeping stone to stardom for Crosby, even if the comedy sections seem tired. Still, the camera seems to like him, and the microphone adores his voice.

In between his appearance with the Rhythm Boys in The King Of Jazz and his contract with Paramount for feature films, Bing Crosby did a series of short comedies for Mack Sennett. Billboard Girl is one of them and its almost a dress rehearsal for one of Crosby's early feature films, Going Hollywood. If you remember in that one Marian Davies is the lovesick French teacher who falls in love with radio crooner Bing.

Except that in Billboard Girl, Bing has the Davies part. He's a lovesick magazine salesman who falls for college coed Marjorie Kane. He locates her and tries to phone but gets her practical joking brother James Eagles instead. Stewart and his fraternity pals think it would be a real hoot for Bing to meet up with Eagles in drag.

But when he does meet Marjorie you know she's going to fall for Bing the minute a few golden notes emerge. In this case Crosby sings For You and We're You Sincere. Bing never recorded For You on record, but his Brunswick recording of We're You Sincere is a favorite among collectors of Crosbyana.

With sidekick Dick Stewart Bing has a few good comic moments a mere hint of what was to come when he'd team up with Bob Hope several years later. Billboard Girl is typical of the work Crosby did with Mack Sennett in this step up to super stardom.