The Big Broadcast

THE BIG BROADCAST (Paramount, 1932), directed by Frank Tuttle, is what one might classify to be the 'granddaddy' of all radio musicals, or the first of its kind. A satire, if ever there was one, from Mack Sennett type-comedy from the silent movie era to plenty of songs performed by notable radio personalities of the day. Historians will delight at the film's two-and-a-half minute opening of assortment of lobby frames coming to life with brief segments of radio entertainers doing what they do best, singing signature numbers as Bing Crosby's "When the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day," Kate Smith's "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain", The humming Boswell Sisters; Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher," Arthur Tracy's "Marta, Rose of the Wildwood," Vincent Lopez and his Orchestra; and Burns and Allen doing part of their funny verbal exchanges before the titles begin to roll. While Stuart Erwin heads the cast, it's the second billed Bing Crosby, in his first leading role in a feature film, who gets most of the attention.

The slight plot revolves around Bing Crosby (Bing Crosby), the most popular singer at WADX Radio Station in New York City. Due to his constant lateness, Mr. Clapsaddle (George Barbier), the upset sponsor, forces radio manager, George Burns (George N. Burns) to have Crosby fired. Anita Rodgers (Leila Hyams), Burns' secretary, silently loves Bing, though he fails to notice her. Bing is engaged to marry dancer, Mona Lowe (Sharon Lynn), the one responsible for his irresponsible behavior. While celebrating his final days as a bachelor with his friends at a speakeasy, Bing sees a newspaper article of Mona eloping with a broker and jilting Crosby. After befriending an equally depressed Leslie McWhinney (Stuart Erwin), a Texas oil man jilted by the girl he loves and being taken for $100,000 by a gold-digging widow, Bing invites the poor soul to his apartment where he plans a double suicide. Bing's plot fails with the arrival of Anita, Leslie's girlfriend from back home, with the news of Mr. Burns agreeing to give Bing his job back now that he's no longer engaged to be married. As Bing arranges to find Leslie a job at the studio, warrant officers turn up to close down the station. With his remaining $900,000, Leslie buys the radio station and becomes its president. All goes well until Mona Lowe returns to Bing life again, making him irresponsible once more. Here lies love.

With old and new tunes (by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger) combined for THE BIG BROADCAST, the musical program features that of "Dinah" (sung by Bing Crosby); "Speakeasy" (sung by telephone operators, Major, Sharp and Minor); "Here Lies Love" (sung by Arthur Tracy); "Here Lies Love" (reprised by Crosby); "Please" (Crosby); "Tiger Rag" (sung by the Four Mills Brothers); "Please" (reprise by Crosby); "I'm the Drummer" (sung by Vincent Lopez); "Trees" (sung by Donald Novis); "Crazy People" (sung by The Boswell Sisters); "It Was So Beautiful" (sung by Kate Smith); "Kicking the Gong Around" (sung by Cab Calloway); and "Please" (finale). At one point in history, a motion picture soundtrack of THE BIG BROADCAST was available through Sandy Hook records in the 1980s, but the movie itself thus far has never been distributed to home video.

The comedy team of George Burns (radio manager) and Gracie Allen (the receptionist) incorporate their vaudeville routines as part of the plot on two separate occasions rather than during the on-screen radio broadcast. The movie also acquires the brief glimpses of actual radio announcers (James Wallington, Donald Ball, William Brenton and Norman Brokenshire) introducing the upcoming acts. Paramount pulls no stops on broad comedy, whether cartoonish, the use of high speed projection, laughing toy horses or even allowing material reminiscent to those silent comedy era through situations enacted through radio theme music but no inter-titles as the hapless Leslie tries in vain to acquire a Bing Crosby record and prevent himself from either losing or damaging it.

Commonly presented on broadcast television in the 1970s and public television a decade later, the only known cable TV showing in latter years for THE BIG BROADCAST happened to be from American Movie Classics (1990-91). Due to its enormous popularity and career launching of Bing Crosby, Paramount repeated its success with follow-up sequels in name only: THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936 (1935), 1937 (1936) and 1938 (1938), with the 1938 edition being notable for the feature film introduction of Bob Hope, Crosby's on-screen partner in seven installments to "The Road to" comedy series from 1940-1962. Regardless of surreal plot and situations, THE BIG BROADCAST is nostalgic in its own little way, and should still be of entertaining value even today. One final note: Why do many references refer to Crosby's role as Bing Hornsby? He's addressed and billed as Bing Crosby throughout the entire story. And now, The Big Broadcast. (**1/2)

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 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.

...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.

An interesting example of the filmed radio broadcasts that were popular in the 1930s, this movie offers dozens of performers who were enormously popular in their day singing songs they made standards in the American songbook or doing the shticks for which they were famous. Among the best are Kate Smith singing "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain," Band leader Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher," and Bing Crosby crooning his classic "When the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)."