Bing Crosby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian and actor. The first multimedia star, Crosby was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1931 to 1954. His early career coincided with recording innovations that allowed him to develop an intimate singing style that influenced many male singers who followed him, including Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Dean Martin. Yank magazine said that he was "the person who had done the most for the morale of overseas servicemen" during World War II. In 1948, American polls declared him the "most admired man alive", ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII. Also in 1948, Music Digest estimated that his recordings filled more than half of the 80,000 weekly hours allocated to recorded radio music.
Crosby won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Father Chuck O'Malley in the 1944 motion picture Going My Way and was nominated for his reprise of the role in The Bells of St. Mary's opposite Ingrid Bergman the next year, becoming the first of six actors to be nominated twice for playing the same character. In 1963, Crosby received the first Grammy Global Achievement Award. He is one of 33 people to have three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the categories of motion pictures, radio, and audio recording. He was also known for his collaborations with longtime friend Bob Hope, starring in the Road to... films from 1940 to 1962.
Crosby influenced the development of the postwar recording industry. After seeing a demonstration of a German broadcast quality reel-to-reel tape recorder brought to America by John T. Mullin, he invested $50,000 in a California electronics company called Ampex to build copies. He then convinced ABC to allow him to tape his shows. He became the first performer to pre-record his radio shows and master his commercial recordings onto magnetic tape. Through the medium of recording, he constructed his radio programs with the same directorial tools and craftsmanship (editing, retaking, rehearsal, time shifting) used in motion picture production, a practice that became an industry standard. In addition to his work with early audio tape recording, he helped to finance the development of videotape, bought television stations, bred racehorses, and co-owned the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.
Acted in
Twiggy
2025
as (archival footage)
I Can't Give You Anything But Love: The Jimmy McHugh Story
2024
as Self (archive footage)
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
2023
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
as Self - C.K Dexter-Haven (archive footage)
Grace Kelly – Hollywoods tragische Prinzessin
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Dean Martin: King of Cool
2021
as Self (archive footage)
My Music: A Classic Christmas
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Howard
2018
as Jeff Peters (archive footage)
This Is Bob Hope...
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
2014
as Self (archive footage)
And the Oscar Goes To...
2014
as Self (archive footage)
Bing Crosby: The Television Specials Volume 2 – The Christmas Specials
2010
as Self
Tim Conway: Timeless Comedy
2007
as Self
Legends
2006
as Self (archive footage)
"All -Singing All-Dancing" Before And After
2006
as Archive Footage
Grace Kelly: Destiny of a Princess
2006
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
Legendary Christmas Entertainers
2005
as Self
'Twas the Night - A Holiday Celebration
2004
as Self
Bing Crosby: Legends in Concert
2004
as Self
Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love
2003
as Self (Archive Footage)
Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Ghosts & Gravesites
2003
as (archive footage)
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.1
2003
as Narrator / Ichabod Crane / Brom Bones (voice) (archive footage)
Edith Head: The Paramount Years
2002
as (archive footage)
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
2001
as Self (archive footage)
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
2001
as Self (archive footage)
'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney
2000
as Bob Wallace (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hollywood Musicals of the 40's
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999
as Self (archive footage)
Classic Commercials: Volume 3
1998
A Bing Crosby Christmas
1998
as Self - Host (archive footage)
Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas
1997
as Bob Wallace (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
Shanks for the Memory
1994
Songs That Won the War
1994
as Himself (Archive)
Holiday Greetings from 'The Ed Sullivan Show'
1992
as Self - Vocalist (archive footage)
The Magic of Bing Crosby
1991
as Self (archive footage)
You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story
1990
as Self (archive footage)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988
as Self (archive footage)
Grace Kelly: The American Princess
1987
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
as Self (archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
as (archive footage)
Showbiz Goes to War
1982
as (archive footage)
Disney's Halloween Treat
1982
as (archive footage)
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
1982
as Self (archive footage)
The Hollywood Clowns
1979
as (archive footage)
Bing Crosby: The Christmas Years
1978
as Himself (archival footage)
Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas
1977
as Self
Halloween Hall o' Fame
1977
as Narrator/Brom Bones
Bing Crosby: Live In Mysen, Norway
1977
as Himself
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
It's Showtime
1976
as Self (archive footage)
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
1975
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment!
1974
as Self - Host / Narrator
Bing Crosby's Sun Valley Christmas Show
1973
Cancel My Reservation
1972
as Himself (uncredited)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972
as Self (archive footage)
Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas
1971
as Himself
The Great Radio Comedians
1971
as Self
The Pearl Bailey Show
1971
as Self
Dr. Cook's Garden
1971
as Leonard Cook
Bing Crosby: Cooling It
1970
as Self
Goldilocks
1970
as Self / Papa Bear (voice)
Swing Out, Sweet Land
1970
as Mark Twain
The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell
1968
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Movie Orgy
1968
as Self (archive footage)
The Carol Burnett Show
1967
as Self
The Carol Burnett Show
1967
as Self - Guest / Various Characters
Christmas with Crosby & Kate
1966
as Himself
Stagecoach
1966
as Doc Josiah Boone
Cinerama's Russian Adventure
1966
as Narrator (voice)
Bing Crosby Color Christmas Show
1965
as Self (host)
Bob Hope Christmas Show
1965
The Bing Crosby Show
1964
as Bing Collins
Robin and the 7 Hoods
1964
as Allen A. Dale
Hollywood and the Stars
1964
as (archive footage)
The Sound of Laughter
1963
as Bob (Singer in Grocery Store)
The Bing Crosby Show
1962
as Himself
The Road to Hong Kong
1962
as Harry Turner
The Bing Crosby Show
1961
as Self
Big Night Out: The Peggy Lee Show
1961
The Grand Olympics
1961
as Himself
Pepe
1960
as Bing Crosby
High Time
1960
as Harvey Howard
Let's Make Love
1960
as Bing Crosby (uncredited)
Lifetime of Comedy
1960
as (archive footage)
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show
1959
as Self
Say One for Me
1959
as Father Conroy
Alias Jesse James
1959
as Bing (uncredited)
Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank
1957
as Self
Frank Sinatra Show
1957
as Self
The Edsel Show
1957
as Self
Man on Fire
1957
as Earl Carleton
High Society
1956
as C. K. Dexter-Haven
Anything Goes
1956
as Bill Benson
High Tor
1956
as Van Van Dorn
Showdown at Ulcer Gulch
1956
as Influential Man
The Country Girl
1954
as Frank Elgin
White Christmas
1954
as Bob Wallace
The Bing Crosby Show
1954
as Self
Little Boy Lost
1953
as Bill Wainright
Scared Stiff
1953
as Skeleton (uncredited)
Road to Bali
1953
as George Cochran
Off Limits
1952
as Bing Crosby (archive footage) (uncredited)
Just for You
1952
as Jordan Blake
Son of Paleface
1952
as Driver (uncredited)
The Greatest Show on Earth
1952
as Spectator (uncredited)
Angels in the Outfield
1951
as Bing Crosby (uncredited)
Here Comes the Groom
1951
as Peter 'Pete' Garvey
Mr. Music
1950
as Paul Merrick
The Jack Benny Program
1950
as Bing Crosby
Screen Actors
1950
as Self (uncredited)
Riding High
1950
as Dan Brooks
You Can Change The World
1950
as Self
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1949
as Narrator
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
1949
as Narrator (segment "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow")
Top o' the Morning
1949
as Joe Mulqueen
Jolson Sings Again
1949
as Himself (voice) (uncredited)
Down Memory Lane
1949
as (archive footage)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
1949
as Hank Martin
The Emperor Waltz
1948
as Virgil Smith
Road to Rio
1947
as Scat Sweeney
Variety Girl
1947
as Bing Crosby
Road to Hollywood
1947
as Himself
Welcome Stranger
1947
as Dr. James 'Jim' Pearson
My Favorite Brunette
1947
as Harry (uncredited)
Blue Skies
1946
as Johnny Adams
Road to Utopia
1946
as Duke Johnson
The Bells of St. Mary's
1945
as Father Chuck O'Malley
We've Got Another Bond to Buy
1945
Hollywood Victory Caravan
1945
as Bing Crosby
Duffy's Tavern
1945
as Bing Crosby
Out of This World
1945
as Herbie Fenton (singing voice)
Road to Home
1945
as Self
The All-Star Bond Rally
1945
as Self
Here Come the Waves
1944
as Johnny Cabot
The Princess and the Pirate
1944
as Margaret's Sweetheart (uncredited)
The Road to Victory
1944
as Bing Crosby (uncredited)
The Shining Future
1944
as Self
Going My Way
1944
as Father Chuck O'Malley
Dixie
1943
as Daniel Decatur Emmett
Show-Business at War
1943
as Self
They Got Me Covered
1943
as Music Box (voice)
Road to Morocco
1942
as Jeff Peters
My Favorite Blonde
1942
as Man Outside Union Hall (uncredited)
Star Spangled Rhythm
1942
as Bing Crosby
Holiday Inn
1942
as Jim Hardy
Birth of the Blues
1941
as Jeff Lambert
Road to Zanzibar
1941
as Chuck Reardon
Rhythm on the River
1940
as Bob Sommers
Swing with Bing
1940
as Himself
If I Had My Way
1940
as Buzz Blackwell
Road to Singapore
1940
as Joshua 'Josh' Mallon V
The Star Maker
1939
as Larry Earl
East Side of Heaven
1939
as Denny Martin
Paris Honeymoon
1939
as 'Lucky' Lawton
Sing, You Sinners
1938
as Joe Beebe
Hollywood Handicap
1938
as Himself
Doctor Rhythm
1938
as Dr. Bill Remsen
Double or Nothing
1937
as 'Lefty' Boylan
Waikiki Wedding
1937
as Tony Marvin
Pennies from Heaven
1936
as Larry Poole
Rhythm on the Range
1936
as Jeff Larabee
Anything Goes
1936
as Billy Crocker
The Big Broadcast of 1936
1935
as Bing
Two for Tonight
1935
as Gilbert Gordon
Mississippi
1935
as Tom Grayson
Here Is My Heart
1934
as J. Paul Jones
Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove
1934
as Self
She Loves Me Not
1934
as Paul Lawton
We're Not Dressing
1934
as Stephen Jones
Hollywood on Parade No. B-4
1934
as Self
Going Hollywood
1933
as Bill 'Billy' Williams
Please
1933
as Howard Jones
Too Much Harmony
1933
as Eddie Bronson
College Humor
1933
as Professor Frederick Danvers
Sing, Bing, Sing
1933
as Bing
The Big Broadcast
1932
as Bing Hornsby
Hollywood on Parade No. A-2
1932
as Self
Hollywood on Parade
1932
as Self
Hollywood on Parade No. A-4
1932
as Self (uncredited)
Billboard Girl
1932
as Bing
Dream House
1932
as Bing Fawcett (Plumber)
One More Chance
1931
as Bing Bangs
Blue of the Night
1931
as Bing Crosby / Jack Smith
I Surrender Dear
1931
as Bing Crosby
Confessions of a Co-Ed
1931
as Bing
Reaching for the Moon
1930
as Bing
The March of Time
1930
as Self
Two Plus Fours
1930
as Bing
King of Jazz
1930
as Trio Singer (as The Rhythm Boys)