BING CROSBY'S MERRIE OLDE CHRISTMAS {DAVID BOWIE, TWIGGY} (TV)
Summary
This musical Christmas special, recorded five weeks before Bing Crosby's death, features Crosby and his family with special guests David Bowie and Twiggy. Bing is surprised to receive a letter from a long-lost relative, Sir Percival Crosby, inviting the family to spend Christmas in England. Bing, his wife Kathryn, and three of their children – Nathaniel, Mary Frances and Harry – fly off to Britain, reviewing their family history in song and hoping that the invitation is not a case of "mistaken identity." At Sir Percy's grand home, they meet Hudson, the butler, Mrs. Bridges, the cook and Rose, the maid, all of whom look strangely alike. Sir Percy's "neighbor," Bowie, stops by to play the piano, and Bing and Bowie chat about their musical tastes before singing a duet of "Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy." Kathyrn chats with Mrs. Bridges in the kitchen as the children continue looking for written proof of their relation to Sir Percy, and in the library, Bing is surprised to encounter the house's former owner, Charles Dickens himself.
They are soon joined by Twiggy, who comments on Dickens' wide array of memorable characters, and several of Dickens' heroes and villains, including Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim from "A Christmas Carol," Fagin and The Artful Dodger from "Oliver Twist" and Nell Trent and Daniel Quilip from "The Old Curiosity Shop," then sing a song wondering "What Would You Be Without Me?" Next, Twiggy and Mary Frances search the house's attic and find some Crosby family artifacts, and Bing and Twiggy sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Bowie performs "Heroes," and Sir Percy finally arrives home and is pleased to be "Side by Side by Side" with Bing and Kathryn. The family ghost, a court jester named Leslie who resembles an old pal of Bing's, stops by to crack a few jokes, and the Trinity Boys Choir soon arrives to join the family and guests on a medley featuring "Jingle Bells," "Sleigh Ride," "Winter Wonderland," "Jingle Bell Rock," "Silver Bells," "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and "Carol of the Bells." Bing wishes the audience "hope and optimism" for the new year before closing the program with "White Christmas." Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: December 24, 1977 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:50:30
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:84509
- GENRE: Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: Music; Christmas
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1977
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Frank Konigsberg … Executive Producer
- Gary Smith … Producer
- Dwight Hemion … Producer, Director
- Buz Kohan … Writer
- Ian Fraser … Music by
- Larry Grossman … Music by
- Norman Maen … Choreographer
- Bing Crosby … Host, Performer
- David Bowie … Performer
- The Trinity Boys Choir … Performer
- Twiggy … Performer, Cast, Tiny Tim / The Artful Dodger / Nell Trent
- Ron Moody … Performer, Cast, Charles Dickens / Ebenezer Scrooge / Daniel Quilip
- Stanley Baxter … Cast, Hudson / Mrs. Bridges / Rose / Leslie
- Kathryn Crosby … Cast, Herself
- Harry Crosby … Cast, Himself
- Mary Frances Crosby … Cast, Herself
- Nathaniel Crosby … Cast, Himself