"Well, Merry Christmas ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our Christmas show, from Bulova, the gift of a lifetime, and Chesterfield, my cigarette." - Frank Sinatra
Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank DVD Review
By Jonathan Boudreaux
In the fall of 1950, The Frank Sinatra Show joined CBS' schedule. At the time, Sinatra was at the top of his career, so the show's success was practically a given. CBS saddled the series with tough timeslots against the hits Your Show of Shows and Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater, though, and the series was cancelled after only two seasons.
Sinatra was lured back to television in 1957 by ABC. With his film career in full swing, Sinatra decided that his new The Frank Sinatra Show would follow a loose format. Some weeks it would be a variety show, other weeks a dramatic show, and some weeks he would simply introduce episodes in which he would not appear. This show, too, was a failure, and was cancelled after one season.
In 2001, Sinatra's daughter Nancy, herself a pop veteran with the variety special Movin' with Nancy under her belt, began to examine old film canisters as part of her role as family archivist. While trying to determine which parts of the family's large film library were in danger of decomposition, she stumbled upon a theretofore unknown color print of Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank, the 1957 series' Christmas special. Happy Holidays was broadcast for the first time in over forty years on the cable channel Trio in December of 2001, and now it is available on DVD.
The show begins with Sinatra decorating a Christmas tree and singing Christmas tunes in his cool bachelor pad. Or trying to, anyway - he drops one of his decorations and merely shrugs it off. No second takes for Frank Sinatra! Soon Leon, Sinatra's Polynesian manservant, is showing in Bing Crosby. Sinatra and Crosby exchange drinks, Christmas presents - each gives the other a copy of the giver's Christmas album - and hep cat banter before launching into a swinging version of "Jingle Bells."
Before you can say "kitsch," the two are interrupted by the doorbell. On the doorstep they discover a group of carolers performing "Deck the Halls" in front of what looks like a giant Christmas card depicting a bucolic snow-filled scene. Inexplicably, all of the carolers are dressed in ye olde English costumes. The crooners join the carolers, which causes a rift in the time/space continuum, sending Frank and Bing back in time, complete with ye olde English costumes of their own. While singing such chestnuts as "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "O Come All Ye Faithful," the group wanders around an extraordinarily fake Victorian England set, much to the delight of two old crones who watch from second story windows and who can barely muster the energy to clap. Frank and Bing seem more concerned with getting sloshed than singing - each peasant seems to be holding a drink from them.
Back home in groovy pad, the men sing to each other between drinks - Frank takes on "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" while Bing interprets "Away in a Manger." Then they duet on "Little Town of Bethlehem" before it's time for a round of secular songs - "Rudolph" for Bing and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" for Frank. Afterwards, they duet on "The Christmas Song" while sitting around the fireplace-cum-barbeque pit.
Bing begins to sing "White Christmas" while staring contemplatively out of the window. Frank, of course, is fetching more booze. When both safely have their scotches in hand, Frank joins Bing for the rest of the song. Once the song is over, they wish us a merry Christmas and walk away just as - thanks to the miracle of a stagehand and a broom - it begins to snow.
As the credits begin to roll, we then learn the kookiest thing about the show - it was directed by none other than Francis Albert Sinatra!
Video and Audio
The video of Happy Holidays is relatively poor. There are many examples of dirt, blotches, and scratches throughout the show. More noticeable, however, is the spotty and inconsistent color. The color often fluctuates, and Sinatra's skin tone, for example, sometimes takes on a green tinge.
The sound, which is available in both 2.0 Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1, is terrific.
Extras
The "Bonus Features" menu contains a well-rounded collection of extras. First up is a "Commentary Track with William Self (Producer of Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank), Bill Miller (Frank Sinatra's Piano Player), and Al Viola (Frank Sinatra's Guitar Player)." Self is an especially funny and informative commentator, making this a necessity for fans. We learn, for example, that Crosby recorded his songs each morning for lip syncing at the show's nighttime tapings. Sinatra preferred to sing live, however, so when the show was filmed, he sang along to Crosby's tape.
Next is the twenty-five minute "Q&A with Nancy Sinatra, Tina Sinatra, and William Self Conducted at the Museum of Television & Radio." This is a terrific extra that was taped at the first public screening of the then-newly found special in 2001 at the Museum of Television & Radio. Interestingly enough, the Sinatras comment on the horrible state of the special's cover and its need of restoration. (When Tina learns that the special would indeed be released on DVD at some point in the future, she says "I'd work on it a little bit." Apparently her advice was not taken.) The sisters and William Self provide many fun bits of information. One unintentionally entertaining aspect of this Q&A is the fact that Tina and Nancy are barely civil to each other, constantly snapping at each other and then pulling back.
"Original Frank Sinatra Show Ad" is still ad for the show and for its sponsor, Chesterfield Cigarettes. A second screen features a close-up of the top half of the ad.
"Photos from the Set" presents twenty-one black and white stills and candid shots from the filming of the episode."Original Ads from TV Guide" focuses on two clippings from the venerable magazine. The first is the spotlight listing for Bing and Frank, which TV Guide calls a "songalog of Christmas tunes old and new." One screen presents an overview of the listing while two subsequent screens take a closer look at each half, greatly aiding in the reading of the clipping. The article "Music Hits a High Note" is also included. This article details all of the Christmas specials that were set to run in 1957. Again, the first screen presents an overview of the entire article while subsequent screens blow up the image to aid in reading.
"Original Public Service Announcements Featuring Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby" features five spots. First up is "Battlefield," a black and white Christmas Seals short featuring Sinatra and a young Jerry Mathers (Leave it to Beaver). This spot ran in movie theaters in the 1950s. The remaining PSAs ran on television in the 1970s. Sinatra is seen in one spot for blindness prevention and two for the Foster Parents Plan. Crosby is represented by an Arthritis Foundation commercial. Together, these clips run five minutes and are a fun throwback to another era. Helpfully, the DVD producers also include current contact information for the charities featured in the spots.
"Classic Holiday Song Sheets" is a five screen collection of covers from Sinatra and Crosby sanctioned sheet music.
Sinatra's artistic side is showcased in "Classic Frank Sinatra Christmas Cards," reproductions of two scary clown-themed Christmas cards painted by Sinatra in the early 1950s.
"Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank Trailer" is a two and a half minute commercial for this DVD release.
Summary
While Happy Holiday with Bing and Frank runs only twenty-six minutes, it manages to pack in much holiday fun and kitschy charm into its short running time. Knowing that the main feature is short, the DVD's producers chose several quality extras to round out the package. This DVD is easily recommendable to anyone who wants to experience the joy of a retro Christmas.
12/9/03
