Bing Crosby

Acting

Born May 3, 1903 — Died October 14, 1977 Tacoma, Washington, USA

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.

TV Shows(22)

Movies(194)

Twiggy

(archival footage)

2025

I Can't Give You Anything But Love: The Jimmy McHugh Story

Self (archive footage)

2024

Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

2023

Grace Kelly – Hollywoods tragische Prinzessin

Self (archive footage)

2022

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues

Self - C.K Dexter-Haven (archive footage)

2022

Rat Pack

Self (archive footage)

2022

Dean Martin: King of Cool

Self (archive footage)

2021

My Music: A Classic Christmas

Self (archive footage)

2019

Howard

Jeff Peters (archive footage)

2018

This Is Bob Hope...

Self (archive footage)

2017

Bing Crosby: Rediscovered

Self (archive footage)

2014

Michael Bublé: Home For The Holidays

Self (archive footage)

2012

Bing Crosby: The Television Specials Volume 2 – The Christmas Specials

Self (archive footage)

2010

The Best of Johnny Carson

Self (archive footage)

2010

Tim Conway: Timeless Comedy

Self

2007

"All -Singing All-Dancing" Before And After

Self - (archive footage)

2006

Grace Kelly: Destiny of a Princess

Self - Actor (archive footage)

2006

Legendary Christmas Entertainers

Self

2005

'Twas the Night - A Holiday Celebration

Self

2004

Bing Crosby: Legends in Concert

Self

2004

Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love

Self (Archive Footage)

2003

Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer

Self (archive footage)

2003

Hollywood Ghosts & Gravesites

Self (archive footage)

2003

Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.1

Narrator / Ichabod Crane / Brom Bones (voice) (archive footage)

2003

Edith Head: The Paramount Years

Self (archive footage)

2002

The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1

Self (archive footage)

2001

The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2

Self (archive footage)

2001

'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney

Bob Wallace (archive footage) (uncredited)

2000

Hollywood Musicals of the 40's

Self (archive footage)

2000

Television: The First Fifty Years

Self (archive footage)

1999

Classic Commercials: Volume 3

1998

A Bing Crosby Christmas

Self - Host (archive footage)

1998

Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas

Bob Wallace (archive footage)

1997

That's Entertainment! III

(archive footage)

1994

Shanks for the Memory

1994

Songs That Won the War

Himself (Archive)

1994

Holiday Greetings from 'The Ed Sullivan Show'

Self - Vocalist (archive footage)

1992

A Classic Christmas from The Ed Sullivan Show

Self

1992

The Magic of Bing Crosby

Self (archive footage)

1991

You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story

Self (archive footage)

1990

Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC

Self (archive footage)

1988

Grace Kelly: The American Princess

Self (archive footage)

1987

Classic Comedy Teams

Self (archive footage)

1986

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

Self (archive footage)

1985

Going Hollywood: The '30s

(archive footage)

1984

Showbiz Goes to War

Self (archive footage)

1982

Disney's Halloween Treat

(archive footage)

1982

Showbiz Ballyhoo

Self (archive footage)

1982

Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

Self (archive footage)

1982

The Hollywood Clowns

(archive footage)

1979

Bing Crosby: The Christmas Years

Himself (archival footage)

1978

Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas

Self

1977

Halloween Hall o' Fame

Narrator/Brom Bones

1977

Bing Crosby: Live In Mysen, Norway

Himself

1977

Bob Hope's World of Comedy

Self (archive footage)

1976

That's Entertainment, Part II

(archive footage)

1976

It's Showtime

Self (archive footage)

1976

Hooray for Hollywood

Self (archive footage)

1976

Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television

Self

1975

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Self (archive footage)

1975

That's Entertainment!

Self - Host / Narrator

1974

Bing Crosby's Sun Valley Christmas Show

1973

Cancel My Reservation

Himself (uncredited)

1972

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

Self (archive footage)

1972

Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas

Himself

1971

The Great Radio Comedians

Self

1971

Dr. Cook's Garden

Leonard Cook

1971

Bing Crosby: Cooling It

Self

1970

Goldilocks

Self / Papa Bear (voice)

1970

Swing Out, Sweet Land

Mark Twain

1970

The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1968

The Movie Orgy

Self (archive footage)

1968

Christmas with Crosby & Kate

Himself

1966

Stagecoach

Doc Josiah Boone

1966

Cinerama's Russian Adventure

Narrator (voice)

1966

Bing Crosby Color Christmas Show

Self (host)

1965

Bob Hope Christmas Show

Self

1965

Robin and the 7 Hoods

Allen A. Dale

1964

The Sound of Laughter

Bob (Singer in Grocery Store)

1963

The Bing Crosby Show

Himself

1962

The Road to Hong Kong

Harry Turner

1962

The Bing Crosby Show

Self

1961

Big Night Out: The Peggy Lee Show

1961

The Grand Olympics

Himself

1961

Pepe

Bing Crosby

1960

High Time

Harvey Howard

1960

Let's Make Love

Bing Crosby (uncredited)

1960

Lifetime of Comedy

(archive footage)

1960

The Frank Sinatra Timex Show

Self

1959

Say One for Me

Father Conroy

1959

Alias Jesse James

Bing (uncredited)

1959

The All-Star Christmas Show

Self

1958

Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank

Self

1957

The Edsel Show

Self

1957

Man on Fire

Earl Carleton

1957

High Society

C. K. Dexter-Haven

1956

Anything Goes

Bill Benson

1956

High Tor

Van Van Dorn

1956

Showdown at Ulcer Gulch

Influential Man

1956

The Country Girl

Frank Elgin

1954

White Christmas

Bob Wallace

1954

The Bing Crosby Show

Self

1954

Little Boy Lost

Bill Wainright

1953

Scared Stiff

Skeleton (uncredited)

1953

Off Limits

Bing Crosby (archive footage) (uncredited)

1952

Road to Bali

George Cochran

1952

Just for You

Jordan Blake

1952

Son of Paleface

Driver (uncredited)

1952

The Greatest Show on Earth

Spectator (uncredited)

1952

Angels in the Outfield

Bing Crosby (uncredited)

1951

Here Comes the Groom

Peter 'Pete' Garvey

1951

Mr. Music

Paul Merrick

1950

Moments in Music

Self

1950

Screen Actors

Self (uncredited)

1950

Riding High

Dan Brooks

1950

You Can Change The World

Self

1950

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Narrator

1949

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Narrator (segment "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow")

1949

Top o' the Morning

Joe Mulqueen

1949

Jolson Sings Again

Himself (voice) (uncredited)

1949

Down Memory Lane

Bing Crosby

1949

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Hank Martin

1949

The Emperor Waltz

Virgil Smith

1948

Road to Rio

Scat Sweeney

1947

Variety Girl

Bing Crosby

1947

Road to Hollywood

Himself

1947

Welcome Stranger

Dr. James 'Jim' Pearson

1947

My Favorite Brunette

Harry (uncredited)

1947

Blue Skies

Johnny Adams

1946

Road to Utopia

Duke Johnson

1946

The Bells of St. Mary's

Father Chuck O'Malley

1945

We've Got Another Bond to Buy

1945

Hollywood Victory Caravan

Bing Crosby

1945

Duffy's Tavern

Bing Crosby

1945

Out of This World

Herbie Fenton (singing voice)

1945

Road to Home

Self

1945

The All-Star Bond Rally

Self

1945

Here Come the Waves

Johnny Cabot

1944

The Princess and the Pirate

Margaret's Sweetheart (uncredited)

1944

The Road to Victory

Bing Crosby (uncredited)

1944

The Shining Future

Self

1944

Going My Way

Father Chuck O'Malley

1944

Dixie

Daniel Decatur Emmett

1943

Show-Business at War

Self

1943

Don't Hook Now

Self

1943

They Got Me Covered

Music Box (voice)

1943

Road to Morocco

Jeff Peters

1942

Holiday Inn

Jim Hardy

1942

My Favorite Blonde

Man Outside Union Hall (uncredited)

1942

Star Spangled Rhythm

Bing Crosby

1942

Birth of the Blues

Jeff Lambert

1941

Road to Zanzibar

Chuck Reardon

1941

Rhythm on the River

Bob Sommers

1940

Swing with Bing

Himself

1940

If I Had My Way

Buzz Blackwell

1940

Road to Singapore

Joshua 'Josh' Mallon V

1940

The Star Maker

Larry Earl

1939

East Side of Heaven

Denny Martin

1939

Paris Honeymoon

'Lucky' Lawton

1939

Sing, You Sinners

Joe Beebe

1938

Hollywood Handicap

Himself

1938

Doctor Rhythm

Dr. Bill Remsen

1938

Double or Nothing

'Lefty' Boylan

1937

Waikiki Wedding

Tony Marvin

1937

Pennies from Heaven

Larry Poole

1936

Rhythm on the Range

Jeff Larabee

1936

Anything Goes

Billy Crocker

1936

The Big Broadcast of 1936

Bing

1935

Two for Tonight

Gilbert Gordon

1935

Mississippi

Tom Grayson

1935

Here Is My Heart

J. Paul Jones

1934

Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove

Self

1934

She Loves Me Not

Paul Lawton

1934

We're Not Dressing

Stephen Jones

1934

Hollywood on Parade No. B-4

Self

1934

Going Hollywood

Bill 'Billy' Williams

1933

Please

Howard Jones

1933

Too Much Harmony

Eddie Bronson

1933

College Humor

Professor Frederick Danvers

1933

Sing, Bing, Sing

Bing

1933

The Big Broadcast

Bing Hornsby

1932

Hollywood on Parade No. A-2

Self

1932

Hollywood on Parade

Self

1932

Hollywood on Parade No. A-4

Self (uncredited)

1932

Billboard Girl

Bing

1932

Dream House

Bing Fawcett (Plumber)

1932

One More Chance

Bing Bangs

1931

Blue of the Night

Bing Crosby / Jack Smith

1931

I Surrender Dear

Bing Crosby

1931

Confessions of a Co-Ed

Bing

1931

Reaching for the Moon

Bing

1930

The March of Time

Self

1930

Two Plus Fours

Bing

1930

King of Jazz

Trio Singer (as The Rhythm Boys)

1930