--- name: "Bing Crosby" canonical: "https://film.one/person/bing-crosby" roles: ["Actor"] born: "3 May 1903" died: "14 October 1977" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 71 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-09-20T02:38:27.577751+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Bing Crosby Actor. Born 3 May 1903 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Died 14 October 1977. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 3 May 1903, Tacoma, Washington, USA - **Died:** 14 October 1977 - **Active:** 1944–1954 - **Also known as:** Harry Lillis Crosby, Der Bingle, The Rhythm Boys - **Titles on Fi1m:** 4: 3 acting, 1 other - **Frequently works with:** [Leo McCarey](https://film.one/person/leo-mccarey.md) - **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 2 nominated) - **Average Fi1m score:** 71, as actor, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 69 (2), 1950s 65 (2) - **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 3 of 3 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, Comedy 2, Music 1 - **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $38m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bing_Crosby, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q72984, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001078/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/24937 ## Streaming the US now - **The Roku Channel:** [*The Bells of St. Mary's*](https://film.one/film/the-bells-of-st-marys.md) (64) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Bing Crosby > Crosby's trick was to make acting look like not acting: he leaned on a doorframe, spoke as if the microphone were listening, and let the film come to him. It is restful company for two hours, and it is rarely more than that. Father Chuck O'Malley walks into St. Dominic's in *Going My Way* (1944) wearing a straw hat and a St. Louis Browns sweatshirt, carrying a golf bag, and is taken for a tramp. Bing Crosby does not correct anyone. He leans in the doorway and waits for the parish to come round to him, which it does, and that is the Crosby method in one shot. He does not go out to meet a scene. He stands still, keeps his voice down, and lets the scene arrive. The stillness came from the microphone. Crosby learned early that a singer did not have to fill a hall, only a microphone, and he built a relaxed, conversational way of singing on that discovery, long easy phrases with small ornaments on them. He said himself that if he got by in pictures it would be "as a singer, with about as much acting as you would expect from a guy standing in front of a microphone", and he was being accurate rather than modest. From *The Big Broadcast* (1932) through the Road comedies with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, he played variations on a man who was already at ease before the plot started. *Road to Morocco* (1942) is the one to try for the ad-libbing and the winks at the camera; *Holiday Inn* (1942), with Fred Astaire, is the one with the song everybody knows. Leo McCarey's *Going My Way* was where the ease became a character rather than a persona, and we like the film without quite believing in him. Every problem in it softens on contact with O'Malley, mostly between scenes, so that Crosby is asked to be likeable and nothing else. When he sits a street gang down and sings them *Swinging on a Star*, we were won over in spite of ourselves, because for once the persuading happens in front of us and the voice is doing the work the script elsewhere skips. Then Barry Fitzgerald shuffles in as the old priest with the mended cassock and takes the picture away from him, because Fitzgerald is playing a man who might lose something. Crosby played O'Malley again in *The Bells of St. Mary's* (1945) opposite Ingrid Bergman, and it helps that her nun argues back. The knock on Crosby is that the smoothness never went anywhere. His 1930s records had more nerve than what came after, and by the 1960s a younger audience had decided he was their parents' idea of a good time, which he was. *The Country Girl* (1954), opposite Grace Kelly, showed he could play a man who was not at ease, and *White Christmas* the same year showed he could still coast handsomely. Given the choice, he coasted. Start with *Going My Way*, watch how little he does, and decide for yourself whether the doing-little is a gift or a limit. We think it is both, and that Fitzgerald knew exactly which one to sit next to. ## Biography Bing Crosby was an American singer and actor. Born Harry Lillis Crosby on 3 May 1903 in Tacoma, Washington, he died on 14 October 1977 near Madrid, Spain. Crosby is known for his film roles including Father Chuck O'Malley in *Going My Way* (1944), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and Bob Wallace in *White Christmas* (1954). He also appeared in *Holiday Inn* (1942), *High Society* (1956) and the *Road to...* series of films with Bob Hope from 1940 to 1962. He received three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in motion pictures, radio and audio recording, and was the first recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1963. *Sources: britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org, bingcrosby.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) ### Performed in (3) — the average rests on these - *The Country Girl* (1954), Fi1m 74, as Frank Elgin — [page](https://film.one/film/the-country-girl.md) - *The Bells of St. Mary's* (1945), Fi1m 64, as Father O'Malley — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bells-of-st-marys.md) - *Going My Way* (1944), Fi1m 74, as Father Chuck O'Malley — [page](https://film.one/film/going-my-way.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *The Greatest Show on Earth* (1952), Fi1m 56, as Spectator (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-greatest-show-on-earth.md) ## Complete filmography (130) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Twiggy* (2025), as (archival footage) - *Howard* (2018), as Jeff Peters (archive footage) - *Stan Ridgway's Holiday In Dirt* (2005), Thanks - *Bing Crosby: Legends in Concert* (2004), Director - *Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.1* (2003), as Narrator / Ichabod Crane / Brom Bones (voice) (archive footage) - *'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney* (2000), as Bob Wallace (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Classic Commercials: Volume 3* (1998), Actor - *Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas* (1997), as Bob Wallace (archive footage) - *Silent Night* (1996), as Songs - *Good King Wenceslas* (1996), as Songs - *White Christmas* (1995), as Songs - *That's Entertainment! III* (1994), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Shanks for the Memory* (1994), Actor - *Tenderness* (1985), Music - *Going Hollywood: The '30s* (1984), as (archive footage) - *Disney's Halloween Treat* (1982), as (archive footage) - *The Hollywood Clowns* (1979), as (archive footage) - *Mean Dog Blues* (1978), Executive Producer - *Halloween Hall o' Fame* (1977), as Narrator/Brom Bones - *That's Entertainment, Part II* (1976), as (archive footage) - *Bing Crosby's Sun Valley Christmas Show* (1973), Actor - *Arnold* (1973), Executive Producer - *Paper Moon* (1973), Thanks - *Terror in the Wax Museum* (1973), Producer - *Ben* (1972), Executive Producer - *Dr. Cook's Garden* (1971), as Leonard Cook - *Swing Out, Sweet Land* (1970), as Mark Twain - *White Christmas* (1968), Music - *The Danny Thomas Hour* (1967), series, as Charlie Castle - *Stagecoach* (1966), as Doc Josiah Boone - *Cinerama's Russian Adventure* (1966), as Narrator (voice) - *Calder* (1966), Music - *The Bing Crosby Show* (1964), series, as Bing Collins - *Robin and the 7 Hoods* (1964), as Allen A. Dale - *The Sound of Laughter* (1963), as Bob (Singer in Grocery Store) - *The Road to Hong Kong* (1962), as Harry Turner - *Ben Casey* (1961), series, Executive Producer - *Big Night Out: The Peggy Lee Show* (1961), Actor - *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) - *Say One for Me* (1959), as Father Conroy - *Alias Jesse James* (1959), as Bing (uncredited) - *Man on Fire* (1957), as Earl Carleton · Executive Producer - *High Society* (1956), as C. K. Dexter-Haven - *Anything Goes* (1956), as Bill Benson - *High Tor* (1956), as Van Van Dorn · Executive Producer - *Showdown at Ulcer Gulch* (1956), as Influential Man - *The Phil Silvers Show* (1955), series, as Bing Crosby - *The Country Girl* (1954), as Frank Elgin — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-country-girl.md) - *White Christmas* (1954), as Bob Wallace - *Little Boy Lost* (1953), as Bill Wainright - *Scared Stiff* (1953), as Skeleton (uncredited) - *Off Limits* (1952), as Bing Crosby (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Road to Bali* (1952), as George Cochran · Executive Producer - *Just for You* (1952), as Jordan Blake - *Son of Paleface* (1952), as Driver (uncredited) - *The Greatest Show on Earth* (1952), as Spectator (uncredited) — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-greatest-show-on-earth.md) - *Angels in the Outfield* (1951), as Bing Crosby (uncredited) - *Here Comes the Groom* (1951), as Peter 'Pete' Garvey - *America Applauds: An Evening for Richard Rodgers* (1951), Actor - *Mr. Music* (1950), as Paul Merrick - *The Jack Benny Program* (1950), series, as Bing Crosby - *Riding High* (1950), as Dan Brooks - *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 - *Down Memory Lane* (1949), as Bing Crosby - *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 - *Welcome Stranger* (1947), as Dr. James 'Jim' Pearson - *My Favorite Brunette* (1947), as Harry (uncredited) - *Abie's Irish Rose* (1946), Executive Producer - *Blue Skies* (1946), as Johnny Adams - *Road to Utopia* (1946), as Duke Johnson - *The Bells of St. Mary's* (1945), as Father O'Malley — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bells-of-st-marys.md) - *We've Got Another Bond to Buy* (1945), Actor - *Hollywood Victory Caravan* (1945), as Bing Crosby - *Duffy's Tavern* (1945), as Bing Crosby - *Out of This World* (1945), as Herbie Fenton (singing voice) (uncredited) - *The Great John L.* (1945), Executive Producer - *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) - *Going My Way* (1944), as Father Chuck O'Malley — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/going-my-way.md) - *Dixie* (1943), as Daniel Decatur Emmett - *They Got Me Covered* (1943), as Music Box (voice) - *Road to Morocco* (1942), as Jeff Peters - *Holiday Inn* (1942), as Jim Hardy - *My Favorite Blonde* (1942), as Man Outside Union Hall (uncredited) - *Star Spangled Rhythm* (1942), as Bing Crosby - *Birth of the Blues* (1941), as Jeff Lambert - *Road to Zanzibar* (1941), as Chuck - *Rhythm on the River* (1940), as Bob Sommers - *If I Had My Way* (1940), as Buzz Blackwell - *Road to Singapore* (1940), as Josh Mallon - *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 - *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 - *She Loves Me Not* (1934), as Paul Lawton - *We're Not Dressing* (1934), as Stephen Jones - *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 - *Billboard Girl* (1932), as Bing - *Dream House* (1932), as Bing Fawcett (Plumber) - *One More Chance* (1931), as Bing Bangs - *I Surrender Dear* (1931), as Bing Crosby - *Blue of the Night* (1931), as Bing Crosby / Jack Smith - *Confessions of a Co-Ed* (1931), as Bing - *Reaching for the Moon* (1930), as Bing - *Two Plus Fours* (1930), as Bing - *King of Jazz* (1930), as Trio Singer (as The Rhythm Boys) ## Gallery - ![Bing Crosby](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-a64f4049ecfd.jpg) Bing Crosby — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Bing_Crosby_Paramount_Pictures.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Bing Crosby publicity photo, c. 1930s](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-bc123e9c6899.jpg) Bing Crosby publicity photo, c. 1930s — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Bing_Crosby_1930s.jpg/1280px-Bing_Crosby_1930s.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Portrait of Bing Crosby taken backstage at the Palladium theatre under a 40 watt bulb. The last portrait he posed for. (1977)](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-c0b2c09e6d0b.jpg) Portrait of Bing Crosby taken backstage at the Palladium theatre under a 40 watt bulb. The last portrait he posed for. (1977) — Allan Warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Bing_Crosby_Allan_Warren.jpg/1280px-Bing_Crosby_Allan_Warren.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Bing crosby with his wife Kathryn, son Harry, & Rosemary Clooney. (1977)](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-829b798a7f68.jpg) Bing crosby with his wife Kathryn, son Harry, & Rosemary Clooney. (1977) — Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Bing_Crosby_22_Allan_Warren.jpg/1280px-Bing_Crosby_22_Allan_Warren.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Bing Crosby](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-4902be0b65c9.jpg) Bing Crosby — Image via TMDB - ![Bing Crosby](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-b7e8dc38e28b.jpg) Bing Crosby — Image via TMDB - ![Bing Crosby](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-2f123d024de9.jpg) Bing Crosby — Image via TMDB - ![Bing Crosby at the Palladium theatre London (1977)](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-c4cddf2149e6.jpg) Bing Crosby at the Palladium theatre London (1977) — Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Bing_Crosby_2_Allan_Warren.jpg/1280px-Bing_Crosby_2_Allan_Warren.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Bing Crosby's final bow on his last night at the London Palladium (1977)](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-056e25bcab82.jpg) Bing Crosby's final bow on his last night at the London Palladium (1977) — Allan warren, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Bing_Crosby_final_bow_Allan_Warren.jpg/1280px-Bing_Crosby_final_bow_Allan_Warren.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Bing Crosby](https://film.one/media/person/1234407/gallery-7dfaf3a96013.jpg) Bing Crosby — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 1 won, 2 nominated - 1955: Best Actor (nominated), for *The Country Girl* - 1946: Best Actor (nominated), for *The Bells of St. Mary's* - 1945: Best Actor (won), for *Going My Way* ### Golden Globes — 1 won - 1960: Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award (won) ### Other awards — 2 won - American Music Award of Merit 1974: American Music Award of Merit (won) - Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 1962: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/bing-crosby