Happy New Year!

The way I look at it, if Sports Illustrated can have their own swimsuit issue, we can have one of our own to ring in the New Year!

Ann Rutherford

Clara Bow

Jane Greer

Olga San Juan

Cyd Charisse

Jennifer Jones still opening packages for Christmas.

The Bing Crosby CBS Radio Recordings, 1954-56

Fans of Bing Crosby can rejoice! Over 160 unreleased tracks are now available on a seven-CD box set, complete with liner notes and booklet. Following a weekly radio program over NBC, ABC and CBS, for almost two decades, Bing Crosby realized the medium of television was sucking up advertising revenue. By 1954, big-budget radio could no longer compete with the video tube and he began a downsized daily series. Five days a week, fifteen minutes a day, Crosby could be heard over the air in a series of pre-recorded musical programs, sans celebrity guests. The singer recorded an enormous "pool" of songs in a number of recording sessions, which would be used in hundreds of broadcasts on CBS. Derived from these are the treasures in this collection, made possible by a visionary's gamble, an engineer's wizardry and a transformative substance called "tape."

Like buried treasure reclaimed from the past, this remarkable set is like no other Bing Crosby collection ever released. With longtime accompanist Buddy Cole, fifteen recording sessions were remastered and released on this impressive box set through Mosaic Records. While Crosby felt at the time that his voice was not what it used to be, fans of the crooner would never tell when listening to these gems. They were not initially intended to be issued on records, through several tracks were instantly pressed into service for two popular Decca albums. But the majority of the tracks in this set have never been released or heard in decades. 

The set contains a large 16-page book with two informative essays (well-written and accurately researched) by music historian Martin McQuade, and author/historian Gary Giddins. This set is limited to a print run of 20,000, retails $120, is absolutely remarkable, and while the price tag might be a bit steep, less than $20 per CD is not bad when you consider all the music licensing and digital restoration involved. Which leaves me with a thought to ponder: how many vocal legends have un-released tracks still sitting in the vaults, ready to be discovered?  

Hollywood, Christmas Style

For those of you hoping I would continue with the annual tradition of featuring holiday glamour photos of Hollywood eye candy, you won't be disappointed. Randomly selected from the archive.... here you go!

Jean Harlow

Yes, that's Norma Shearer.

Paulette Goddard (not under the mistletoe, darn)

Ruth Roman

Louise Fazenda

Ava Gardner. I love the color in this one.

Dorothea Kent

Joan Bennett and her daughter

Wanda Hendrix

Can't go a year without Clara Bow...

"Movie Pass" May Be The Future

Yes, it is more expensive to go to the movies than ever before. Average ticket prices hit a new high in 2016, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners, topping out at $8.73. Our local movie theater charges $8 and a recent rip to New York City reminded me that folks in the Big Apple would save money buying the movie on DVD when it come out than pay $20 plus for a movie ticket!

General thinking applies formats such as IMAX and 3-D as a culprit for the rising ticket prices. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ticket prices went up to an average of $8.79 in 2017. While it is known that ticket prices fluctuate depending on the strength of the marketplace, advanced technology, better seating and improved concessions are the industry trend. A new movie theater opened up near us with luxurious recliners and seat cushions -- for an extra fee.

Sticker shock? Fear not! Turns out there is a temporary solution. It seems a new company was launched, Movie Pass, offering you unlimited passes to movie theaters for a flat $9.95 per month. No loopholes, no fine print, and no surveys to answer. There are a few stipulations, though.

1. You can only watch one movie per day. A double feature on the same day will not be accepted.  

2. The pass works for only one person. My wife, for example, had to apply for herself to have the same type of movie pass.

3. You will need a smart phone and the Movie Pass app to choose the theater, movie and screening time. No smart phone, no pass. 

4. The passes are not good for IMAX or 3-D.

You can even watch a new movie on the day it opens. For folks like my wife and I who visit the movie theater twice a month, the flat $9.95 per month fee is a true bargain. 

Before you jump in and sign up at www.moviepass.com, I would suggest you visit the website and type your zip code into the system to verify that your local movie theater participates. Luckily for us, all four theaters within an hour's drive from home participate -- including the one 25 minutes from the house. No commitment and you can cancel any time. 

Two years ago my wife and I paid for a special pass that gave us unlimited movie screenings for an entire calendar year. We took advantage of the offer and saw so many movies that year it was not funny. Sadly, the theater never offered the same pass again and I have since wished the same type of pass would be made available again. Movie Pass is not exactly the same but it comes pretty darn close. And for folks who wish they could afford to visit the movie theater more often, this may just be the wave of the future.