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Event Type Film Event Title 4th Annual Bing Crosby Holiday Film Festival Description It will be a White Christmas again at the Bing Crosby Theater on Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, when the Advocates for the Bing Crosby Theater (ABCT) presents the 4th annual Bing Crosby Holiday Film Festival at the Bing Crosby Theater at Sprague and Lincoln in downtown Spokane. This annual event is the ABCT’s gift to the Spokane community, featuring Bing Crosby films, concluding the day with the traditional showing of White Christmas. This year the festival includes presentations by Bing Crosby’s niece Carolyn Schneider and nephew Howard Crosby, who will share memories of their famous uncle, who grew up in Spokane. The festival is free and open to all. Donations are requested and appreciated to help defray costs of the festival. No tickets or reservations are required. For information call (509) 842-8664, 993-1732 or 467-0157. “We invite the public to come and see some classic Bing Crosby films, enjoy light refreshments and visit with us and members of Bing’s family,” said Bill Stimson, ABCT president. Here is the schedule: • Noon – Holiday Inn, the 1942 film in which Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire sing and dance in the romantic comedy set in an inn open only at the holidays. This is the film in which the song “White Christmas” is introduced. • 2:30 p.m. – Road to Zanzibar, the 1941 classic “road” film pairing Bing Crosby with Bob Hope as men who flee to Africa after selling a phony diamond to a gangster. • 5 p.m. – A talk and reading by Carolyn Schneider, daughter of Bing’s sister Mary Rose Crosby, whose new book, Bing: On the Road to Elko, has just been published. • 7 p.m. – A talk by Howard Crosby, son of Bing’s brother Ted Crosby. Howard, a golfer, spent many days on the links with his famous uncle and will share stories of those good times. • 7:30 – White Christmas, the 1954 film which has become a holiday classic, featuring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. Carolyn Schneider, Howard Crosby and his brother Ed Crosby, will be at the theater throughout the day to visit with members of the public. Las Vegas resident Schneider will also be available for book signings. Bing: On the Road to Elko is her second book about her uncle. She was at the Bing Crosby Holiday Film Festival in 2007, at which time she talked about her first work, Me and Uncle Bing. This second work is not so much a sequel but a look at the 15 years of Bing Crosby’s life that are not well known by the public, she said. “That was the time from 1943 to 1958 when he bought seven ranches in Nevada, which he operated as working ranches,” she said. “He really loved the simple life he led there.” Walla Walla businessman Howard Crosby, who grew up in Spokane attended the University of Idaho on a golf scholarship. He and his uncle played many a round of golf together. “I have a lot of warm memories of those times together,” he said. [The Advocates for the Bing Crosby Theater (ABCT was formed in 2006 to rename – with the theater owner’s permission – the old Clemmer Theater for the famed performer who launched his career there. The 501c3 non-profit organization accepts donations to continue the work of preserving the historic building and maintaining the legacy of Bing Crosby. For information about the ABCT, contact wstimson2@aol.com or call (509) 842-8664, 993-1732 and 467-0157. Thank you for your interest. Date December 4, 2009 Times 12:00 pm Ticket Description Ticket Price The festival is free and open to all. Donations are requested and appreciated to help defray costs of the festival. No tickets or reservations are required.