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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Crosby festival to feature photos, crooner’s costume

From Staff Reports

The fifth annual Bing Crosby Holiday Film Festival on Saturday will be the most elaborate festival presented by the Advocates for the Bing Crosby Theater since Kathryn Crosby, wife of the late entertainer, performed her cabaret show in 2006, the year the theater was renamed for Spokane’s own Bing Crosby.

In addition to the showing of Crosby films – including “White Christmas” – the festival will feature the first-time viewing of some of the photos from one of the world’s largest collections of Crosby photos, recently purchased by Spokane’s Jerry Dicker.

Also, on loan from the Rosemary Clooney House in Augusta, Ky., the uniform Crosby wore in “White Christmas” and a red robe entertainer Rosemary Clooney wore in the film will be displayed in the lobby of the theater.

Robert Bader of Los Angeles, curator of Bing Crosby’s personal archives, will give a presentation at 3:30 p.m. in which he will show some rarely seen and unseen footage of Crosby (including his 1968 return visit to Spokane). And Crosby’s niece Carolyn Schneider of Las Vegas and nephew Howard Crosby of Walla Walla will share remembrances of their famous uncle.

And, CDs of 10 Bing Crosby songs – some of which are original material put together by Bader from audio found in the Crosby archives – will be available at the festival.

“We went all out this year to honor the memory of the entertainer who grew up here and whose influence was felt worldwide – and all began on the stage of the theater that now bears his name,” said Bill Stimson, president of the nonprofit Advocates for the Bing Crosby Theater.

A schedule of events is available at www. bingcrosbytheater advocates.com.