The Big Broadcast
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Frank Tuttle
Stuart Erwin
Bing Crosby
Leila Hyams
Sharon Lynne
George N. Burns
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Singer Bing Crosby's chronic tardiness, which is the result of his affair with the notorious Mona Lowe, endangers the financial well-being of station WADX. After Mona jilts Crosby, the despondent singer meets Texas oil man Leslie McWhinney, who has also been wronged by a woman. The two make a suicide pact that is foiled by Anita Rogers, station manager George Burns's assistant, who is in love with Crosby and was formerly engaged to McWhinney. Burns, who is plagued by the addled conversation of his stenographer, Gracie Allen, loses the radio station, which McWhinney buys for the sake of Crosby and Anita. Mona's return endangers the budding romance of Crosby and Anita as well as the station's upcoming big broadcast. Despite his efforts to secure a phonograph record to replace the absent Crosby, McWhinney must impersonate Crosby on the air until the singer returns and takes the microphone in mid-song. Crosby, who actually has been feigning irresponsibility to bring McWhinney and Anita together, succeeds both in reuniting the former lovers and in taming Mona.
Director
Frank Tuttle
Cast
Stuart Erwin
Bing Crosby
Leila Hyams
Sharon Lynne
George N. Burns
Gracie Allen
George Barbier
Major, Sharp And Minor
Ralph Robertson
Spec O'donnell
Kate Smith
Boswell Sisters
Cab Calloway And His Orchestra
Mills Brothers
Arthur Tracy [the Street Singer]
Vincent Lopez And His Orchestra
Donald Novis
Don Ball
James Wallington
Norman Brokenshire
William Brenton
Alex Melish
Anna Chandler
Tom Carrigan
Dewey Robinson
Charles Carver
Crew
Fred E. Ahlert
Guy Bennett
Bing Crosby
Earl Crowley
George Folsey
Benjamin Glazer
J. A. Goodrich
Joyce Kilmer
George Marion Jr.
Thomas Morris
Ralph Rainger
Leo Robin
Roy Turk
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Excerpts from this film were shot at the Eastern Service Studios in New York, formerly Paramount's Astoria Studios, where, according to press material in copyright records, sets and props were duplicated exactly to match those at Paramount's Hollywood studios. According to the Variety review, Paramount financed the stage production of Wild Waves in order to secure the screen rights to the story. The review also states that the radio announcers featured in the film-"unbilled but heralded by placards in the footage"-were actual announcers for the radio personalities featured in the film: Norman Brokenshire for the Boswell Sisters, William Brenton for Kate Smith, James Wallington for Cab Calloway and Vincent Lopez, and Don Ball for the Mills Brothers. Bing Crosby's character is called "Bing Hornsby" in all reviews and modern sources and in the copyright records, although in the film, he is referred to by his own name. According to Hollywood Reporter, Donald Novis' role was initially cut from the film, but was later re-inserted before the film's release when Novis became a popular radio singer. According to press material found in copyright records, Charles Carver, who was a character voice for Fleisher's screen cartoons, made a cameo appearance in this film as the bass voice in Kate Smith's theme song, "And You Were Mine." Calloway's number "Kicking That Gong Around" refers explicitly to drug addiction. This film was the first in a series of four "Big Broadcast" films which Paramount made in the 1930s that included lavishly staged music and dance numbers and featured famous radio personalities. George Burns and Gracie Allen also appear in The Big Broadcast of 1936 and The Big Broadcast of 1937. Bing Crosby also appears in The Big Broadcast of 1936.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1932
Released in United States March 1977
Released in United States March 1977 (Shown at FILMEX: Los Angeles International Film Exposition (The Mighty Musical Movie Marathon) March 9-27, 1977.)
Released in United States 1932
