I’ve seen great singers choke, ‘cause they’re with the best. And whenever you did something like that, if you blew it, he blew it right behind you and blamed it on himself—you know, “Let’s do another take, I fucked that up.” He always sang the harmony part when he worked with somebody, always made it as easy as possible. He was a pleasure to work with. — Gary Crosby (1991) 1 On September 17, 1938, as Sing You Sinners rang box-office bells and “I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (a duet with Connie Boswell) took turns crowning the hit parade, Bing, Dixie, and five-year-old Gary, along with Larry and his wife, Elaine, and twenty-four pieces of luggage, ascended the ramp of the SS Monarch for a three-week vacation in Bermuda. Bing’s next film, Paris Honeymoon, was already in the can, shot during the summer between the two Westwood Marching and Chowder Club shows. In December he would begin preliminary work on his self-produced East Side of Heaven.
