u/Happy-Lingonberry538

I am not trying to start a heating war with fans (and I’m sure that’s not what Bing and Frank would want, since they were good friends with each other).

Crosby was one of Frank’s inspirations to become a singer, and was a very popular individual (not just for singing, but for radio, and films too). He was a top ten box office attraction for 15 years 1934 and 1954 (and held the number one spot for five consecutive years which are 1944 to 1948).

He ranks as the third most popular film actor of the mid-20th century, trailing only Clark Gable and John Wayne.

At his peak, he starred in three of the year's five highest-grossing films: The Bells of St. Mary's, Blue Skies, and Road to Utopia, and over his career, his feature films generated more than 1 billion movie tickets sold.

He delivered number-one hits spanning exactly from 1928 to 1954. He had 41 number one hits(Frank had 15). Even Elvis (18) and The Beatles (24) combined is not enough to pass Crosby! Bing might actually have 43 number one hits due to “White Christmas” topping the charts in 1945 and 1947. The song was so unbelievably popular between 1942 and 1946 that Decca Records used the original 1942 master recording disc to press millions of new physical shellac records. Because they used it so frequently to keep up with the massive public demand, the physical metal stamper literally wore down and became damage. To fix the problem, Decca brought Crosby back into the studio on March 19, 1947.

Between 1931 and 1954, Bing hosted the most popular variety programs on radio, regularly attracting up to 50 million listeners every single week.

Yet… now he is mostly known for just his Christmas songs (which is not a bad thing) or not at all. Frank doesn’t have this problem, but Bing does.

A lot of people would say that is due to Bing’s controversial family history, but that has been exaggerated and his second family confirmed that he wasn’t a monster. While his son Gary Crosby wrote the memoir “Going My Own Way” (where he described the abuse and punishments), the Crosby family was deeply divided over the claims. Gary's brother Phillip Crosby publicly insisted the allegations were vastly exaggerated, and children from Bing’s second marriage defended their father, confirming that his public persona as a cold monster did not match the loving family man they knew. Plus, just because a singer or a musician or any kind of artist has done something controversial doesn’t mean that all people will stop listening to them. Some can separate the art from the artist (and it’s fine as long as said art is not a piece of work that is connected or created due to said controversies.)

I am not trying to paint Bing as a saint, but that’s another thing: Frank had flaws (he was a good man, but still a man) and he has more fans than any other singer of his time as far as I know.

So how come? Bing is as influential as he was popular. In my opinion, he is just as influential as The Beatles and Michael Jackson are to music. He is in my Mount Rushmore of 20th century singers, and he was the first multimedia star!

“Nick“ is about Nick Carraway’s life before moving to West Egg. It covers his traumatic experiences fighting in World War I trenches, a tragic romance in Paris, and his encounters with a violent, chaotic post-war criminal underbelly in New Orleans.

In 2015, Michael Farris Smith turned in the completed manuscript to his publishing team. According to his interviews, they loved the book but their jaws collectively dropped. They immediately had to inform him that because F. Scott Fitzgerald's original copyright was still active, publishing the book would be illegal. he had to wait 6 years to release it to the world.

“The Chosen and The Beautiful“ reimagines the events of The Great Gatsby through Jordan's perspective as a queer, Asian (Tonkin-born) adoptee navigating the elite, racist spaces of the 1920s. The Jazz Age setting is infused with dark magic, demons, paper-cutting enchantments, and a substance called "demoniac."

This is probably the most random one yet, but I think it’s suitable.

I don’t want you to compare him to Frank, I simply want to know what you think of him.

I think he was pretty great, and I love the orchestra in his songs. He was taken from us by Nazis and we never got to see a longer and even more beautiful career.

my favorite songs of his are midnight and the stars and you, remember me, what do you know about love, heartaches, and my woman.

his recording career was 1926 to 1941, and while he never lived to be recorded with bette technology, I recommend that you give him a try, if you haven’t.

I listened to VERY little of him, but I want to hear more songs of his.

He seems to be very underrated, and in my opinion, a smooth and unique voice.

https://youtu.be/eb36JID2jRA?si=T6Y8q-WuF8RrU8RF

I love this song, and this audio from a 1929 film is in the public domain (unlike the 1929 sound recording).

You can see in some of these that Seuss already knew how to draw certain creatures, like Elephants.

I also like that the people behind this movie took a chance with having Pooh wearing a shirt that is, while not the red one from the 1932 book and Disney’s version, it still has red in it’s shirt, nonetheless.

By the way, the first image is not created by me. I found it on the internet.

These works should be accessible to the public, not to profit off from the, but to be aware from them and learn about them so that they won’t happen again.

Disney themselves won’t put all their old controversial cartoons (movies and shorts) on Disney plus.

Also, if you’re wondering, yes I am aware that the Donald Duck cartoon where he is dressed up as a Nazi is tall a nightmare, but that also should have lost it’s copyright a long time ago.

Also, while GWTW does have it’s positive merits like being the first movie with an Oscar winning black actress, it also has its negatives. both can and do exist.

https://youtu.be/IiCbaTkdEGM?si=-P3xfsXjbY00hkFi

As of this moment, this is one of the only Sinatra movies to be in the public domain, and I might upload another one tomorrow!

For anyone that is skeptical of the Mickey image that I used for this meme, it’s from a public domain poster.

Let’s say I want to use the phone toy from fisher price, but it’s still copyrighted.

If I change it enough to be considered something “new” like the powerpuff girls phone, am I all right?

First, let’s get the obvious out of the way: I’m only referring to 1931 composition, not recording.

With that out of the way, let’s get to some tunes:

Bing Crosby Major 1931 Releases:

”Out of Nowhere”:

Music by Johnny Green, lyrics by Edward Heyman. Crosby's definitive recording made this a massive No. 1 hit.

”Just One More Chance”:

Music by Arthur Johnston, lyrics by Sam Coslow. This track cemented his status as a dominant solo crooner.

“At Your Command”: Co-written by Bing Crosby himself, alongside Harry Tobias and Lani McIntire.

The Mills Brothers 1931 Debut Compositions

“Glow-Worm”:

The Original 1902 music was by Paul Lincke, but the specific revised 1931 lyrical arrangement by Lilla Cayley Robinson became a standard.

 You Rascal You (or "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead"):

Written and copyrighted by Sam Theard in 1931; famously recorded by both the Mills Brothers and Louis Armstrong.

Duke Ellington 1931 Masterworks:

”Moon Indigo”:

Co-written by Duke Ellington and Barney Bigard, with lyrics by Irving Mills. Though the instrumental was created in late 1930, the formal vocal composition copyright was locked in 1931.

“Rockin” in Rhythm”:

Composed by Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, and Irving Mills. It serves as one of his definitive early swing instrumentals.

Louis Armstrong 1931 Signatures

”When It’s Sleepy Time Down South“:

Written by Leon René, Otis René, and Clarence Muse. This became Armstrong's lifelong theme song.

“Lazy River”:

Written by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin. Armstrong’s heavily improvised 1931 release reshaped pop music.

More Essential 1931 Compositions

These timeless standards from other legendary artists are also part of the 1931 public domain class:

“All of Me”:

Written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons; popularized heavily by Belle Baker, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra.

”As Time Goes By”:

Written by Herman Hupfeld and famously sung by Rudy Vallée before its second life in the film Casablanca.

“Minnie the Moocher”:

Written and published by Cab Calloway and Irving Mills, becoming jazz's most famous call-and-response song.

“Can the Circle Be Unbroken“:

Traditional music adapted, arranged, and copyrighted as a new composition by A.P. Carter for The Carter Family.

Dino Paul Crocetti (Dean Martin) and Joseph Levitch (Jerry Lewis) first met in 1944 and officially debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946. Their historic team lasted exactly ten years to the day. Before they joined forces, Martin worked as a nightclub singer, while Lewis performed a solo comedy act lip-synching to records.

The beginning:

According to Jerry’s book, Dean and Me: A Love Story, Jerry was performing his record act at the 500 Club when the venue’s scheduled singer dropped out. The club’s owner, Skinny D’Amato (affectionately nicknamed “Skinny”), desperately needed a replacement as fast as possible. Jerry immediately suggested Dean Martin, whom he had met in New York. Skinny wasn’t thrilled at first, exclaiming, “No! Not another crooner!” He didn't want a traditional singer like that because the style was losing popularity, and he wanted something unique.

Jerry convinced Skinny that Dean was completely different, possessed an incredible stage presence, and would fit perfectly. To get Skinny's final approval, Jerry even made up a lie on the spot, claiming that the two of them already had an act together. In reality, the true reason Jerry suggested Dean was simply because he missed him; he was lonely on the road and wanted to spend more time working with him.

On July 25th, they both took the stage, but not the way Skinny expected. Dean sang his songs, and Jerry did his record-pantomime routine as completely separate acts. Furious, D’Amato stormed into their dressing room after the show. Dean was confused and rattled, having no idea what he had done wrong. Jerry finally had to explain that Skinny expected them to perform together as a duo. Dean was angry, and when Jerry admitted he only suggested him because he was lonely, Dino famously replied, “Get a dog!” Skinny gave them a strict ultimatum: if they didn't do something funny and completely different for the 2:00 AM show, they were both fired.

They didn’t have enough time to design a detailed, well-planned act, but Jerry and Dean managed to scramble together bits and song placements that were highly effective for the minimal time they had. Together, they developed a chaotic, improvised routine featuring Dean as a straight-faced lumberjack and Jerry as a disruptive waiter, which quickly evolved into wild, ad-libbed physical comedy. To anchor the performance, Dean sang romantic standards like "Embraceable You" while Jerry completely dismantled the stage, turning the show into a zany spectacle with a high level of energy that was entirely unique for its time.

Martin & Lewis meet Frank Sinatra

It's also worth noting how the duo first crossed paths with Frank Sinatra. According to Jerry’s book, he and Dean went to see Frank perform live at the Paramount Theatre in New York, on October of 1944 (Dean and Jerry were not a duo yet). Dean was completely enthralled by Frank, but he was also intensely jealous of his capacity as a singer. He watched Frank's incredible control over the crowd and his perfect vocals with deep envy. Ironically, once Martin and Lewis officially formed and became a sensation years later, Frank eventually caught their act and loved them so much that he desperately sought them out, wanting nothing more than to be their friend and part of their inner circle.

Except: “But in April 1946, Frank's image was still relatively unsullied, and his fame at its zenith. And that month, not long after Dean and I had first met, Sinatra was about to open at the Paramount-in person, for Christ's sake! Dean and I had just begun hanging around together, and one thing we discovered we had in common was a huge admiration-and believe me, that's not putting it quite strongly enough—for Sinatra.

We thought we might get in and see the best singer around do his thing, but the crowds of fans were so great we couldn't get near that the-ater, much less get tickets.

Then the proverbial lightbulb flashed on over my head.

Stella Ardis, a nice lady who worked in the administration office at the Belmont Plaza, was my very first all-out fan. She would come down to the Glass Hat to see my show at least three times a week; she told me she thought I could be a big star one day. I would smile and nod, think-ing: Mouthing to records? I don't think so, honey.... Still, it was nice to hear.

When you're on the lower rungs of show business, you're constantly around people who aspire upward-hangers-on, wannabes, and (sad but true) mostly never-will-bes. But everybody seems to have an angle, a connection. So when Stella, the nice lady in the administration office, said, "You know, Jerry, I'm kind of in show business myself," I responded politely.

"Oh, really, Stella?" I said. "How so?"

"Well" Stella said proudly, "my cousin, Mark Leon, is the head usher at the Paramount Theater."

Needless to say, this conversation came back to me in full force when Dean and I found we couldn't get near the Sinatra show. 

Did I want to see Sinatra? You bet. Did I want to impress the hell out of Dean? You bet. I made a beeline for the administration office at the Belmont Plaza and told Stella 1 had a little favor—-oh, hell, a big

favor-to ask her.

She smiled. "For my brilliant Jerry? Anything."

Two hours later, Dean and I were standing at the employee: entrance of the Paramount with a watchman who told us to stay right where we were, since Mr. Leon had to come back from a meeting through the very door we were standing by. Long minutes afterward, the door opened and an important-looking fellow emerged. "Mr. Leon, the watchman said, "these two young fellows were looking for you." I was worried for a second, but as soon as I mentioned Stella, the head usher beamed. "My cousin says you're a very talented young man."

Pay dirt! We were not only going to get in, we were going to get in for free. We were like little kids being given a treat. A very big treat.

Soon Mr. Leon was whisking us to a spot-standing room, of course-in an alcove on the first mezzanine. Naturally, there wasnt a seat in the house, since most of the audience had been there all day

anyway.

And so we waited. Through the coming attractions, some announcements about social events of the season to be held at the Paramount, and then, of course, the newsreel. MacArthur in Japan. President Truman creates Atomic Energy Commission...

Then the houselights came up, and a roar from the audience told us,

"Here he comes!"

The lights slowly dimmed, and we heard the strains of " Never Smile Again." The big band headed by Axel Stordahl blew all the notes

that made your heart stop.

The opening act was Phil Silvers, the comedian. Phil was in fine form, telling a series of jokes about Sinatra and his thin frame. The crowd loved him, but only for about eight minutes.

Then the lights came all the way down.

The band hit "Put Your Dreams Away," and out he came! No announcement... no nothing. Just Frank in a dark-blue suit, cuff links. a flower handkerchief in his breast pocket... He reeked of California-sunshine, bucks, style. And he started to sing the moment the crow stopped screaming. They settled in and just listened for a while, b screamed at the end of every song.

Frank did forty-five or fifty minutes, and the theater exploded on again as he thanked the audience, shouting to make himself heard abo the tremendous uproar. Then he went off, and the stage descended ir the gigantic pit and out of sight, to the last strains of "I’ll Never Smile Again."

Dean and I didn't say a word all the way back across town, a long walk from Times Square back to the Belmont Plaza. (Cabs weren’t that expensive, but they were definitely over our budget.) When we to the hotel, Dean said, "You wanna get coffee?" It was the first either of us had spoken in half an hour.

We went into the drugstore next door and sat in a booth waitress brought his coffee (and my usual, a vanilla milk shake), thought about what we had just seen. It was all so perfect: the ban forms; the light cues; Sinatra's newly shined loafers; the way his b flopped loosely, with studied carelessness, under that bobbing Adams

apple....

phrases a lyric," he said.

Dean shook his head. "Man, I couldn't believe the way that gur

"Yeah," I said. "It makes you feel—"

"Jealous!" Dean said. "That's what it makes you feel!"

"Yeah—I guess you're right," I sighed. "I kept seeing myself up there in front of four thousand screaming fans."

"I's great to live in a country where a kid from Hoboke, New let-sey, can have the world in the palm of his hand," Dean said.

"Well, I guess we can dream," I said.

Dean banged the table with his palm, making me jump. "Dreaming is for loafers who never do anything. I don't have time for dreams," he said. "I want action. I want a car and a home and all the things you get when you get there. If you don't push through the crowd, you'll be stuck here your whole life."

I had never heard him talk this way. I didn't know how to respond.

"Well" I finally said. "I bet my impression of Sinatra will be better tonight than it ever was before."

But Dean was barely listening. His gaze had drifted to somewhere else.

Following that legendary first night, they went on to completely dominate nightclubs, and starting in 1949, conquered the radio. Later, they successfully branched out into television and films. In their early radio days, they performed simply as Martin and Lewis, but they later became universally popular as Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

The split

Sadly, their partnership was not meant to last. In 1954, things took a turn for the worst, as by this time Dean really wanted out of the group to become a solo entertainer, as well as to prove that he could go on without Jerry. Critics and average joes were saying stuff like Jerry was the real force behind the team and Dean was just another straight man with a nice voice. Other incidents that made Dean quit even more was The 1954 Look Magazine Cover, Which happened as they were filming “living it up” Look magazine ran a major two-page feature on the duo. When Dean saw the magazine, he discovered that the published publicity photo of the pair had been cropped entirely to feature only Jerry, therefore, he was nowhere to be found. This incident heavily bruised Martin. As for the other movies, Dean was served to second bananas as his straight man and singing routines were less prevalent while Jerry had more things to do. It did not help that Lewis was starting to become a control freak due to him being enamored by other worker’s roles behind the scenes and was learning from them. With Jerry now trying to direct and write the films as he was already doing in their shows, Martin was working more hours on filming his scenes, which displeased him due to his partiality for golf. By this time, anything that was close to love was gone. The fun, genuine, and real affection and friendship they had for one another has disappeared, they would continue 1954 and the next two years performing on stage, radio, television, and films with the same frantic showmanship that they have mastered together, even if they preferred to stop by now.

Their separate ways and reconciliation:

On July 24, 1956, just one day shy of ten years to the date they first got together, Martin & Lewis officially called it quits. They performed their final, historic set at the Copacabana in New York. According to Jerry, the tension in the room was palpable, as if the audience was collectively praying that this wasn't truly the end. Even the Copacabana showgirls were reportedly crying on the sidelines as they watched the magic slip away. Once the final note was sung, the audience erupted into a massive standing ovation. When the curtain came down, Dean and Jerry walked to their separate dressing rooms and entered a historic, icy silence that would last for the next twenty years. 

The final show was over in the early morning hours of July 25, 1956. Dean went to his dressing room, and Jerry went to his. Before they went their separate ways into a twenty-year silence, Lewis called Dean on his dressing room phone to talk one last time.

“We sure had a good time, didn’t we?” Jerry said.

“We sure did,” Dean replied.

It was time to move on. Jerry went on to direct and star in many successful solo films, gaining the total creative control he had always craved. He also began headlining his famous annual MDA Labor Day Telethons in 1966. Meanwhile, Dean went on to have an amazing solo career in the movies that proved his doubters and haters completely wrong, Joined the Rat Pack (consisting of other entertainers like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop), and hosting his own Emmy Award winning variety program, The Dean Martin Show.

While rumors have long persisted that they never saw or spoke to each other for 20 years, there were actually a few rare moments where their paths crossed. In 1958, Dean appeared for a brief moment on The Eddie Fisher Show when Jerry was being interviewed. Later, in 1960, they both happened to be performing their respective solo acts at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. On one legendary night, they briefly went onstage together and clowned around for the lucky audience.

As mentioned earlier, Jerry had been headlining the annual telethons since 1966, bringing together massive stars and entertainers to raise money for muscular dystrophy.

On September 5, 1976, during the 11th annual telethon broadcast, one of the biggest stars to grace the stage was none other than Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. after a while on stage with Jerry himself, he told him that there was a guy who loved what he did every year” and points to tje left and says “will you send my friend out here? Where is he?”

It was Dino. The audience clapped and cheered when he enter the scene. As he proceeds towards Jerry, they hug and Lewis gets a kiss from him.

“I think it’s about time you two made up”, the chairman said. Dean and Jerry did their thing together, making everyone laugh, just like in those 10 years of banter. After that, Sinatra would take stage with Martin to sing “I can’t give you anything but love”.

Jerry’s happiness over what happened was completely conspicuous; he was overjoyed to have been given another chance to set things right with one of the most important people in his life. As for Dean, he was deeply pleased as well, even if his quiet contentment was overshadowed by Jerry’s characteristically wide, expressive emotions.

The final years:

After the telethon of 1976, Martin and Lewis were no more unease’s with one another. Despite the reconciliation, the men still didn’t really talk that much as they used to in the 10 year run. In the 1980’s Dean’s life took a turn for the worse. One of his sons, Dean Paul Martin Jr., died in a crash during a military training flight. Lewis has stated in his book that Dino Jr. was “one of the most important things in his life”, and Martin never recovered from the devastating loss. When then funeral took place, one specific individual who wasn’t invited came. It was Jerry, and he sat in the very back to make sure he didn’t draw any attention to himself. Dean deeply appreciated his former partner for coming over to support him, and the two struck up a long, emotional conversation on the phone later that night. Dean later reflected that Jerry was one of the “only men in this world that he truly loved”.

On June 7, 1989, Dino was celebrating his 72nd birthday while entertaining an audience at Bally's Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. To his surprise, Jerry walked out onto the stage unannounced to present him with a giant birthday cake a moment that beautifully reversed the roles of who was doing the unexpected coming and who was being surprised. Martin told Lewis, “I ought to kiss you on the lips,” which he then proceeded to do. Jerry went on to state that the cake was for all the joy that Dean had given to the world, concluding his heartwarming talk by saying, “Why we broke up, I’ll never know,” which made Martin laugh. Dean then told him, “Oh you surprised me, I mean it, I love you,” before Jerry gave him a final kiss. This marked the very last time Martin & Lewis were seen together in public, and the last time the two men ever saw each other in person. However, the connection they restored was permanent. For the next six years, they maintained a quiet, private phone friendship away from everything else, calling each other to chat, laugh, and reminisce. They remained close right up until the very end.

In 1993, Dean got the news that he had lung cancer. The chances of actually getting rid off it were slim, but Dean made his choice of decline the procedure.

On Christmas day, 1995, Dino Paul Crocetti passed away at the age of 78. He spent his last night surrounded by his family and watching the movie “Holiday Inn.”

Jerry Lewis was performing “Damn Yankees” on tour in Denver, Colorado when he got the news. The moment he finished his performance, he left the stage and went immediately to be with Dean’s wife and cry together. At the funeral of his friend, Jerry gave an emotional speech:

“I lost my partner and my best friend. The man who made me the man I am today. I think of him with undying respect. I miss him every day I'm still here."

Jerry closed his final public tribute to his best friend by looking up and saying:

“Rest well, and don't forget to short-sheet my bed when I get there.”

Jerry lived for another 22 years, where he continued to perform for lots of people, do interviews, headlining the telethon until 2010, and talk about his pardner. On August 20th, 2017, Joseph Levitch passed away from end stage cardiac disease at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 91. The Italian crooner and the Jewish kid left earth physically, and with Dean’s birthday and Jerry’s death, they lived a whole centennial.

Happy 80th anniversary to this wonderful, incredible, beautiful, and one of a kind duo that has brought so many people joy and laughter.

Pinocchio in America was published in 1928, and if it’s copyright was renewed, that makes it public domain since 2024. I haven’t spend that much time finding it on the internet, but I am finding it hard for what it’s a free to use book starring one of the most popular characters in the history of literature. And I would love to use this subreddit by asking if you people would help me.