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One More Chance
One More Chance
	Bing sings "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams"
Directed by	Mack Sennett
Screenplay by	John A. Waldron; Earle Rodney; Harry McCoy; Lew Foster
Starring	Bing Crosby; Arthur Stone; Patsy O'Leary; Matty Kemp
Cinematography	Charles P. Boyle; George Unholz
Edited by	William Hornbeck
Production; company	Educational Pictures
Distributed by	Fox Film
Release date	November 15, 1931;
Running time	20 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

One More Chance is a 1931 Educational-Mack Sennett Featurette (No. S2687) starring Bing Crosby and directed by Mack Sennett. This was the second of the six short films Crosby made for Sennett and which helped launch his career as a solo performer.^[1] This film is notable for Crosby first singing on film his classic hit "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" which is sung to a bevy of giggling overweight Native American maidens who gradually close in on him.^[2] He also sings "Just One More Chance" which topped the various charts of the day in 1931.^[3]

Plot

Bing Bangs (Crosby) is a salesman for "Magic" washing machines and his demonstration of the machine at the beginning of the film results in disaster. Crosby later gains a transfer from Hoboken to California and he drives his wife Ethel and her Uncle Joe (who dislikes Bing) in an open car on the journey having many adventures en route. Uncle Joe presses Ethel to divorce Bing and marry a more desirable suitor called Percy Howard. Ethel, Joe and Percy are dining in a California night club when the announcer refers to the sponsor, the Magic Washing Machine Company and introduces their singer. It is Crosby and he sings "Just One More Chance" and he and Ethel reunite.^[4]

Cast

Bing Crosby as Bing Bangs
Arthur Stone as Uncle Joe
Patsy O'Leary as Ethel Bangs
Matty Kemp as Percy Howard
George Gray as George Dobbs
Alice Adair as Mrs. Dobbs
Kalla Pasha as Brown / Kelly the Wrestler

Background

Six shorts were made by Crosby for Mack Sennett, of which were four filmed in a three-month period in 1931 and two in 1932. The shorts were:

I Surrender Dear (released September 1931)
One More Chance" (released November 1931)
Dream House (released January 1932)
Billboard Girl (released March 1932)
Sing, Bing, Sing (released March 1933)
Blue of the Night (released January 1933)

Reception

Film Daily was not impressed. "Featuring Bing Crosby, the radio crooner, in a slight story that jumps all over the map and is very disconnected. The “plot” is pretty hazy, if any. Bing is a happy-go-lucky salesman for an electric washing machine who depends on his songs to sell his wares. He has the usual trouble holding his wife from the other fellow, but wins her back in the last sequence by crooning his song. Bing's crooning is okay, but as a comedian there is little to be said in his favor. Or was it the fault of the material?"^[5]

Variety liked it better. "Second of the two-reelers by the radio crooner, also bearing as title one of the torch numbers he uses, the first being “I Surrender Dear.” New subject is first rate, Crosby revealing a splendid camera presence, remarkable to those who have seen his mild personal appearances on the Paramount stage....Crosby displays a capital comedy sense, plays with assurance and certainty. Subject is worth minor featuring in lieu of air popularity.^[6]

Soundtrack

"Just One More Chance"
"Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams"
"I Surrender Dear" (parody)
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain

References

^ Macfarlane, Malcolm. "Bing Crosby - Day by Day". BING magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
^ Wolfe, Norman (2005). Troubadour. Leeds, UK: International Club Crosby. p. 143.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 103. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
^ Reynolds, Fred (1986). Road to Hollywood. John Joyce. pp. 33–34.
^ "Film Daily". Film Daily. November 1, 1931.
^ "Variety". Variety. December 22, 1931.