BING AND OTHER THINGS

The author was ""Splash Day Princess"" at three, ""Queen of the Houston Fat Stock Show"" at sixteen, and Mrs. Bing Crosby at? ""Miss Fat Stock (a Bing endearment) has had a hectic life and in these busy memoirs she effusively recalls her Texas youth (no date to the Junior Senior banquet etc.), determination to become a movie star (studies at the Univ. of Texas drama school with the Fantasticks' Word Baker etc.), struggles in Hollywood...facing up to Harry Cohen etc.). Bing's courtship (""heavenly"" dinners etc.), their harassed engagement (postponed five times because of her indecision etc.), her final decision...""I felt our marriage would bring new lilt to his songs"" and subsequent life togetherness. She bore three children, became a professional nurse which she alternated with a stage career, learned hunting and fishing and to be an avid golf spectator but she never learned to cook. They spent time with the Hopes (Bob) and saw a lot of Rosemary Clooney. She and her daughter played in Peter Pan, son Harry was once almost run over, and she includes creative poems with her Christmas presents. Bing emerges a benign humorist from this jumbled portrait while Kathryn comes off as a likable scatterbrain. For those dear hearts who once swooned while Bing crooned.