Big Noise From Winnetka!

Here is a short featuring Bob Crosby and The Bob-Cats–Bob-Cats being the used nomenclature in this short, as seen on the blackboard in the background. The group went by any of two dozen or so different spellings and names (Bob Crosby & His Bobcats, Lt. Bob Crosby and His V-Disc Bobcats, Bob Crosby & His Dixie Land Bob Cats, etc.) throughout their existence.

Bob, actually born George Robert Crosby, brother to Harry Crosby (popularly known as Bing, of course) in Spokane, WA, played with the Clark Randall Orchestra (also featuring Glenn Miller) in 1935, before splintering off and starting his Bob Crosby Orchestra and his"band-within-a-band" Dixie Land jazz group, The Bob Cats. They combined the sound of 1920s and early 30s traditional jazz with the then-popular swing music to great success, until the band dissolved in 1942. 

1933 menu for Chicago's Blackhawk restaurant, with art by Edouardé, on whom I
could find no information.

Here we don't see Mr. Crosby; rather we get bassist Bob Haggart–one of Crosby's chief composers, and drummer Ray Bauduc, co-composer of the number. "Big Noise From Winnetka" went on to be prolifically covered by the likes of Gene Krupa, the great Cozy Cole, and even Bette Middler, whatever you make of that. 

The composition was allegedly spontaneous, created from an impromptu jam session between Haggart and Bauduc at the Chicago hot spot The Blackhawk. Bob Crosby's Bob Cats recorded it in 1938 in its initial instrumental form, and again with added lyrics by Crosby and Russian-American saxophonist and composer Gil Rodin. 

The tune was played for the camera at least three times: Once in the 1941 feature Let's Make Music, which starred Crosby and was directed by Leslie Goodwins (director of The Mummy's Curse, several short subject films like Should Wives Work? and a number of Lupe Velez pictures.) There's a clip (below) here, where you see Haggart do a comical take at the beginning before the band starts in (though not playing "Big Noise From Winnetka"). 

It was featured in 1943's Reveille with Beverly, this time played by the Bob Crosby Orchestra  and Vocal Group, utilizing the later vocal version. Clip below.

The initial short that prompted this post is a 1951 Snader Telescription short produced for television play by Louis D. Snader, a SoCal theater owner who sought to diversify his portfolio by branching out into the then-burgeoning television market. He's also the guy who made similar shorts with Korla Pandit, gaining him his first national exposure. 

Promotional spread for Snader TELEscriptions.