Someone once said, "Never do movies with dogs or babies. You'll loose every time". That proves to be true for Bing Crosby and Joan Blondell in this 1939 Universal comedy with songs. They have the first half of the movie to dominate, but once Baby Sandy comes on, it's all over for these two. Crosby is a singing cab driver who finds that the estranged wife of a drunken pal has left a baby in his cab to prevent her father-in-law from taking custody of the child. Crosby must then hide the baby until the mother reclaims it and prevent a nasty reporter from exposing him. Joan Blondell plays his girlfriend and gives her usual peppy wide-eyed performance, but really is wasted here. Fresh from 9 years at Warner Brothers, she was obviously hoping for better things, but didn't get it in this movie. Crosby sings a few charming songs, and is basically the same as he is in pretty much every other movie he made up to that point.Surrounding these two stars are such familiar character actors as Mischa Auer (as Crosby's Russian roommate) and C. Aubrey Smith as the grouchy millionaire/father-in-law. All of them don't mean squat once Baby Sandy shows up on the screen. Even cuter than Baby LeRoy, this tot smiles and plays for the camera as if she had one starring at her at birth. It's obvious as to why Universal felt she could handle her own series. Without the presence of this adorably little girl, the film would be entirely too cloying to enjoy.

East Side of Heaven, like most of Bing Crosby's 1930's vehicles, is mild, but very enjoyable entertainment. This one may rise a bit above the others because Crosby, on loan-out from Paramount to Universal, operates with a different and perhaps more sophisticated cast than usual. Not the least of which is that gorgeous, buxom hunk of womanhood, comedienne and fine actress Joan Blondell co-starring as his fiancé. The inimitable, delightfully and bizarrely funny Mischa Auer is on board as Bing's wacky, bug-eyed room mate. Auer, known as "the Mad Russian", had by this movie's 1939 release become a fixture in the period's screwball comedies. Labelled a stereotype by the present generation's politically correct doctrinaires, he was anything but. He was in fact a one of a kind comedian whose act, which has to be experienced rather than described, enlivened every picture he was in. Jerome Cowan contributes one of his typical nasty slickster, a radio gossip monger, while tall, distinguished C. Aubrey Smith adds a touch of class as a gruff millionaire trying to find his grand baby.And here we come to the real attraction of the show, aside from Crosby's crooning. Baby Sandy, the most utterly adorable, cute, well-behaved, and cuddly baby every produced by American motherhood, I'm sure. Even and old grouch like me couldn't resist her. The winsome kid is being kept by Crosby, a singing taxi driver, while the mother tries to get matters straighted out with her hubby, Smith's ne'er-do-well son. That with expected complications comprises most of this likable musical comedy's fluffy plot. Never mind, the show is carried by Bing's mellow singing, Auer's hilarious antics, Joan's big, blue-eyed good looks, and of course that precious little Sandy baby.Crosby's numbers included "Sing A Song Of Sunbeams", the warbling cabbie's theme song, the title song, sung at the end, and "Hang Your Hat On a Hickory Limb". This last is the best, as it expands into an elaborate song and dance number involving everyone in a large diner. Three plump old dolls, who must have started show biz in the Gay Nineties, sing a trio that almost steals the show from Bing, and a dancing chef-drummer uses everything in the kitchen for an instrument.Director David Butler, who also produced and wrote the story, guides all with his usual smooth, sure hand. He was in his element here. Through the 'thirties, 'forties, and 'fifties, before turning to television, he directed with consummate skill dozens of similar light weight but fun musicals and comedies. But he occasionally demonstrated versatility, as when he shifted gears to direct (with some uncredited help from Raoul Walsh) one of my favorite westerns San Antonio (1945 -- see my review).East Side of Heaven may have been a cheap production, but sets are first rate and the black and white cinematography sumptuous. It has the same smooth, polished look and sound of all big studio productions of the late 1930's through the late 1940's. Thoroughly enjoyable entertainment from America's favorite crooner and Old Hollywood's Golden Era.

"East Side of Heaven" is a fable of New York City with a breezy Bing Crosby as a singer (first a singing telegrapher then a taxi troubadour) whose life is complicated by a friend's marital woes and a baby.Joan Blondell has a grand showcase for her loveliness and her comedy chops as Bing's fiancée. Mischa Auer steals every scene he is in as the helpful, loafer pal.The most adorable tot in movies, Baby Sandy, is the plot hinge upon which swings a tyrannical grandfather (C. Aubrey Smith), a worried mother (Irene Hervey) and a grandly unlikable radio host (Jerome Cowan).You'll wish there really was such a place as the Frying Pan Cafe where waiters and cooks join guests in song. "Hang Your Heart on a Hickory Limb" is just one of the infectious numbers that add the sparkle to this movie.A truly entertaining comedy-musical the whole family will enjoy.

East Side of Heaven is one of two pictures Bing Crosby did for Universal. In exchange. I believe Paramount got the services of Allan Jones for The Great Victor Herbert and Honeymoon in Bali. Crosby's second film for Universal was If I Had My Way.This one for Universal was done on the same skimpy budget that Paramount normally gave 1930s Crosby vehicles. But loan outs are good to see because you get a chance to watch a leading star with players that are not from his home base. Crosby gets a spirited leading lady in Joan Blondell in their one and only film together. Similarly he has supporting players like Mischa Auer, Irene Hervey, C. Aubrey Smith and Jerome Cowan who are all very good and also never worked with Crosby again.Crosby is first a singing telegraph messenger and later a singing taxi driver who's going out with Joan Blondell and she's a switchboard operator at a radio station. Jerome Cowan who plays a Walter Winchell like columnist has eyes for her. An old friend of Bing's, Irene Hervey who married a wealthy heir, deposits her baby with Bing while she sorts out her marital problems caused by her meddling father-in-law, C. Aubrey Smith. The baby is believed kidnapped and the fun begins.Bing has four good songs to sing, written by Jimmy Monaco and Johnny Burke. Two of his patented philosophical numbers, Sing a Song of Sunbeams and Hang Your Heart on a Hickory Limb, a ballad East Side of Heaven and the hit of the movie That Sly Old Gentlemen sung to put Baby Sandy to sleep.The plot involving a potentially kidnapped baby was very relevant with the news of the Lindbergh baby fresh in everyone's mind. Fortunately all is righted at the end.IF you love Bing as I do, see this movie.