Here Is My Heart: Bing, a fake waiter, and a whole lot of 1934 fluff

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for pre-code era musical fluff, then sure, pull up a chair. But if you need your movies to have actual stakes or, you know, a story that makes sense for more than five minutes, you might want to skip this one. It's essentially a vehicle for Bing Crosby to sing songs while looking mildly confused about why he's wearing a waiter's uniform.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Here Is My Heart (1934) through its definitive frames.

People who like lighthearted, slightly silly romances from the 30s will have a blast. People who get annoyed by rich guys acting like creepers in the name of 'love' might find themselves wanting to throw something at the screen.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Here Is My Heart (1934) through its definitive frames.

The vibe

The whole thing feels like a fancy dinner party that went on a little too long. Bing is doing his signature 'aw shucks' routine, and honestly, he pulls it off because he’s Bing. He spends the movie playing a waiter to get close to a princess, which is a premise that was tired even in 1934. But somehow, he makes it feel like he’s just having a laugh.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Here Is My Heart (1934) through its definitive frames.

There's this one scene where he’s trying to be subtle, but he’s standing in the middle of a room like a sore thumb. It’s funny in that 'did the director even notice?' kind of way. It’s definitely not La petite Lise in terms of gritty realism, that's for sure. 🙄

Observations

• The music is fine, if you like that sort of thing. It’s very 1930s, lots of crooning.
• Kitty Carlisle is supposed to be this high-and-mighty princess, but she spends most of the time looking like she’s just waiting for the craft services table to open.
• The supporting cast is just kind of there. They show up, say their lines, and disappear into the background scenery.
• There’s a moment with a soup tureen that is legitimately the most interesting thing to happen in the first hour.

It’s a weird contrast to something like Is Zat So? where the energy is a bit more frantic. Here, everything is polished and shiny and a little bit hollow. It feels like the movie is trying so hard to be delightful that it forgets to have a soul.

Still, watching Bing try to pass off a tray of drinks without spilling them is a highlight. Maybe that’s the point? It’s just a collection of moments where the star gets to look good while singing. Not everything needs to be a masterpiece, I guess.

I left the movie feeling like I’d just eaten a bowl of cotton candy. Sweet, fluffy, and gone from my brain before the credits finished rolling. 🍬