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Irving Berlin's: Holiday Inn
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| Editorial Reviews: | | |  | | In 1942, Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby teamed up at Der Bingle's Paramount Pictures for Holiday Inn, a black-and-white musical that proves more entertaining than Crosby's color semi-remake White Christmas in 1954. Astaire and Crosby play partner/rival song-and-dance men who compete for the hand of their performing partner, played by Virginia Dale. After Crosby loses, he moves to the Connecticut countryside where he creates a resort that is only open on holidays and puts on the shows with the help of Marjorie Reynolds. Dumped by Dale, Astaire makes a drunken arrival at the inn on New Year's Eve and dances with Reynolds. He decides she'll be his new partner, but doesn't remember what she looks like, setting off a frenzied search at every subsequent show while the once-bitten Crosby does his best to steer him off track. The theme gives Irving Berlin an excuse to craft or recycle a number of holiday-themed songs, such as (in the former category) "Washington's Birthday" or (in the latter) "Easter Parade." The most famous of the new material, of course, is "White Christmas," which became one of the bestselling songs of all time and the title song of Crosby's 1954 film. Astaire and Crosby also team up for "I'll Capture Her Heart," which playfully contrasts the stars' specialties, and Astaire's "It's So Easy to Dance with You" became one of the signature songs of his post-Ginger Rogers career. Astaire and Crosby teamed up again for Blue Skies in 1946. --David Horiuchi On the DVD
"A Couple of Song and Dance Men" is a 45-minute conversation between author-historian Ken Barnes and Ava Astaire McKenzie, Fred's daughter, recapping the careers of Astaire and Crosby. It's a bit wooden, but not without charm, and has some interesting early footage, chiefly of Crosby (presumably because of studio rights issues). There's also a seven-minute discussion of how sound has been recorded for movie musicals, and specifically how it was done for Holiday Inn's "I'll Capture Her Heart." Barnes's commentary track offers bits of trivia (they had originally wanted Ginger Rogers for one of the roles, and yes, the title inspired the hotel chain) and incorporates some archival quotes by Astaire and Crosby. The remastered picture is a noticeable improvement over the earlier double-feature DVD, which paired Holiday Inn with Crosby's Going My Way. --David Horiuchi | | | | This perennial, Christmas-season favorite from 1942 teamed Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as entertainers (and rival suitors of Marjorie Reynolds) running an inn that is only open on holidays. It's a great excuse for lots of singing and dancing, seamlessly wrapped in a catchy story, and Astaire's frequent director Mark Sandrich (Top Hat, Shall We Dance?) doesn't let us down. The Irving Berlin numbers (each one connected to a different holiday) are winners. Crosby's warm performance of "White Christmas" is a movie touchstone. --Tom Keogh | |
| Custom Reviews: | |
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| | Of my favorite christmas movies, Holiday Inn is right at the top behind White Christmas. White Christmas is my favorite Christmas movie, but Holiday Inn is pretty close behind it. I would recommend everyone to watch this movie at least once in your life. If you like bing crosby or fred astaire movies then you will love this one. If you love old movies, then you should watch this one.
| | | Holiday Inn is a wonderful old movie about a man who owns an inn that is only open on holidays. (If only there was such a place!) Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are great as "friends" going after the same woman. Some of my favorite scenes include Fred's July 4th's firecracker tap dance and when he tries to dance on New Year's Eve when he's already drunk.
| | A film NOT just for Christmas | |
| | | This is one of the better musicals from the 1940s. This is not MGM (luckily) so you don't get that 'songs coming from places for no reason' problem. In this, like a lot of the musicals from, lets say, the 1930s, the songs have reason to be there. I think both Bing and Fred are great, but I have kind of a hate for Fred in this one. Really I guess, because his character is, well, kinda horrible. He is always stealing the women away from Bing, and he does it so easily. The film is mixed with a lot of the usual 'double-crossing' scenes, with some amazing songs by Irving Berlin, mostly sung by Bing, including 'White Christmas', 'Easter Parade' and a number of others, and not forgetting the wonderful dancing by Fred Astaire. Its Bing opening up his own inn, the 'Holiday Inn', which is open only during holidays. This is where the 'music being there for a reason' comes in, and there's lots of it too. Watch out for George Washington's birthday, I mean look out for the dance, which is, lets say amusingly funny. The following part of this review, refers to a UK Region 2 release on DVD from Laureate/Universal. The thing I love most about this DVD though is the print of the film, which looks great, and the extra features that go with it. The best being the 'A Couple of Song and Dance Men' featurette, with Ava Astaire MacKenzie and Ken Barnes, lasting around 40 odd minutes I think, which contains some interesting stories. Particularly the one about a certain dance which Fred does in the movie, while 'playing' drunk. Along with this, you get an audio commentary, filmographies, and a few other little things too. Great movie, with a great DVD presentation. Highly recommended.
| | | This movie has become one of my holiday traditions. great dancing, and one of those which you get both Bing and Fred! They just don't make 'em like this anymore! Get the Dvd, and you get "Going My Way" too. It's worth it..and this IS the original "White Christmas" redition (for you purists). Lots of fun any time of the year!
| | Better than White Christmas | |
| | Our family watches this one every Thanksgiving. It holds up even better than White Christmas -- the music is better and of course, with Fred Astaire, the dancing is great. One thing that doesn't get better with age though, is the portayal of Mamie, the maid, and her children. I'm sure it didn't seem racist in 1942, but it does now. As it happens, though, Mamie gets the best line in the movie when she forgets her place and tells the Bing to get off his duff and quit moping because "some city slicker stole yo' gal."Oh, and the blackface routine on Lincoln's birthday -- I can't believe that used to be popular.
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