Holiday Inn (1942)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

Irving Berlin (idea)
Elmer Rice (adaptation)

Release Date:

4 April 1943 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Plot:

Lovely Linda Mason has crooner Jim Hardy head over heels, but suave stepper Ted Hanover wants her for...

Plot Keywords:

Holiday | Inn | Christmas | Dance | Minstrel Show

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Bing Crosby	...	Jim Hardy
Fred Astaire	...	Ted Hanover
Marjorie Reynolds	...	Linda Mason
Virginia Dale	...	Lila Dixon
Walter Abel	...	Danny Reed
Louise Beavers	...	Mamie
Irving Bacon	...	Gus
Marek Windheim	...	François
James Bell	...	Dunbar
John Gallaudet	...	Parker
Shelby Bacon	...	Vanderbilt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joan Arnold	...	Daphne

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Holiday Inn, Monte Rio, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Irving Berlin got the idea for the film after writing the song "Easter Parade" for his 1933 show "As Thousands Cheer", and planned to write a play about American holidays, but it never materialized. He later pitched the idea to Mark Sandrich who got the ball rolling for this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lila gives Linda a lift to Holiday Inn, Linda gets in the car, sits down, and starts to close the door. In the next shot, Linda hops into the car again.

Quotes:

Linda Mason: What would you like?
Danny Reed: Orchids, the finest you've got.
Linda Mason: Corsage?
Danny Reed: No, no. A dozen, loose, looking like they don't care!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Bob Newhart Show: I'm Dreaming of a Slight Christmas (#2.15)" (1973)

Soundtrack:

Song of Freedom

What's there not to like?

This movie has so much and if you can make the chemistry thing the sparking between Bing and Fred and ignore the sidebar romances that don't quite grab you, then you will truly enjoy it. "White Christmas" - the first performance of the standard and it always grabs me. And I must have seen it fifty plus times. The dancing scene with Fred and the firecrackers, stupendous, incredible, how DID he do it?? Forget the blackface bits, slightly offensive, even considering the era. And the rah-rah-rah for WW2. Evocative of 1942 and FDR. Everything comes together beautifully down to the encore of "White Christmas" and Bing in the best of voice all through. Story is just about zero and no credibility - imagine an inn open fifteen days of the year with an enormous cast for the floor show (with full orchestra, no less). Bankrupt after the payroll for one holiday would be my guess :>). But lovely and nostalgic and worth watching over and over, just for the boys, Fred and Bing. 7 out of 10.