Holiday Inn is that "other" holiday film starring Bing Crosby. Filmed more than a decade before the more popular White Christmas, 1942's Holiday Inn was the first of the two movies to showcase Crosby's classic Christmas song, "White Christmas." It's also my favorite of the two. (I should note here that I'm not using the word "holiday" as a sanitized surrogate for the word Christmas. Holiday Inn is a movie that attempts to cover as many of the calendar holidays as possible.)

Holiday Inn is based on composer Irving Berlin's idea to buy an inn that would only open on holidays. Eventually, the idea was fleshed out into a screenplay. Berlin would write all of the movie's songs; and famous Hollywood crooner Bing Crosby would be the lead.

In the film, Jim Hardy (Crosby) and Ted Hanover (the affable and energetic Fred Astaire) are song-and-dance men in New York City. Hardy tires of the endless shows -- and love triangles -- that make up his partnership with Hanover, and he dreams of a simpler, more pastoral life. So he buys a farmhouse in rural Connecticut -- and quickly finds out that country life isn't all that easy. Eventually, he formulates a plan to have the best of both worlds: He keeps the house but turns it into an inn that only opens on holidays. He also decides that he will provide his guests with variety shows on those holidays.

Along the way, Hardy auditions a beautiful young singer named Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds, a talented actress whose career inexplicably fizzled after this film). And, once again, Hanover re-enters Hardy's life and tries to steal the show -- and the girl. In this light comedy, however, there are never any hard feelings and, eventually, Hardy gets the girl.

One of the thrills of the movie is to see what kind of skits will be performed for the various holidays. At times, Berlin's songs seem to run together. (Interestingly, people associated with the film didn't think "White Christmas" would be a standout song.) And Crosby, as always, comes across as wooden. However, the choreography and costuming are grand. And Astaire is always a pleasure to watch.

While not every holiday is actually covered in the film, the movie tries to celebrate as many as possible -- even Presidents' birthdays. Since the movie was shot just as the United States was entering World War II, the Independence Day skit included actual footage of American troops and bombers -- a visual that would have resonated a great deal with '40s-era moviegoers.

On the unfortunate side, there is also a Lincoln's birthday skit that has white actors performing in blackface. This, perhaps, is one of the reasons why Holiday Inn isn't as widely seen as White Christmas. It was obviously not so controversial when the film was released, but it is indeed uncomfortable for a modern viewer to watch.

Part of what brought this film to life for me was seeing it on the big screen in December, at a beautiful, restored historic theater in my town. If an old theatre near you shows this feature, I encourage you to check it out. Tickets for older movies tend to be cheaper than today's, and their proceeds often go to a nonprofit organization. And, if you happen to watch the movie in an historic theatre, you will get to see it while sitting in the same seats that some of the movie's first viewers sat in. (Just remember, though, that 21st-century hips fit snuggly in mid-20th century seats.)

Though no movie is quite as magical in any format other than the big screen, Holiday Inn is still delightful in any format. The black-and-white musical is truly a classic holiday film that you're sure to love, particularly during the Christmas season.
Comments (0)