Holiday Inn (1942)

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

Irving Berlin (idea)
Elmer Rice (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

4 April 1943 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Plot:

At an inn which is only open on holidays, a crooner and a hoofer vie for the affections of a beautiful up-and-coming performer.

Plot Keywords:

Inn | Holiday | Christmas | Dance | Montage

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
Edward Arnold Jr.	...	Second dancer Ted bumps into (uncredited)
Loretta Barnett	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Harry Barris	...	Midnight Club orchestra leader (uncredited)
Muriel Barr	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Patsy Bedell	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Leon Belasco	...	Flower shop proprietor (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Dance extra (uncredited)
Karin Booth	...	Hat check girl (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Dance extra (uncredited)
Donald Brown	...	Child dancer (uncredited)
William Cabanne	...	Boy (uncredited)
Ruth Clifford	...	Woman (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Marion Colby	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Laurie Douglas	...	Girl (uncredited)
June Ealey	...	Specialty dancer (uncredited)
Edward Emerson	...	Man at the inn (uncredited)
Julia Faye	...	Woman (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Glen Forbes	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Lynda Grey	...	Girl (uncredited)
Kenneth Griffith	...	Boy (uncredited)
Mildred Harris	...	Woman (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian	...	Nightclub doorman (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Pop (uncredited)
Bud Jamison	...	Santa Claus (uncredited)
Kitty Kelly	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Louise La Planche	...	Girl (uncredited)
Teala Loring	...	Cigarette girl (uncredited)
Robert Locke Lorraine	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Douglas MacArthur	...	Himself in montage (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lora Lee Michel	...	Girl (uncredited)
Ross Murray	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Anthony Nace	...	First dancer Ted bumps into (uncredited)
Jane Novak	...	Woman (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Bob Crosby Orchestra	...	Musicians (uncredited)
Reed Porter	...	Assistant director (uncredited)
Rebel Randall	...	Girl (uncredited)
Keith Richards	...	Assistant director (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Man in montage (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Orchestra leader (uncredited)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt	...	Himself in montage (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mel Ruick	...	Man (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Dance extra (uncredited)
Barbara Slater	...	Girl (uncredited)
David Tihmar	...	Specialty dancer (uncredited)
Jacques Vanaire	...	Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Sandrich

Writing credits
Irving Berlin		(idea)
Elmer Rice		(adaptation)
Claude Binyon		(screenplay)
Ben Holmes		contributing writer (uncredited)
Bert Lawrence		contributing writer (uncredited)
Zion Myers		contributing writer (uncredited)
Francis Swann		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Mark Sandrich	....	producer

Cinematography by
David Abel		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ellsworth Hoagland

Art Direction by
Roland Anderson
Hans Dreier

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist
Leonora Sabine	....	hair stylist supervisor (uncredited)

Production Management
Charles Woolstenhulme	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Oscar Rudolph	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Sam Comer	....	set dresser (uncredited)
William Flannery	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Ray Moyer	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recordist
Earl S. Hayman	....	sound recordist (as Earl Hayman)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Ellis	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Billy Livingston	....	wardrobe designer: chorus (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Emmett Dolan	....	musical director
Arthur Franklin	....	music assistant
Joseph J. Lilley	....	music arranger: vocals (as Joseph Lilley)
Robert Emmett Dolan	....	composer: incidental music (uncredited)
Gil Grau	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Martha Mears	....	singing voice: Marjorie Reynolds (uncredited)
Walter Scharf	....	composer: incidental music (uncredited)
Walter Scharf	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Andrea Setaro	....	orchestra scoring (uncredited)
Herbert W. Spencer	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Paul Weston	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Daniel Dare	....	stager: dance ensembles (as Danny Dare)
Bob Crosby Orchestra	....	specialty accompaniments (as Bob Crosby's Band)
Jean Bosquet	....	publicist (uncredited)
June Chapman	....	dancer (uncredited)
Bob Crosby	....	specialty accompaniments band director (uncredited)
Eunice Douglas	....	secretary: Irving Berlin (uncredited)
Grace Dubray	....	script clerk (uncredited)
George King	....	assistant dance director (uncredited)
Norman Lacey	....	location manager (uncredited)
Sam Ledner	....	dance director (uncredited)
Al Mann	....	dance assistant (uncredited)
Zion Myers	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Hazel Noe	....	dance secretary (uncredited)
Babe Pearce	....	assistant dance director (uncredited)
Trudy Wellman	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Trudy Wellman	....	secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as Paramount Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration

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:

Founded in 1952, the Holiday Inn hotel chain took its name from this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: The telegram that Ted Hanover receives from Jim Hardy on Christmas Eve is dated December 25th.

Quotes:

Jim Hardy: [trying to describe Linda] She was sort of a medium built, medium height. With a nice evening gown on with a belt in the back. She's sorta built like the girl I knew from the corner drugstore who used to play pinball. Conshwella Schlepkiss. I remember she was high man three weeks in a row.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Hollywood Christmas (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

Easter Parade

Holiday Inn is an uplifting and heartwarming remembrance that is a legend in its own right.

In any endeavor there are greats, and there are legends. Bing Crosby crooned his way to the latter status years before this movie, and he is in fine voice here. It is such a shame that things like talent aren't present in music anymore, but if you want to remember it, this is a great vehicle. Irving Berlin, Crosby's long time friend, wrote magical numbers for the film, including the unforgettable White Christmas.

Fred Astaire gave a tour de force performance, singing, and, of course, dancing his way through this delightful piece in rare form. It is said that he worked so hard during rehearsals that he wasted away to 85 pounds by the time he filmed the firecracker number. He might just as well have been weightless, because he defies gravity with his every move.

Marjorie Reynolds was seriously outclassed in a role that was intended for Mary Martin, who probably could have improved the chemistry of the starring cast. Reynolds nevertheless does a creditable job, and Holiday Inn remains her finest hour.

Years later, Paramount undertook a vastly inferior remake entitled White Christmas, which failed to capture a fraction of the magic of Holiday Inn. Astaire was replaced with funny man Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney gave it her torch song damndest, but it didn't gel. Holiday Inn has more wit, sincerity, charm and, despite being over a decade older, freshness. Holiday Inn is an uplifting and heartwarming remembrance that is a legend in its own right.