Holiday Inn (1942)

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.

Directors:

Mark Sandrich, Robert Allen (uncredited)

Writers:

Claude Binyon (screenplay), Elmer Rice (adaptation)

Stars:

Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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
Joan Arnold	...	Daphne
Bob Crosby Orchestra	...	Orchestra (as Bob Crosby's Band)

Storyline

Lovely Linda Mason has crooner Jim Hardy head over heels, but suave stepper Ted Hanover wants her for his new dance partner after femme fatale Lila Dixon gives him the brush. Jim's supper club, Holiday Inn, is the setting for the chase by Hanover and manager Danny Reed. The music's the thing.

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Plot Keywords:

blackface | show business | cigarette smoking | 1930s | 1940s | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is one of the first examples of how a hit song can help propel a film's box office. In this case, the song was Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas." Later examples include the title tune from Ghostbusters, Whitney Huston's "I Will Always Love You" from The Bodyguard and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic.

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Goofs

During the "Easter Parade" number it is clear that the backgrounds are painted and placed behind a few "real" trees and bushes. This is especially noticeable in Hi-Def.

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Quotes

Lila Dixon: [to Ted] I love you... and Jim.
Ted Hanover: Well, I love Jim too... but let's not get too chummy.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: DECEMBER 24 Christmas Eve

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Alternate Versions

The musical number "Abraham", performed by Bing Crosby, Marjorie Reynolds and the chorus, is sometimes cut from TV prints due to the use of blackface. Always included in telecasts of the film from the late 1950's through the early 1980's, it has been cut from Disney Channel telecasts of the film as well as showings on American Movie Classics after they began adding commercials to their films and editing potentially offensive sequences out. When AMC first started, it showed the film complete.

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Connections

Featured in Bamboozled (2000)

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Soundtracks

Abraham
(1942) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Played by the Bob Crosby Orchestra in blackface at the Holiday Inn
Sung on Lincoln's birthday by Bing Crosby, Martha Mears (dubbing Marjorie Reynolds) in blackface, Chorus, and Louise Beavers with Shelby Bacon and Joan Arnold

User Reviews

A wonderful film!

I am most certainly under 70 and I absolutely adore this movie! Fred and Bing are great together. The songs are some of Irving Berlin's best. With Bing's voice together with Fred's dancing...it is a first class classic! My sister & I always looked forward to watching this at the holiday season.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn

Filming Locations:

Monte Rio, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1