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.

Director:

Mark Sandrich

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:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mary Martin stated in her autobiography that she had to turn down the role of Linda Mason in this film (which eventually led to the termination of her contract at Paramount) because she was pregnant.

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Goofs

At one point early in the opening song & dance on stage, Crosby grabs Astaire's jacket from behind -- Astaire stops mid-motion holding his right leg up in the air. The next instant cuts to a different camera view, and Astaire is holding his *left* leg up in the air.

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Quotes

Linda Mason: You sound sweet, but you don't make sense.

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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

Referenced in Murphy Brown: I'm Dreaming of a Brown Christmas (1992)

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Soundtracks

(Come To) Holiday Inn
(1942) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Played by the Bob Crosby Orchestra
Sung by Bing Crosby and Martha Mears (dubbing Marjorie Reynolds) at the Holiday Inn on Christmas Eve

User Reviews

Charming

The source of the song "White Christmas" would be worth watching just for that, but in addition the movie has a bunch of wonderful dancing, and quite a lot of charming songs; "I'll Capture Your Heart Singing", "Come To Holiday Inn", "You're Easy to Dance With", "Oh How I Hate to Get up in the morning", "White Christmas", and "Happy Holiday" (all by Irving Berlin) are some of the highlights.

Anyone who is a fan of Crosby or Astaire will enjoy this movie. Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale play perfect foils for Crosby and Astaire, supporting them.

The plot, what there is of it, is just enough to hang enough Muscial numbers on to keep the movie running along apace.