"Holiday Inn" and "White Christmas" stand side by side on my video shelf, and for the longest time, I kept confusing the two with each other. "Holiday Inn" offers the very first filmed performance of the popular song 'White Christmas', while the movie of the same name takes place at an inn. Both of course feature Bing Crosby and that incomparable voice of his, for my money perhaps the very best of all time. Each of the films has it's own proponents for which is the better of the two. If I had a proverbial gun to my head, I'd have to say that "Holiday Inn" holds up better in terms of story and continuity, even though both pictures have elements that defy credibility and have you going 'huh?' even while providing a boat load of entertainment.
It's a quick newspaper column story that caught my eye that probably sums up the Holiday Inn concept best - Bing's notion of refurbishing a Connecticut homestead into an entertainment venue for fifteen holidays per year is deemed a 'freak idea'. I doubt if the Bingster could make that idea work in real life, even if he and Fred Astaire headlined each show like they did here.
But in between the less believable moments, you do have some top shelf entertainment, among them Crosby's singing numbers, and some downright awesome footwork from Astaire. His Fourth of July tap-dance garners well deserved accolades, and I can't imagine a better drunken dance interpretation than the one he did with Marjorie Reynolds in his first appearance at the Inn. Bing and Reynolds in black-face - too garishly over the top by today's politically correct standards, but still important in depicting an earlier era dealing with themes of race and equality. Fortunately, the character of Mamie (Louise Beavers) and her two children was handled with respect and sincerity.
So depending on your disposition, "Holiday Inn" remains a respected movie in the tradition of your great Christmas classics, or just another picture to while away the time while waiting for Santa to arrive. Either way, you should catch it at least once to pay appreciation to Hollywood's golden era, well before holiday fare like "Bad Santa" threatened to leave it's mark on an ever jaded modern public.
It's a quick newspaper column story that caught my eye that probably sums up the Holiday Inn concept best - Bing's notion of refurbishing a Connecticut homestead into an entertainment venue for fifteen holidays per year is deemed a 'freak idea'. I doubt if the Bingster could make that idea work in real life, even if he and Fred Astaire headlined each show like they did here.
But in between the less believable moments, you do have some top shelf entertainment, among them Crosby's singing numbers, and some downright awesome footwork from Astaire. His Fourth of July tap-dance garners well deserved accolades, and I can't imagine a better drunken dance interpretation than the one he did with Marjorie Reynolds in his first appearance at the Inn. Bing and Reynolds in black-face - too garishly over the top by today's politically correct standards, but still important in depicting an earlier era dealing with themes of race and equality. Fortunately, the character of Mamie (Louise Beavers) and her two children was handled with respect and sincerity.
So depending on your disposition, "Holiday Inn" remains a respected movie in the tradition of your great Christmas classics, or just another picture to while away the time while waiting for Santa to arrive. Either way, you should catch it at least once to pay appreciation to Hollywood's golden era, well before holiday fare like "Bad Santa" threatened to leave it's mark on an ever jaded modern public.