Holiday Inn

Description

Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire sing and dance their way into
your heart in the sensational musical comedy Holiday Inn. Nominated for 3
Academy Awards, this special edition features 13 holiday songs by famed
composer Irving Berlin, including “White Christmas” – one of the biggest-
selling recordings in music history! Crosby plays a song and dance man who
leaves showbiz to run an inn that is open only on holidays. Astaire plays his
former partner and rival in love. Follow the two talented pals as they find
themselves competing for the affections of the same lovely lady (Marjorie
Reynolds). This classic features an all-new digitally remastered picture and
never-before-seen bonus material. ‘Tis the season for one of the most
enjoyable films of all time! Bonus Content: A Couple of Song and Dance Men
All-Singing, All Dancing Audio Commentary with Film Historian Ken Barnes,
including Archive Audio Comments from Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and John Scott
Trotter Theatrical Trailer In 1942, Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby
teamed up at Der Bingle’s Paramount Pictures for Holiday Inn, a black-and-
white musical that proves more entertaining than Crosby’s color semi-remake
White Christmas in 1954. Astaire and Crosby play partner/rival song-and-dance
men who compete for the hand of their performing partner, played by Virginia
Dale. After Crosby loses, he moves to the Connecticut countryside where he
creates a resort that is only open on holidays and puts on the shows with the
help of Marjorie Reynolds. Dumped by Dale, Astaire makes a drunken arrival at
the inn on New Year’s Eve and dances with Reynolds. He decides she’ll be his
new partner, but doesn’t remember what she looks like, setting off a frenzied
search at every subsequent show while the once-bitten Crosby does his best to
steer him off track. The theme gives Irving Berlin an excuse to craft or
recycle a number of holiday-themed songs, such as (in the former category)
“Washington’s Birthday” or (in the latter) “Easter Parade.” The most famous of
the new material, of course, is “White Christmas,” which became one of the
bestselling songs of all time and the title song of Crosby’s 1954 film.
Astaire and Crosby also team up for “I’ll Capture Her Heart,” which playfully
contrasts the stars’ specialties, and Astaire’s “It’s So Easy to Dance with
You” became one of the signature songs of his post-Ginger Rogers career.
Astaire and Crosby teamed up again for Blue Skies in 1946. –David Horiuchi
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Contains: “A Couple of Song and Dance Men” is a 45-minute conversation between
author-historian Ken Barnes and Ava Astaire McKenzie, Fred’s daughter,
recapping the careers of Astaire and Crosby. It’s a bit wooden, but not
without charm, and has some interesting early footage, chiefly of Crosby
(presumably because of studio rights issues). There’s also a seven-minute
discussion of how sound has been recorded for movie musicals, and specifically
how it was done for Holiday Inn’s “I’ll Capture Her Heart.” Barnes’s
commentary track offers bits of trivia (they had originally wanted Ginger
Rogers for one of the roles, and yes, the title inspired the hotel chain) and
incorporates some archival quotes by Astaire and Crosby. The remastered
picture is a noticeable improvement over the earlier double-feature DVD, which
paired Holiday Inn with Crosby’s Going My Way. –David Horiuchi See more

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Fred Astaire, Musicals & Performing Arts, DVD Movie, Bing Crosby, Blu-ray Movie, Comedy, Kids & Family/Holidays & Festivals, White Christmas, Xmas See more
• Format: NTSC, Full Screen, Original recording remastered, Black & White, Subtitled, Special Edition
• Contributor: Fred Astaire, John Gallaudet, Marjorie Reynolds, Bing Crosby, Mark Sandrich, Walter Abel, Claude Binyon, Louise Beavers, Virginia Dale See more
• Language: English
• Runtime: 1 hour and 41 minutes
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 0.8 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 1021484
• Director ‏ : ‎ Mark Sandrich
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Full Screen, Original recording remastered, Black & White, Subtitled, Special Edition
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 41 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ August 22, 2010
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale, Walter Abel