Product Description
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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 s 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
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In 1942, Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby teamed up at Der Bingle's
Para 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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Additional Features
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"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
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