In Holiday Inn, a popular musical comedy, the romantic triangle consists of Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, both in love with Virginia Dale, their partner in the club act.
The team splits and Crosby retires to a farm in Connecticut, but after getting bored with life in the country, he turns the farm into a nightclub to be open only for the holiday season. Soon, Astaire shows up at the farm and falls again for Crosby’s girl, Marjorie Reynolds.
Composer Berlin wrote 12 songs specifically for this musical, the best known is, of course, “White Christmas,” which won the Best Song Oscar.
The film also reuses the song “Easter Parade,” written by Berlin for the 1933 Broadway revue, As Thousands Cheer.
The film has charm and the music, especially “White Christmas,” became extremely popular, despite the poor singing of the two women, who are really no match for Astaire and Crosby.
Danny Dare assisted Astaire in choreographing his dance numbers.
Oscar Nominations: 3
Original Story: Irving Berlin
Song: White Christmas, music and lyrics by Irving Berlin
Scoring of a Musical: Robert Emmett Dolan
Oscar Awards: 1
Song: White Christmas
Oscar Context:
The Original Story Oscar went to Emeric Pressburger for the British war movie, “The Invaders.”
“Yankee Doodle Dandy” won the Scoring Oscar for Ray Heindorf and Heinz Roemheld
