Holiday Inn 4K 1942

First of all, this movie is great to watch over the New Year's vacations. Second, too. Because even though it seeks to cover all the important American holidays, it's still about Christmas. And it's even largely about New Year's Eve, which is atypical of Western filmmaking.

It's probably unlikely that such a hotel could have existed in reality, but it's better to ask those who know the business. Besides, reality and old Hollywood movies are not really things that go together perfectly. That's the beauty of them.

For a picture that seems to consist only of music and dance numbers and lasts a relatively short time, there is a surprisingly intense plot here. I was expecting a lot less action, but the movie turned out to be more inside.

I don't have much to say about Bing Crosby. As an actor he came across my way for the first time. As a character... well, it's not my character. Maybe in ten films, my opinion of him will be more informed.

As for Fred Astaire, it's not quite his typical character. A character who could even be called negative, but Astaire's charm is too much. Especially when he's dancing in a drunken state. Especially when you know that state is actually drunk. What you can't do for art. And he can still sing, by the way, whatever Virginia Dale's character says in the first number.

But still, the most organic here is the character of Marjorie Reynolds. She is in her place both next to Astaire and next to Crosby, and without them at all. Linda gives the impression of a most lively, responsible and adult character. We could talk about some of the infantilism of the others, but that's not what the film is about at all.

Irving Berlin's dream was to create a film in which all of America's holidays would be assembled. He did, and he did it well.