A remake and changing of a previous film that gets it right the second time.
The Story:
At the close of World War II, Capt. Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) is entertaining the troops under the command of General Waverly (Dean Jagger) who is getting ready to be shipped home. When the enemy attacks, Wallace is saved by Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) who will use the injury that he sustains to turn Wallace's successful stateside career as a singer into a dynamic entertainment duo that takes the nation by storm. A decade passes, and the boys find the Haynes Sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen) at a nightclub event, and Judy and Phil conspire to get Bob and Betty to fall in love, with the ulterior motive that they will get more freedom if their partners are romantically entangled. The next thing you know, the quartet is heading to a gig at an inn in Vermont, owned and operated by none other than General Waverly! However, a balmy winter season threatens to shut down the place. Will there be a Christmas miracle to keep the place operational?
Bet on it!
First the obvious, yes, this film is very, very similar to the Bing Crosby led Holiday Inn.
However, where that inn opened only for the holidays and had specific song and dance routines based around those holidays, Holiday Inn focuses on Wallace and Davis rehearsing their show at the inn to pump some money into the General's pockets to keep the place open.
Better still, the partnership between Crosby and Kaye is just that, a partnership. In Holiday Inn, Fred Astaire was a jerk. Any time Crosby found a girl, Astaire tried to steal her. Some friend.
So if you're going to choose one for the holidays, it should be this one. The other encompasses all the holidays, whereas this one ends at Christmas with a wonderful closing number of the title song.
Speaking of songs, yes, this is a musical. There is singing and dancing.
So if you hate that, you'll want to avoid the movie most likely.
However, as this is a classical musical comedy, the ratio of dialogue/plot to song & dance is very good. There are stretches of movie before a song breaks out, and many times the songs simply help the narrative of the film, so it's all good.
All of the songs were written by Irving Berlin, and Crosby, Kaye and the ladies do an exceptional job with his body of work.
Plus, I dare you not to get a little emotional at the end of the film when the boys spring their surprise on the General.
Directed by Michael Curtiz, who directed a slew of Hollywood's best films of all time, including The Adventures of Robin Hood and Casablanca.
This one?
Better than those.
: )
Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.
Final Grade: A
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Amazingly, with cable broadcasts and streaming on Netflix, I still as yet have to purchase this film. Maybe next year when it celebrates its 60th Anniversary?
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