Holiday Inn

Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) and Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire) are showbiz chums about to retire in this beloved 1942 holiday musical comedy directed by Mark Sandrich. Hardy's retirement winds up being short lived, due to dwindling finances, so he decides to convert his farm house into a theater/inn that is only open on holidays. This successful venture gives him considerable time to loaf, and provides an excuse for enough Irving Berlin tunes to fill three ordinary musicals (as well as a number of dazzling Astaire routines). Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale costar as the romantic interests in this multi-Oscar-nominated film that took home a statue for the song "White Christmas" (the film was partially remade in 1954 as White Christmas). Presented in a 75th anniversary edition, the excellent extras include the option to watch the film in its original black-and-white or color, audio commentary by film historian Ken Barnes, a profile of Crosby and Astaire, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a separate disc featuring a full-length 2016 Broadway adaptation of Holiday Inn. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)