Oh, am I terribly late or what? Can we pretend I’m holidaying somewhere in the South Pacific on the December 10th side of the International Dateline where it’s still relatively morning-ish? No?
Okay, I confess. I have the Flu to End All Flus. Sixteen crackers in three days does not make for the most with-it individual.
But speaking of holidays, there are quite a few this month. (If you hadn’t noticed!) I reluctantly put up decorations and plan no parties, but I am a big-time sucker for holiday films. Even if they’re only vaguely related to the season such as Die Hard or While You Were Sleeping, or more obscure such as Jimmy Stewart’s quirky The Shop Around the Corner, I put them in my December queue.
A film I recently added to my rotation is the 1942 Frank Capra musical Holiday Inn, starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. I’d never seen it before I hopped on a serious Fred Astaire bandwagon late last year.
Just as You Can’t Take It With You and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington felt like practice films so that Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart could make It’s a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn appears to have been a trial run for the eventual greatness of White Christmas. Bing plays the same kind of guy, one who finds himself in show business almost by accident and wants a quieter life. He’s partnered with a dancer who makes his life an amusing hell. And both couples are paired up in happy dancing-and-singing harmony by the time the credits roll. They even used the same set!
The difference, and why this becomes more than a White Christmas forerunner, boils down to one key factor: Fred Astaire. Now don’t throw rocks at me for being a philistine, but I’d never seen a Fred Astaire movie before this one. The man was simply a marvel. A damn skinny marvel! Not only was he the amazing dancer, which is how his legend comes down to us through the decades, but he’s fantastically funny. Anyone who thinks that sarcasm has always been the domain of the English really needs to watch early cinematic comedies. Astaire’s comebacks and zingers were delivered with either a wink and a smile, or with an entirely droll wit that reminded me of Hugh Laurie.
And his dancing. Holy mackerel.
Trivia: for the above scene, Astaire wanted to give it an authentic feel. He downed two shots of bourbon, then drank another after each take. To film that scene required seven takes. He was, quite literally, falling-down drunk, but his dances still blows my mind. Unbelievable.
As for Bing, I keep trying to identify his appeal. I think it comes down to how laid-back he seems, and how he can just open his mouth and create these amazing melodies. No wonder he was called “Papa” and “Daddy” by so many, because he has an easy paternal quality–very important during the war years.
Oh, and one last piece of trivial: It was in Holiday Inn that Bing first performed what would become one of the all-time classic songs of the season, “White Christmas.”
I was so happy to find this movie among the gems of old. My question for you is this: What films are in your holiday viewing queue? Any oldies? Or ones you watch that don’t necessarily scream “Tis the Season” but have become part of your family’s tradition?
I’ll give away the three-disk collector’s set of Holiday Inn to one random commenter. The set includes the black-and-white and colorized versions, as well as the original soundtrack. Want!
I love Holiday Inn and White Christmas. You can’t beat those old classics. My favorite Christmas movie is How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I also like the Home Alones, the Diehards, While You Were Sleeping, Christmas Vacation and another good one, Home For The Holidays. I’m behind on watching my favorites this year so I’ll probably be watching a few this weekend.
Oh, I haven’t seen Home for the Holidays since it was released in the theaters. I should really see that again, because I love Robert Downey Jr. My mom loves it. I bet she has it on DVD for me to watch when I go visit
I rewatched Home for the Holiadys last night. So cute! Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. are like magic. Thanks for the nudge that got me to give it a second look!
Carrie, I’m glad you felt good enough to write this blog. It’s amazing how likable Astaire is, and how sexy. He’s not the man you’d normally see on a romance cover, but whatever “it” is, he’s got it.
My favorite Christmas movie is Love Actually. I know we’ll watch it during the holidays at least once.
That’s why I keep thinking of Hugh Laurie when I see him, because he has that same quirky sex appeal. They’re not Fabio types at all!
This is a great post and touches me where I live. I watch those movies and a couple more every year. I’ve watched It’s A Wonderful Life from TV as a kid to netflix recently. I do an entire week of my favorte Christmas movies, mostly classics.
I am the original Christmas chestnut and love everything Christmas. I devoted the entire month, excluding one author interview to the songs, movies and memories of Christmas.
It’s the stuff dreams are made of and I thank you for this post
The part in It’s a Wonderful Life when George kisses Mary on the phone? *sigh* Apparently that scene had to be cut a bit because the censors of the time thought it a little risque! Thanks for stopping by!
Sorry to hear that you were sick, Carrie. Hope you’re over it now.
I’ve always been a sucker for Christmas cartoons … the Peanuts, Rudolph … most of the old ones. Now my daughter is at the age where she’s enjoying the same cartoons. I’m afraid I’ve never been one for the older movies. Seen them all … but don’t make it a point when they’re on. Other than “It’s a Wonderful Life” … which just so happens to be one tonight.
Not quite, Liz, but getting there. I don’t care for the cartoons as much, but the girls eat them up. My mom has made it her mission this year to record every Christmas cartoon that comes on TV so the girls can watch a giant marathon when we go visit. Such a good grandma
Oh, Carrie, I hope you’re feeling much better by now…that sounded like one horrible flu.
While You Were Sleeping is one of my very favorite films, but I love the oldies, too. We own Holiday Inn and watch it at least once every winter. Astaire’s drunk dance scene makes me laugh every time. I did NOT know about him really drinking during the filming of it, though!! Thanks for sharing that great bit of trivia.
Not quite past-tense yet, Marilyn. But I’ve worked my way up to soup today!
The scene in While You Were Sleeping where she talks about spending the night confusing a guy in a coma…makes me tear up every time! And then there’s the classic line: “It’s amazing how exotic Milwaukee…isn’t.”
A few years ago I started a tradition to buy a Christmas movie each year (sometimes two) and we put them away after the new year with the decorations. I have new ones like Elf and the Santa Clause movies, but I have old ones too– Rudolph, my all time favorite cartoon as a kid, and we have White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut and Miracle on 34th St. You share new things with me today though! I don’t own an Fred Astaire movies and he was amazing.
Oh, and I own While You Were Sleeping– You’ve Got Mail has Cmas stuff in it too–but I’ve never seen the original Shop Around the Corner– is it good too?
Shop Around the Corner is adorable, mostly because of Jimmy Stewart. He’s such a great combination of arrogant, comedic and adorable. The romance is really sweet and subtle like in You’ve Got Mail, but with a very old-time backdrop of a small shop with Czech proprietors. So cute! I highly recommend it
Carrie, you’re a Trojan to blog even though you’re so sick. Get better!!!
My kids especially love Christmas movies. One of my all time favorites is Noël, set in the trenches of WWI, that first Christmas of the war, where all the men crossed no man’s land and celebrated Christmas together. Just LOVE that movie. I also can never get enough of Love Actually.
When Jamie proposes to Aurelia in Love Actually? Absolute best! And I saw Joyeux Noël a few years ago–is that the same one? Such a great story, and perfectly fitting for me, the confirmed history nerd
LOL, I thought something was missing from the title. Yes, it is Joyeux Noël. Same with the history buff in me. Love that movie! And especially love the director’s information in the Bonus features part.
Carrie, sorry I”m so late. Had a power shopping day yesterday with my daughter.
And I love this blog, girl! Christmas movies just move me. I love all those you spoke of, especially Holiday Inn. I watched them all with my mom as a kid, and still watching them. And I’m also enjoying the new ones on Hallmark, and all the movie channels. Just love them all!
Don’t worry, I was late too! Power shopping just sounds exhausting right now, but I hope you had a successful hunt
Hi! I just found Magical Musings through Dale’s post on Writer Unboxed. I love Fred Astaire as the animated postman in Santa Claus is Coming to Town — he even dances in that!
I actually just did a post on holiday movies and talk about how my favorite, Love Actually, made me a better writer. (Although I love Home for the Holidays and Christmas in Connecticut too.)
Hope you feel better soon!
I’m curious how you think Love Actually made you a better writer. I can believe it, but would love to hear details if you wanted to share! (LOVE that movie.)
I posted about it here:
http://www.lizmichalski.com/blog.html
But basically, watching the outtakes taught me to kill my darlings — the stuff left out of the movie is so good, but didn’t necessarily advance the plot!
Hope you are on the mend!
Hope you feel better soon!
I like to watch the funny holiday shows–National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Elf are always on the top of my list.
Thanks for the good wishes. We watched Christmas Vacation yesterday afternoon with our girls. They were laughing like crazy. I dig movies that have a little something for the kids and grown-ups, both.
Hey, lady – Hope you feel 100% soon. I love the old movies, and a couple of the old specials: Year Without A Santa Claus and Santa Claus is coming to Town. I also enjoy watching some of the movies on Hallmark & Lifetime, often with romantic themes (though Hallmark seems to have been dropped from my provider this year. Boo.) If you have a chance to see Holiday in Handcuffs (Family Channel I think), it’s cute.
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Also, I love reading (or listening to audio) holiday books, especially short stories. Either romance or traditional, it makes it so much more fun for me.
Again, feel better, and happy movie watching!
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Brenda H. is the winner! Brenda, email me your mailing addy:
contact AT carrielofty DOT com
Have a happy holiday season, everyone!
Thank you SO much! What a lovely surprise