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Parents' Guide to

Holiday Inn

By Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Classic musical with some controversial material.

Movie NR 1942 101 minutes
Holiday Inn Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 6+

Based on 4 parent reviews

ShirleySt
ShirleySt Adult
December 22, 2018
age 6+
BurtontoFoles
BurtontoFoles Adult
December 12, 2018
age 7+

A clarification

Great movie. There are versions available without the blackface scene. The original reviewer confuses Crosby and Astaire.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In HOLIDAY INN, when singer Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) finds out that his fiancée is in love with smooth-talking dancer Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire), he skulks off to lick his wounds on the farm he now owns. While his pride heals, a swell idea occurs to him: Why not turn the farm into an inn that's only open on holidays, with live entertainment and a homemade breakfast in the morning? A woman named Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds) who's looking for her big show business break helps Hardy bring his daydream to fruition. Not only is his Holiday Inn a success thanks to Linda's singing and dancing, but Jim is falling in love to boot. But trouble's right around the corner. Hanover's girl has dropped him, it seems, and his search for a new dance partner has him once again courting Hardy's girl.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Crosby and Astaire put plenty of life into this musical classic. In one of the numbers in Holiday Inn, Astaire spins across the stage with firecrackers popping at his feet. Seeing him maneuver clumsily across the dance floor with Reynolds is another treat -- to play the scene convincingly drunk, Astaire took a hefty belt between each take. Crosby is the real charmer, though, as a decent, easygoing fellow whose idyllic life is threatened not just by a girl-stealing cad but by his own awkwardness in expressing love. Come for the classic Hollywood production, but be wary of the racist clichés of the era, including a musical number performed in blackface and the use of awful stereotypes about Black people.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the blackface performance in Holiday Inn. Why didn't White people consider blackface performances to be offensive in the 1940s? How have attitudes changed since then? Why?

  • If you could build your own entertainment venue, what kind of shows would you produce?

  • Did you know the song "White Christmas" originated in this film? Do you have any memories associated with it, and if so, what are they?

  • What turns a holiday movie into a holiday classic? Which category do you think Holiday Inn falls into?

Movie Details

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