This is a great movie with a light-hearted, fun, storyline-perfect for the dark years of WWII. The music and dancing are delightful. If you are “woke,” just pass this by and let the rest of us enjoy it.

Do you see when this movie was made 1942, there was in your face racism everywhere then. The African American maid in the movie won an Oscar for her work in Hollywood and understand that these where the only roles available then to minorities. I do like the movie and have watched it every year on Christmas Eve since I was 12 years old and now over 50. I am also African American and gone through the many racist issues everyone of color faces daily but we have to put things in prospective. We are talking about 75 years ago.

A showcase of singing and dancing. The blackface "Abraham" and military scenes irritate some people, but for kids and others who haven't been taught racism from others, the "blackface" number is simply a reflection of how Hollywood viewed blacks in 1942, unfortunately, but it does tell a short story about Lincoln freeing the slaves, and the military scene was entirely appropriate for a country facing terrible enemies in WWII. This movie was written in a different time, with different values, as observed by Marjorie Reynolds, who played the top female role: "It doesn't overly concern me if I don't become a superstar. There are more important things for a successful, happy life and career, such as being pleasant, amiable and a decent human being."

Chances are, if you are considering watching 'Holiday Inn', you likely do not need any convincing on whether or not it is a good film. It is a good film. As a huge lover of classic films, and Turner Classic Movies being my favorite channel, I take every chance I get to watch films from Hollywood's golden era. From the cinematic masterpieces, all the way down to the ones that aren't so--but nonetheless are sweet and makes one feel good. All these films make me feel good for the simple fact that they were created at a time when movies had heart, charm, and innocence.

'Holiday Inn' is a combination of all the above: a well made classic movie musical with heart, charm, and definitely makes me feel good every time I watch it. Between Bing Crosby's honey sweet, buttery smooth voice, and Fred Astaire's fast-twinkling, sexily gliding dance moves, I consistently smile throughout the entire film. The watching experience is made even more special because it is brought to us by the legendary Irving Berlin's brilliant and masterful song lyrics and music compositions.

And the pièce de résistance: 'Holiday Inn' marks the first time we hear Bing's rendition of my absolute favorite Christmas song, 'White Christmas.' I tell you, this song and Bing singing it is worth the price of admission alone. I swoon. Beyond the song, the movie is also wonderful because not only has it maintained its classic film sensibility, it has a sweet holiday love triangle backstory. Both attributes are made funnier and heartwarming because of the high-jinks that Bing and Astaire get into while putting on 15 musical shows at the eponymous Inn.

As much as I love the film, I must also acknowledge that there is one musical sequence that has unfortunately not stood the test of time. Having watched this film many times over the years, I can honestly say that I personally don't get offended by the aforementioned scene or the song in it. The reason being that I look at both within the context of the film's story. From today's standpoint, yes, the images are jarring and insensitive in hindsight. However for me personally, I look at the scene from the lens of what the intent of the scene was as it relates to the film's story. In this view, the scene doesn't offend me.

Nonetheless, I realize and understand that for other individuals, this sequence may cause offence and dismay. For individuals who have never seen 'Holiday Inn' , I am intentionally not mentioning what content the scene contains so as not to incite anyone. I think it is best that you watch the film with an open mind without someone else tainting what ever genuine reaction (good or bad) you may have while seeing this sequence of the film in particular.

All in all, 'Holiday Inn' is a holiday staple for me and just this 2017 holiday season alone, I've watched it three times because it makes my heart happy. I love it and I highly recommend it.

I grew up with this movie. I get that it's nostalgic. And how can you not love Irving Berlin's music? But this movie should be circulating out of our general experience. The blackface section is super degrading and the stereotyping of the "help" is hard to watch. I watched some, but had to turn it off. The time for this movie has passed.

A delightful story of rivalry filled with singing - actual melodies (with every syllable enunciated so that you can understand it); dancing complicated, precise routines in perfect form (without any crotch-grabbing or obscene twerking)...beautiful gowns with long sleeves (that don't look like slinky underwear)...this movie is old fashioned glam and a work of art. Make watching it an annual tradition on YOUR favorite holiday! It's finger-snapping, toe-tapping fun and sure to make you smile.

I had just seen the stage production, which was somewhat different from the movie. It could be said that the film is a product of its time, but I found it to be incredibly and blatantly racist. I gave up, partway through, when a couple of the leads performed a number in blackface. If you like Astaire and Crosby, stick with White Christmas.

Sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s, Irving Berlin came up with the idea of a musical revue celebrating all of the holidays of the year. Originally envisioned as a stage play, the revue evolved into this excellent 1942 song-and-dance musical, starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. The film introduced the song "White Christmas," whose 1942 Bing Crosby recording became the biggest-selling single record of all time, and remains so to this day. Astaire and Crosby are in top form, and co-stars Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale, and Walter Abel make important contributions as well.

In addition to "White Christmas," other Berlin classics in the film include Crosby's rendition of "Be Careful, It's My Heart," which was also a hit for Frank Sinatra And The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra; Astaire's superb performance of "You're Easy To Dance With," and "Let's Start The New Year Right." Bob Crosby's band (Bing's brother) provides the musical accompaniment. One other number that would cause controversy today, because it was performed in blackface, as was the case with many films of that era, is a somber ballad called "Abraham," which Berlin wrote as a tribute to our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. The number features Crosby, Reynolds, and Louise Beavers (Danny Thomas' maid on his TV series), plus several kids. When the 1954 movie [[ASIN:B00MMPB6R2 White Christmas (Diamond Anniversary Edition)]] was made, Berlin wisely decided to ditch the blackface trappings and remake "Abraham" into a fast-paced tap number, featuring Vera-Ellen and John Brascia.

I was delighted that a bonus Blu-ray disc was included, featuring the recent Broadway musical, [[ASIN:B06XWFCGDT Holiday Inn (Original Broadway Cast Recording)]]. The bonus disc is also included in the DVD release. The musical is excellent, and is the same production that recently appeared on PBS' GREAT PERFORMANCES series. Most of the songs and characters remain intact from the movie, along with a few additional Berlin songs, such as "Shaking The Blues Away." The plot has been modernized a little for 21st Century audience sensibilities, but, fortunately, most of the traditions remain intact.

The main Blu-ray/DVD features both the original black-and-white film, and a colorized version (which is not listed on the DVD packaging, so it may be a Blu-ray exclusive). I prefer the original B&W version. The picture and sound quality (DTS Master Audio 5.1) is excellent. Extras include an updated 2012 version of a 1975 mini-documentary about Astaire and Crosby, "A Couple Of Song And Dance Men," featuring an interview with Fred Astaire's daughter, Ava Astaire-McKenzie; a 2012 behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the songs and dances; a commentary track by British film historian Ken Barnes, with archived comments from Astaire, Crosby, and John Scott Trotter (Crosby's musical director); a 2012 mini-documentary about the colorization process; English, French, and Spanish subtitles, and a theatrical trailer.

I still think WHITE CHRISTMAS is the better film, but there is nothing wrong with this very entertaining picture. Five stars.