The song White Christmas has been played and sung numerous times around the holiday season ever since it was first heard in 1942. However, few people know the origin of the song, or the movie that first introduced it to audiences the world over. Holiday Inn, starring legendary baritone Bing Crosby, and the magician of dance, Fred Astaire, was the first showcase of the song that has dwelt in the hearts of Christmas lovers everywhere.

Crosby plays a singer named Jim Hardy who is sick of the entertainment business and longs for what he calls “the simple life.” Astaire plays Hardy’s former dancing coworker and rival for Hardy's fiancé, Ted Hanove. The sensational singing/dancing duo proceeds to play a game of deception as Hanover tries to steal Hardy’s girl to be his new partner. In the process, Holiday Inn, a club open only on holidays, becomes a brilliant success. Virginia Dale co-stars as the first woman (Lila Dickson) to cause a rivalry in the men’s hearts, and performs beautifully, both as a dancer and a singer. She is joined by Marjorie Reynolds (Linda Mason), a newcomer to the screen, who finds herself caught between a simple man who sings, and a famous dancer, both of whom vie for her affections.

The most engrossing points of this movie come with the magnificent singing and dancing. With a special song and dance number for every holiday, Crosby and Astaire perform to patriotic numbers, classics, and romantic waltzes. Crosby’s vocal skills are displayed specifically in a song for February entitled “Abraham,” which celebrates the sixteenth president’s birthday. Astaire’s character is challenged to do an impromptu solo piece in which he uses firecrackers to pull his routine off with a bang. The humor infused into these pieces, and between them, will have the whole family watching intently.

Along with humorous dialogue and spectacular performances, the themes of true love, honesty, patriotism, and respect are given ample screen time. The rivalry between Hardy and Hanover has clear consequences, and Hardy’s deception in relation to Linda Mason and Hanover is thrown in a bad light. The rivalry continues until the ultimate decision time comes. In the end, the heroine is faced with the choice of a life filled with fame and fortune on the arm of an amazingly talented man, or a simpler life with a simple man who taught her to sing “White Christmas” at the Holiday Inn.

The marvelous dancing, singing, and acting of all of the characters in this classic film make it a Christmas favorite that the whole family can enjoy. And, with significant parts of the movie taking place at times other than the Christmas season, some family members may find it very easy to visit Holiday Inn at any time of the year.

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