FAQ

Singer Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) and dancer Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire) have a musical act that they perform with Jim's fiancee, Lila Dixon (Virginia Dale). When Lila decides to set off on her own with Ted, Jim follows his heart's desire...to buy a farm. After a year of plowing, cutting firewood, feeding cows, and a stint in a sanitarium, Jim decides to convert his house into a Holiday Inn...a supper club to be open on holidays only. Ted visits the Inn on New Year's, drunk as a skunk because Lila has decided to marry a Texas millionaire, and notices Jim's new partner Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds), dances with her, and wants to make her his new partner, much to Jim's chagrin.

Holiday Inn is a musical based on an idea by American composer Irving Berlin, who also wrote the songs for the film. Berlin's idea was adapted for the movie by Elmer Rice and Claude Binyon. The movie is the source of three well-known songs, Easter Parade and two Christmas songs: Happy Holidays and (I'm Dreaming of a) White Christmas.

Holiday Inn was supposed to be located in Midville, Connecticut, but was mostly filmed on a sound stage; also filmed at the Village Inn, 20822 River Boulevard, Monte Rio, CA 95462.

Depressed after losing Linda to Ted and hoping to win her back, Jim takes the train to Hollywood, where Ted and Linda are shooting a film about the Holiday Inn. He pops into Ted's dressing room just before they are about to shoot the finale. Ted tries to keep Jim from seeing Linda, but Jim locks Ted in the dressing room and visits the set, which looks like an exact replica of Jim's Holiday Inn. As Jim walks around the set with the director, he places his pipe on the piano and hides nearby. The finale begins with Linda sitting at the piano, singing Jim's song: "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow." Absent-mindedly, she picks up Jim's pipe to hit the bells on the Christmas tree, just like Jim did for her. Suddenly, she realizes that the pipe is Jim's pipe and continues singing as Jim's voice joins in with hers. "May your days be merry and bright..." Linda sees Jim standing at the side of the set and rushes into his arms. 'Cut!' yells the director. Having escaped from his dressing room, Ted rushes onto the set but realizes that he's too late. The final scene takes place at the New Year's Eve celebration back at the Holiday Inn in Connecticut. Jim and Ted perform the same song and dance they used at the opening of the movie, only this time Jim gets the girl (Linda) and Ted is forced to dance alone...until Lila suddenly dances on stage to perform with him again.