With eliza taylor, jake lacy, andie macdowell, neil crone. The new york times has been running an endofyear appreciation of classic holiday movies. As i settled into my uneven seat, i started thinking about what a great choice i had made for a favorite movie back when i was seven years old. But i like to think it also might have to do with the fact that, while white christmas isnt a really racist filmholiday inn certainly is. The prime minister said she enjoyed watching holiday. Yes, holiday inn has it all, including a lamentable scene in which bing crosby, in blackface and stovepipe hat, performs a tribute to abraham lincoln. Scott actually appreciated the bing crosby movie holiday inn. Its sentimental and a little stilted here and there.
White christmas is a 1954 american musical film directed by michael curtiz and starring bing crosby, danny kaye, rosemary clooney, and veraellen. Filled to the brim with beautiful songs and featuring two of the most talented and likable leading men in the business at the time, holiday inn was a huge hit in its day, turned out a song that became the biggest seller of all. I apparently have only seen the cut version of the movie. Holiday inn motel chain founder kemmons wilson admitted than the name was based on the film. Im a known oz fan to a somewhat unhealthy degree ask me about my tattoo sometime. Based on an idea by irving berlin, this is a small musical about a songanddance man, jim hardy bing crosby.
Bing was far from a racist, having helped many black jazz artists and. Just before christmas every december, i watch holiday inn, the 1942 movie with fred astaire, bing crosby, virginia dale and marjorie reynolds. Near the end of last year, i went to see the wizard of oz at the castro theater. Theresa may says her favourite christmas film is 1940s movie with. The 10 most bonechillingly inappropriate christmas movies. Theresa may says her favourite christmas film is 1940s. I found out ages ago that its film debut was in holiday inn, but i didnt. Heres a more contemporary racist holiday movie, with two wealthy white men betting on whether or not they can take the black con man, played by eddie murphy off the street and make him into a. The storyline for holiday inn is virtually nonexistent and the film only acts as an excuse to set up scenes where crosby and astaire get to sing and dance to irving berlin songs, which we. Eddie cantor appeared in blackface in his last movie if you knew susie 1948, and betty hutton appeared in blackface in the musical somebody loves me as late as 1952. Griffiths saga, which ran over three hours and was shown in two parts, followed a south carolina town during the civil war and pitted white men in blackface against actors playing the ku klux klan protecting the aryan cause. This is a touchy subject, but i want to talk about the blackface scene in holiday inn. Based on the novel mandingo by kyle onstott, the film adaptation is considered to be one of the most racist movies ever made and was panned by many critics upon its release. Check into holiday inn for a great white christmas.
None of the black cast of gone with the wind were allowed to attend the premiere of the film in atlanta or appear in any promotional materials because the south was intolerant. The holidaythemed slashermovie genre was still surfing its first wave in 1980, and it was 100 percent inevitable that someone was gonna seize upon the opportunity to. A 1942 musical film directed by mark sandrich, starring fred astaire and bing crosby, and featuring music by irving berlin, holiday inn is perhaps best remembered today for introducing bings most famous song, white christmas jim hardy crosby, ted hanover astaire and lila dixon virginia dale form a musical act together in manhattan. Theresa may has revealed that her favourite christmas film is one that. Megyn and bing and blackface and why you cant whitewash. I havent seen holiday inn nearly a decade and i forgot she was in the movie. Midwwii came mark sandrichs holiday inn 1942, a christmas musical featuring the musical talents of irving berlin this film is the story of two entertainers, who also happen to be good friends and competitive rivals, jim hardy bing crosby and ted hanover fred astaire. A successful songanddance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing vermont inn of their former commanding general. But then we meet blake liam macdonald, who still hasnt recovered from the death of his father. Swing time is a nearmasterpiece, despite including a highly confusing blackface scene, the famous bojangles of harlem dance. Its horribly extended blackface song sequence, with whites singing in negro dialect about fadder abraham is unconscionable. But the 1967 film in the heat of the night, based on a novel by john ball. My 5yearolds saw blackface in a 1942 christmas movie and asked.
The film, a musical that stars bing crosby, fred astaire. Add in the fact that world war ii served as a racial wakeup call. With music by irving berlin, the composer wrote twelve songs specifically for the film, the best known being white christmas. Bing crosby, who strived for race equality throughout his career appeared in blackface in three of his movies. Top 10 horrible facts about iconic holiday movies listverse. One day, while visiting a swimming hole he had helped create on his uncles land on the withlacoochee river, holliday allegedly shot at and possibly killed some of the black swimmers. Today, we know there are all kinds of problems with it, but as the lectures pointed out, we need to remember the historical context. Hotels grapple with racial bias the new york times. Like i said prior, im an appreciator of film, and from all eras.
In this 2015 short, africanamerican filmmaker roger ross williams goes on a journey to understand why the notoriously liberal dutch feel compelled to dress in blackface during the annual holiday. It is set in slaveryera america and is notorious for its violent depiction of interracial relations. Scott, bing crosby, holiday inn, new york times, racism the new york times has been running an endofyear appreciation of classic holiday movies. After elves misplace a towns christmas letters sent to santa, they head away from the north pole to obtain the wishes. But then i sat down with 1942s holiday inn and was simply mortified. Finally, holiday inn is one of the most beloved and timeless. The storyline for holiday inn is virtually nonexistent and the film only acts as an excuse to set up scenes where crosby and astaire get to. In 2018, british prime minister theresa may named holiday inn as her favorite christmas film, causing controversy due to the racism of the abraham. And the film were talking about is holiday inn, a christmas movie from 1942, starring fred astaire and bing crosby as a song and dance duo who perform at a nightclub thats only open on holidays. I like turner classic movies because i really love watching the old blackwhite classical movies. The british arm of the universal label marked the 60th anniversary of the release of the film holiday inn in 1942 with this 2002 cd pairing the soundtrack actually, studio recordings associated with the film and those for the 1954 movie white christmas, which is sometimes cited as a partial remake of the earlier picture.
Megyn and bing and blackface and why you cant whitewash the. My, oh my, things have certainly changed since 1942. It is an unsult when blackface is used for the purpose of mockery and insult to african americans. Bing crosby was not a racist and he didnt do the abraham number to piss off or hurt black people. The 5th avenue theatres current, not racist version of holiday inn draws its source material from the original very racist 1942 holiday inn movie starring hollywood legends bing crosby and fred. White christmas, blackface, and minstrel shows the mary sue. When racist undertones make us question our love of.
When we got to tennessee, only the holiday inn would accept blacks and. Holiday inn movie tv listings and schedule tv guide. If used properly, it could not be condiered racist, thought it is out of place in todays soceity. Holiday inn general discussions tcm message boards.
Theresa may has revealed that her favourite christmas film is one that includes actor bing crosby and other characters dressed in blackface. I completely understand it was the time period, but the black face scene makes this movie cringeworthy. The holiday standard was first sung by crosby in 1942s holiday inn and thats the film that is more deserving of holiday classic status, and not only because it came first. Holiday inn, the new irving berlin musical tells the story of jim, who leaves the bright lights of show business behind to settle down on his farmhouse in.
Holiday inn, the new broadway show adapted from the 1942 film starring fred astaire and bing crosby, features two. Why holiday inn is no christmas classic simplemost. Birth of a nation 1915 a cinematic triumph, birth of a nation was also astonishingly racist. Then theres the 1936 fred astaireginger rogers film swing time. The legacy of white christmas was already wellestablished before the release of the film that bares its name. The censorship of holiday inn posted 9 years ago by lobosco107. In the 1870s, children often swam in swimming holes like this georgia water hole, photographed by john sullivan during the civil war. Holiday inn critics consensus with the combined might of bing crosby, fred astaire, and irving berlin working in its favor, holiday inn is a seasonal classic not least because it introduced. White christmas was written for the film, but was not expected to be a hit. I dont remember much about the movie and plot in general besides the blackface because those sorts of things tend stick out in my memory because of what it isand bing crosby singing easter parade only because of the easter parade movie connection.
The 2017 holiday film starts out lighthearted and fun, but soon turns too dark for our taste. Holiday inn facts things you may not know about bing. Information about the blackface scene holiday inn 1942. There really is no good answer, other than you had to see holiday inn in 1942 to understand the society of the day. Holiday inn is a 1942 american musical film directed by mark sandrich and starring bing crosby and fred astaire, with marjorie reynolds, virginia dale, and walter abel. Filmed in technicolor, it features the songs of irving berlin, including a new version of the title song, white christmas, introduced by crosby in the 1942 film holiday inn produced and distributed by paramount pictures, the film. One of the worst offenders is the 1942 bing crosby vehicle holiday inn. When i watched the film holiday inn the black faced scenes i tried to be rational saying that was the way films were made in 1947 depicting people of. I have already expressed my view of this movie in this blog. With bing crosby, danny kaye, rosemary clooney, veraellen. Witnessing racial intolerance in 1940s america through holiday inn but i still believe the song, of itself, is not racist. Just before christmas every december, i watch holiday inn, the 1942 movie.
Jim has aspirations of stepping away from the spotlight, living a humbler life as a farmer in. That irving berlin song features prominently, however, because it actually made its first appearance sung by bing crosby, natch in the 1942 film holiday inn, which preceded the. On its face, the scene is a tribute to the great black tap dancer. Holiday inn, the new irving berlin musical broadway. I found out ages ago that its film debut was in holiday inn, but i didnt get around to actually seeing the film until my 30s.
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