• 14 songs in just over 100 minutes- similar daunting gauntlet to Berlin’s Easter Parade
  • Famously for the first used here- the luminous song “White Christmas”- for decades the #1 music single of all time
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  • The narrative is trite- it’s really a vehicle for the stunning performers- Crosby and Astaire- perhaps the greatest voice and dancer of the century
  • Astaire’ well-known 38-take fireworks sequences is dazzling
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  • Big breakout for Crosby and along with another 1942 film- The Road to Morocco– his first archiveable films
  • Sandrich directed a few 1930’s Astaire vehicles- The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, Shall We Dance
  • Standouts aside from the 4th of July sequence, Bing’s easy styled “Lazy”, “Easter Parade” with the carriage ride with flowers—“Be Careful It’s My Heart”
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  • The Curtiz crane tracking shot on all the new holiday numbers to start is a nice touch
  • There are some sloppy editing issues and he never lefts the performances go long enough
  • Astaire- playing a drunk at the NYE party- pure magnetism
  • If you step back—to go from a remarkable number by Astaire twirling to go to Bing crooning “White Christmas” is such a display of talent
  • Great comic sequence where they can only recognize the girl from the back and they go around the party looking for her- haha
  • Great touch having them make a movie “Holiday Inn” using the stage
  • Recommend