May your days be merry and bright....
Dec. 5th, 2005 09:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lurkittyWhite Christmas is the Technicolor extravaganza Holiday Inn could not be. The war was over, but it it still figures heavily in the plot. Everyone wanted this to be a reunion of Bing and Fred. But Fred couldn’t do it, so enter legendary funnyman Danny Kaye. Danny can’t dance as well as Fred, but his partner, Vera-Ellen almost can. She’s the one whose name no one can recall, but whose legs go all the way up, so they used to say.
Then, there’s Rosemary Clooney. *sigh* That black velvet gown she wears while singing, “Love, You Didn’t do Right” has the most gorgeous neckline Edith Head ever devised. The gown itself looks spray-painted on her goddess figure. That’s costuming par excellance.
You’ll recognize some of the music from Holiday Inn. Much of it is in new arragements, jazzed up. There are new comedy bits to make up for Danny’s lack of tap skills. I love his lampoon on 50’s modern dance.
By far and away the best scene – Bing and Danny doing the fan dance. Watch Danny crack Bing up at the end. Even a seasoned performer like Crosby could not withstand the comedy of Danny Kaye.
The thing I like best is that the lessons in this movie are very simple. You stick your neck out to help out friends in need. That’s what friends do for each other. You have to reach out and go for what you want – make your own opportunities, too, though. Friends can have fights, misunderstand, but they can work things out. It isn’t necessary to put people on a pedestal to love them. If you’re worried, count your blessings. And one of my favorites: gossip will come back and bite you in the ass.
But the focus of the movie hidden cleverly under all that holiday cheer and hollywood glamour is a message as relevant today as 50 years ago: veterans served their country when we asked them, and they deserve more than to be forgotten about back home. It seems the one who really needs to see this film is Rep. Steve Buyers, Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee. He has cancelled a traditional joint hearing of the House and Senate at which representatives of veterans groups usually testify. Buyer is also advocating unprecedented restrictions on veterans benefits. The role of the chair of Veterans Affairs has, in the past, been that of an advocate. Unfortunately, in this age of political appointments, tradition no longer has meaning.
Then, there’s Rosemary Clooney. *sigh* That black velvet gown she wears while singing, “Love, You Didn’t do Right” has the most gorgeous neckline Edith Head ever devised. The gown itself looks spray-painted on her goddess figure. That’s costuming par excellance.
You’ll recognize some of the music from Holiday Inn. Much of it is in new arragements, jazzed up. There are new comedy bits to make up for Danny’s lack of tap skills. I love his lampoon on 50’s modern dance.
By far and away the best scene – Bing and Danny doing the fan dance. Watch Danny crack Bing up at the end. Even a seasoned performer like Crosby could not withstand the comedy of Danny Kaye.
The thing I like best is that the lessons in this movie are very simple. You stick your neck out to help out friends in need. That’s what friends do for each other. You have to reach out and go for what you want – make your own opportunities, too, though. Friends can have fights, misunderstand, but they can work things out. It isn’t necessary to put people on a pedestal to love them. If you’re worried, count your blessings. And one of my favorites: gossip will come back and bite you in the ass.
But the focus of the movie hidden cleverly under all that holiday cheer and hollywood glamour is a message as relevant today as 50 years ago: veterans served their country when we asked them, and they deserve more than to be forgotten about back home. It seems the one who really needs to see this film is Rep. Steve Buyers, Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee. He has cancelled a traditional joint hearing of the House and Senate at which representatives of veterans groups usually testify. Buyer is also advocating unprecedented restrictions on veterans benefits. The role of the chair of Veterans Affairs has, in the past, been that of an advocate. Unfortunately, in this age of political appointments, tradition no longer has meaning.
