Holiday Inn

"I like it here... with you and Linda."

"And we love having you. When  are you leaving?"

Jim Hardy (Crosby), Ted Hanover (Astaire), and Lila Dixon (Dale) have a popular singing and dancing act.  Jim is tired of acting and plans to retire to a farm in Connecticut with Lila.  His plans are derailed with Lila announces that she is in love with Ted and does not want to quit.  Jim is disappointed, but continues his plans.  Life on the farm is not what he expects, so a year later he returns to New York with a new plan: he is going to turn his home into a performing inn that is only open for holidays.  Ted thinks he is crazy, but their manager Danny Reed (Abel) agrees to send some talented people Jim's way.

Danny discovers Linda Mason (Reynolds) at a floral shop and encourages her to go to Connecticut, where she becomes the first member of Jim's holiday team.  Meanwhile, back in New York, Ted is broken and depressed after Lila dumps him and leaves the group.  He goes to Connecticut to visit Jim and falls in love with Linda.  Jim also loves Linda and doesn't want to lose her to the allure of fame and fortune with Ted.


The Good:
The cast is great.  Bing Crosby has a beautiful voice and sells all of the songs.  Fred Astaire is an excellent dancer and this film features his iconic dance with firecrackers to "Let's Say It with Firecrackers."  Marjorie Reynolds manages to keep up with her male costars and sell her role in the film, although her songs are performed by Martha Mears.

The Bad:
The film is good, but it hasn't aged well.  There are some scenes that are cut when the film appears on TV.  Many of the songs are not memorable, and the good songs appear in other films / musicals.

Other Comments:
-The Inn set from this film was used again in White Christmas.
-The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Irving Berlin for "White Christmas."
-Berlin wrote all of the songs for the film, the majority of which are performed by Crosby.
-Marjorie Reynolds costumes were designed by legendary costume designer Edith Head.
-I enjoy the film, but it isn't for everyone.

Holiday Inn (1942) 100 minutes
Director: Mark Sandrich
Starring: Big Crosby as Jim Hardy
Fred Astaire as Ted Hanover
Marjorie Reynolds as Linda Mason
Virginia Dale as Lila Dixon
Walter Abel as Danny Reed
Louise Beavers as Mamie
Irving Bacon as Gus

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

A year after falling in love with King Richard of Aldovia (Lamb), journalist Amber Moore (McIver) is preparing for her wedding and life in Aldovia.  The wedding will be held at Christmastime, so Amber and her father, Rudy Moore (Guerrasio), travel to Aldovia to celebrate.

But life in Aldovia is far from perfect.  Richard's new reforms are failing and receiving opposition from the kingdom.  He rarely has a moment of peace.  Amber has her own problems.  Her actions are scrutinized by the protocol-loving Mrs. Averill (Douglas), while the wedding is being controlled by overzealous designer Sahill (Bajaj).  She is frustrated by her lack of control of her own life.  Matters are further complicated by the return of Richard's trouble-making cousin Count Simon (Devaney).  Can Amber take control of her life and help Richard save Aldovia?


After the success of Netflix's A Christmas Prince, the studio reunited the cast for this film.  The story takes place a full year after the original film, to celebrate the wedding of King Richard and Amber.

The Good:
Like it's predecessor, this film has beautiful scenery and elaborate decorations.  The leads are still charismatic and have good chemistry.  The majority of the main cast returns from the original film, although John Guerrasio now plays Amber's father (Daniel Fathers played the role in the original film).

The Bad:
It's predictable... not in a bad way, but the twists are not altogether surprising.  Some of the characters are a smidge insufferable, but they tone it down by the end.

Other Comments:
-Like it's predecessor, the film is a lighthearted Christmas movie.  It makes you smile, cringe, laugh, and maybe even cry... is it a classic that you need to watch every year?  Probably not, but it is still an enjoyable flick.
-Netflix released a third film in the series: A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby, in 2019.
-At the end of the film everyone is happy, which is exactly what you want to see in a Christmas movie.

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018) 92 minutes
Director: John Schultz
Starring: Rose McIver as Amber Moore
Ben Lamb as King Richard
Alice Krige as Queen Helena
Honor Kneafsey as Princess Emily
Sarah Douglas as Mrs. Averill
Theo Devaney as Count Simon
John Guerrasio as Rudy Moore
Andy Lucas as Mr. Zabala
Simon Dutton as Lord Leopold
Katarina Cas as Chef Ivana
Richard Ashton as Mr. Little
Raj Bajaj as Sahill
Tahirah Sharif as Melissa
Joel McVeagh as Andy

Holiday in the Wild

"Take good care of my elephant."

"OUR elephant!"

Kate Conrad (Davis) is looking for a change.  Her son Luke (John Owen Lowe) is off to college and her husband Drew (Moss) moves out.  She was planning to surprise Drew with a trip to Africa to celebrate a 2nd honeymoon, but decides to go on the trip alone.

As she is preparing to change resorts, she meets pilot / tour guide Derek Hollistan (Rob Lowe).  Mid flight they take a detour to rescue a baby elephant.  Kate was trained as a veterinarian and wants to help.  She follows the elephant to the elephant sanctuary, where she offers her services.  She works alongside Jonathan (Mpela) in caring for the elephants, while growing closer to Derek.  As she falls in love with the elephants, her trip extends from a few weeks to a few months.  Can Africa give her a new sense of purpose?


This is a Netflix original film.  Netflix approached Kristin Davis to star in the film due to her efforts to raise awareness of conservation issues in Africa.  Davis produced a documentary about these issues in the 2014 documentary Gardeners of Eden.  They plan to release additional information about "The Making of Holiday in the Wild."

The Good:
The movie was mostly filmed in Africa.  The scenes with the elephants were filmed at Game Rangers International Elephant Orphanage in Zambia.  The elephants are the real stars here.  They did not use trained elephants, instead working with wild animals and body doubles.

The Bad:
The acting is ok, but not great.  The main focus is on the elephants and the efforts of the elephant sanctuaries / orphanages in Africa, so the story doesn't expect much from the cast.  They are fine, no weak links.  Some characters are one dimensional: Kate's New York friends and Leslie Van De Mere-Jones (who works for the foundation that is funding the elephant sanctuary), and could be condensed into a single, unlikable character.

Other Comments:
-Rob Lowe and Davis have good chemistry.  He is charming and she is passionate, and that works well here.
-Kate's son Luke is played by Lowe's son John Owen Lowe.
-Fezile Mpela was funny and endearing as Jonathan, and I want to watch him in other movies / TV shows.
-This isn't a Christmas classic, but I enjoyed the film.  It doesn't focus on Christmas, although it does take place over the Thanksgiving / Christmas / New Year's time frame.  It was an entertaining film that focused on the plight of orphaned baby elephants in Africa and the people that work to save them and return them to the wild.

Holiday in the Wild (2019) 86 minutes
Director: Ernie Barbarash
Starring: Kristin Davis as Kate Conrad
Rob Lowe as Derek Hollistan
Fezile Mpela as Jonathan
John Owen Lowe as Luke Conrad
Colin Moss as Drew Conrad
Hayley Owen as Leslie Van De Mere-Jones
Faniswa Yisa as Aliyah