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Was Holiday Inn ever colorized?

In 2004, the American Film Institute listed White Christmas at No. 5 in its 100 Years... 100 Songs. A colorized version of Holiday Inn was released by Universal on October 14, 2008.



Yes, the classic 1942 film Holiday Inn, starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, has been officially colorized. While originally filmed in black and white, Universal Studios released a high-definition colorized version on DVD and Blu-ray in October 2008. The colorization process was performed by Legend Films, who employed a team of experts to ensure historical accuracy, even consulting Jan Muckelstone, the original sketch artist for legendary costume designer Edith Head, to verify the authentic colors of the film's wardrobe. This version is often sold in "Collector’s Editions" alongside the original black-and-white print. The colorized version is particularly famous for the "Easter Parade" and "White Christmas" sequences, which were revitalized for modern audiences while preserving the nostalgic 1940s aesthetic. In 2026, both versions are readily available on major streaming platforms and physical media, catering to both purists and those who prefer a modern look.

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Holiday Inn was (loosely) remade in color as “White Christmas” in 1954. Bing Crosby starred in the remake, but Fred Astaire chose not to reprise his role (apparently he was fed up of always playing the loser), and it was taken by Danny Kaye instead.

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That famous holiday tune dates back to 1942 — more than a decade before this movie. Crosby first sang “White Christmas” in the movie “Holiday Inn” and again in the 1946 film “Blue Skies.”

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The Connecticut inn set for this film was reused by Paramount 12 years later as a Vermont inn for the musical White Christmas (1954), also starring Bing Crosby, and again with songs composed by Irving Berlin.

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Description. A custom-made full-length fitted evening gown of nude souffle. The gown is constructed of a fitted bodice and full-length sleeves and entirely beaded with minute gold bugle beads and ornamented with a band of rhinestones at neckline.

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Moon performed this stunt in order to celebrate his 21st birthday. The Holiday Inn staff, however, were less impressed by his car show than the other guests. As a result, all of the band members were banned for life from all branches of the Holiday Inn chain.

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Ageless Love. Crosby's love interest in the movie, Rosemary Clooney, was 26; he was 51.

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It helped that the chain also had a catchy name, credited to the brand's architect Eddie Bluestein, who inscribed “Holiday Inn” onto his design sketches of the first Memphis-based motel. Bluestein was inspired by the 1942 movie musical of the same name starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.

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The success of “White Christmas” was unprecedented and unexpected. So much so that Decca's original disc, from which all other copies were struck, finally just wore out from overuse. So, in 1947, Crosby was coaxed back into the studio to record a new version.

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