Holiday Inn

Our Holiday Inn Collection takes its name from the great 1942 Irving Berlin musical. Paramount gave Berlin an exclusive contract in May 1941 to write songs for a film, based on Berlin's idea of a nightclub based at an inn that only opened on public holidays. The film starred Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and featured numbers for each of the year's holidays.

Berlin had a number of tunes from older projects that fit the film along with twelve new numbers. The composer later said that it was not hard to come up with songs for each of the holidays, but the Christmas number gave him some problems. When Berlin first played the Christmas number for Bing Crosby, he told the composer "I don't think we'll have any problems with that one, Irving", but was less than enthused. Der Bingle sang the tune on that year's Christmas Day edition of The Kraft Music Hall, but had now idea how the song would resonate to a country that had just entered WWII. Decca Records and it topped the Hit Parade by the end of Oct 1942. The Armed Forces Radio Service became inundated with requests for the song. The song was the immortal White Christmas.

Our Holiday Inn Collection has selections from the entire spectrum of old time radio which celebrate all of the American Holidays:

• We've also included a pair of Radio adaptations of the original Irving Berlin film.
• We start the Year off with a 1945 Dance Party featuring the The Harry James Orchestra and a 1967 Party featuring Count Basie. Jack Benny gives us a New Year's Fantasy from 1950.
• February means Valentines, so the Aldrich Family gives us a party for the younger set, while romance is in the air for our favorite married couples on Fibber McGee and Molly, Life of Riley, and My Favorite Husband. St. Valentines is also the special day each year that Jack Benny turns 39 years old.
• The wearing of the Green will bring us luck when Jack Benny's favorite Irish Tenor, Dennis Day returns, Duffy's Tavern celebrates their own Irish Tenor, and George and Gracie enjoy the Easter Parade. Paladin discovers the" Luck of the Irish" on Have Gun, Will Travel.
• Many shows have jokes in mind for April Fools Day, including The Aldrich Family, Blondie, Bob Hope, Jack Benny and Life With Luigi.
• As Spring rolls around, Mel Blanc holds an Easter Egg Hunt while Life Of Riley has a few laughs with a Giant Easter Bunny.
• As much as we love Her, Mother's Day takes a decidedly criminal bent on Broadway Is My Beat, Dragnet, This Is Your FBI, and Gunsmoke. Mom gets a few chuckles too on the Aldrich Family, Burns and Allen, The Great Gildersleeve, and The Goldbergs.
• Cavalcade of America helps us to celebrate the sacrifice of great Americans for Memorial Day.
• Dad usually misses out on the respect he deserves on Radio, but Father Knows Best, Frontier Town, The Great Gildersleeve, and Gunsmoke do their best for Father's Day.
• As Summer gets going, the Nation's Founding Fathers are celebrated by Cavalcade Of America, Columbia Workshop, You Are There and even Escape. Other programs remember the importance of a Fourth of July picnic and parade, like on Life With Luigi, The Great Gildersleeve, and Our Miss Brooks.
• For Halloween, the truly spooky fun includes Boris Karloff as Bing Crosby's Guest. There are Halloween Parties galore on Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve and Jack Benny, while Life With Luigi learns about Trick or Treating.
• Before the Thanksgiving leftovers can be cleared away, the Stars come out on the Milton Berle Show and the Elgin Holiday Special. On Life With Luigi they learn about a traditional Thanksgiving Feast, but Sam Spade will have to deal with the "Terrified Turkey Caper" first.
• Our year at the Holiday Inn concludes with the joys of the Christmas season, from FDR's Tree-lighting ceremony to the tradition of Bob Hope giving Christmas entertainment to the troops on G.I. Journal. One of the best things about Christmas is Christmas Movies, and we have the treat of "The Bishop's Wife" and "It's A Wonderful Life" on Lux Radio Theater and "Miracle on 34th Street" on Screen Director's Playhouse. Cavalcade of America gives us several stories based on the Biblical Christmas story, while Duffy's Tavern gives us less traditional versions of Christmas stories.