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Posted on 12/31/2024 4:32:11 PM PST by bitt

Whether we celebrate New Year’s at a riotous party, a packed outdoor venue, a church, or at home, everyone of us wants to “start the New Year right.” I’d like to share two of my favorite scenes from classic Hollywood movies that can either inspire you as you head out to party or make you smile from the comfort of your sofa.

America has changed a lot since my grandparents and their fellow members of the Greatest Generation were young, but some things remain constant: for instance, music, kisses, glitzy outfits, noisy celebrations, and half-drunk party guests on New Year’s Eve. Just take a look at the two clips below, featuring two of my favorite stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Bing Crosby and David Niven. Whether the stars were in a seething crowd in Times Square or serving food in a New England kitchen, classic Hollywood was ready for the stroke of midnight on January 1.

In the movie “Holiday Inn” (1942), Crosby’s character is running an inn that will only welcome guests and provide entertainment on holidays. He’s excited for his big opening on New Year’s Eve — though the evening takes an awkward turn for him when his newly single and very drunk dancer friend (played by Fred Astaire) shows up and temporarily steals his girl!

Both Bing’s singing and Fred’s dancing are incomparable, and Marjorie Reynolds does her share to make the scene memorable.

(WATCH THE MOVIE CLIPS!!)

(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...

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