White Christmas

Joyous entertainment for every season, any year!!!!

MPAA Rating: APPROVED

IMDB Rating: 7.2 / 10

Length: 115 min

Tags: comedy, musical, romance

Director: Michael Curtiz
Writers:

Cast:

Bob Wallace
(Bing Crosby)
Phil Davis
(Danny Kaye)
Betty Haynes
(Rosemary Clooney)
Judy Haynes
(Vera-Ellen)
Major General Thomas F. Waverly
(Dean Jagger)
Emma Allen
(Mary Wickes)
Susan Waverly
(John Brascia)
John
(John Brascia)

Editor Review

Perhaps the most famous Christmas film of all time, and certainly with some of the most famous Christmas songs, is the 1954 classic, White Christmas. The film was not only the top grossing film of the year, but has continued to be a holiday favourite until this day.

Originally promoted as Irving Berlin's White Christmas, since the composer had garnered a huge reputation for his music in the musical genre at the time, the film features a great cast. Bing Crosby is a former Broadway entertainer who befriends Danny Kaye during World War II. The army buddies then, after the war, become infatuated by a song and dance sister duo, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. The veterans follow the girls to a Vermont lodge, where they perform a Christmas show, and they try to save the Inn - and their owner, an old army General - while successfully wooing the sisters.

Any advertisements for the film were strongly tagged with VistaVision on the screen, since this was the first film produced in Paramount's wide screen process.

The songs of Berlin really capture the time and the essence of the musical genre, and while I've never been a man to open up to the song and dance routines, his musicianship really should be admired. Most famous of which, of course, is the title track, White Christmas, which has continued to make its way into our ears and hearts to this very day.

However, the songs, as great as they are, should not steal the show here. Bing Crosby has always been a top performer, and he is joined by a great cast after some initial halts when Fred Astaire refused a role, then Donald O'Connor had to pull out due to illness. But the foursome really know their stuff; singing, dancing and acting their way to their place in history as one of the most appealing Christmas movies of all time.


Fun Fact:

Although the film has been a favourite for years, and despite the wonderful song writing of Irving Berlin, the film never released an official soundtrack. Since Rosemary Clooney was under contract at Columbia, Decca could not record her voice despite owning the soundtrack rights. As a result, both released separate unofficial soundtracks; Decca had the movie cast but with Rosemary Clooney replaced by Peggy Lee, while Columbia had Clooney singing eight songs from the film.

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