Barnes & Noble

A top-flight score by Irving Berlin and the inspired teaming of Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye made White Christmas the biggest money-maker of 1954, and after nearly five decades its appeal hasn't diminished at all. Bing and Danny play Army buddies who become popular song-and-dance men after World War II. Accompanied by gal pals Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, they vacation one winter at the failing Vermont resort owned by their former commanding officer, Dean Jagger. Their Christmas benefit performance pulls Jagger out of the red while at the same time affording us a plethora of famous Berlin tunes -- including "Blue Skies," "Heat Wave," and the Oscar-nominated "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" -- performed in production numbers imaginatively staged by director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca). A partial reworking of the 1942 Paramount smash Holiday Inn, which also starred Crosby and introduced this film's title song, White Christmas is a colorful, high-spirited extravaganza, a clear standout among the tunefests made during the waning years of the Hollywood movie musical. A natural for holiday-season viewing, it's equally enjoyable at any time of the year, and a movie you'll want to revisit often. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

White Christmas, Paramount's belated follow-up to the 1942 hit Holiday Inn, was the studio's first VistaVision production. A veritable warehouse full of oldie-but-goodie Irving Berlin tunes are woven into the film's simplistic plotline, along with a handful of new songs, of which "What Can You Do With a General?" is the least memorable. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye (replacing an ailing Donald O'Connor) play nightclub entertainers Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, while Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen are cast as singing-sister act Betty and Judy. The foursome travel to Vermont to visit Bob and Phil's WII commanding officer, General Waverly (Dean Jagger, who looks and sounds like Dwight D. Eisenhower!), who now runs a rustic old inn. Discovering that the general is in dire financial straits, the four entertainers secretly make plans to bail the old guy out with a big musical show, enlisting the aid of Bob and Phil's army buddies. Corny in the extreme, White Christmas evidently struck a responsive note with film fans; it was the high-grossing picture of 1954, and a decade later proved to be a ratings bonanza when it was given its network-TV premiere. Of the four stars, Crosby comes off best, especially when singing the title song at the beginning and end of the film; Kaye is a bit overshadowed this time out, though he's quite funny camping it up in a "drag" version of Irving Berlin's "Sisters." Still a big favorite on the home-video circuit, White Christmas may not be the best Bing Crosby musical on the market, but it's certainly one of the most heartwarming. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 097361434445
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Remastered, Anniversary Edition, Subtitled, Dubbed, Restored
• Time: 2:00:00
• Sales Rank: 101

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