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White Christmas
Two talented song-and-dance men team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. In time they befriend and become romantically involved with the beautiful Haynes sisters who comprise a sister act.
Release : | 1954 |
Rating : | 7.6 |
Studio : | Paramount, |
Crew : | Art Direction, Art Direction, |
Cast : | Bing Crosby Danny Kaye Rosemary Clooney Vera-Ellen Dean Jagger |
Genre : | Comedy Music Romance |
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Reviews
Sadly Over-hyped
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
I know that people may think me unpatriotic, but the message here is that we need to continue to glorify war. The U.S. had just finished World War II and celebrated a great victory. Now we had the big Commie fear and a trip to Korea where many more of our young people dead. So in 1954 comes a "Christmas" movie. It pushes all the right buttons and has the stars of the day, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Bing Crosby (one of the most hawkish performers of all time) and becomes a kind of recruiting poster when we were done with war for a while (of course, we were already meddling in southeast Asia). It does have a decent story and those songs were well performed, but there is no comparison between this and "Holiiday Inn" which carries a much more romantic theme, and also stars Bing Crosby. The main thing for me is that at times I just find it sort of dull.
This is an Irving Berlin musical featuring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. There will be spoilers ahead:This musical is designed as a vehicle for the music of Irving Berlin, starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as old Army buddies, with Kaye saving Crosby's life during the war. The opening musical number takes place during the war in their unit, at the company Christmas show, to celebrate their commander, who's being rotated out of command.Flash forward and the two are now prominent in show business, with a company of their own. The sisters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) of one of the men from their unit contrive to get an audition of sorts when Vera-Ellen sends them a note telling them of their act at a club. Through a series of improbable events (the plot is like cotton candy-sweet but insubstantial) the four wind up on a train together and headed to the same inn in Vermont.The inn is owned by the former commander (played well by Dean Jagger) and the inn isn't doing well, given that there's no snow. Again, through a series of plot contrivances, a show is planned for the inn, with an invitation to the men of their old unit, at least those who can do so, to come up to Vermont to express their support for their old commander.As this is a romantic comedy, the quartet pairs off, Crosby with Clooney and Kaye with Vera-Ellen. The course isn't smooth, but true love wins out in the end. There's a Hollywood ending and all's well in the end.None of that really matters, because the chemistry between the leads is fantastic. Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen look perfect together in "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing", Crosby and Kaye work well together and Crosby and Clooney are perfect as a couple.This film is available on disc and is well worth watching. Recommended.
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Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" movie almost was a classic when it came out in 1954. That's because the title song had been out for 12 years, and was made hugely popular after its first use in the 1942 film, "Holiday Inn." It won the Oscar that year for best original song. The song already had broken sales records and was an annual Christmas favorite. So, even with as long as it took 20th Century Fox to make the film, the movie was seen as a sure-fire hit musical and comedy romance. The delay was mostly in trying to fill the role of Phil Davis, played by Danny Kaye. Fred Astaire declined the role and Donald O'Connor became ill just before shooting began. Perhaps providence had a hand in the delay, because I don't think any long-time movie buffs today could imagine anyone other than Danny Kaye in that role. The movie premiered Oct. 14, 1954, and became the top moneymaking film for the year. It had $12 million in box office sales (about $105 million in 2014 dollars). The second highest grossing film that year was "The Caine Mutiny," at $8.7 million. Moreover, the record sales of the song continued to ring up. According to Guinness World Records, Bing Crosby's recording of "White Christmas" holds the world record as the best- selling single recording of all time. As of 2014, Crosby's recording tops 50 million, and the total sales of "White Christmas" by all recordings tops 100 million. Today this movie endures, along with "It's a Wonderful Life," as the two 'must' original films on all lists for annual family viewing over the holidays. Without a doubt, this is the best musical of the season. Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" is the third movie that is on most lists for annual viewing; but viewers have a choice of several different renditions to choose from. Any of four of those are very good. What's not to like about "White Christmas?" It's a wonderful story of the early musical play versions where the entertainment is the profession of the stars. The plot is very good, with some sub-plots interwoven. It's a nice romance and light comedy of the everyday life variety. And it has wonderful music, singing and dancing. This film is packed with talent. It has 17 songs – all written by Irving Berlin, and several dance numbers. The songs are a mix of previous numbers and entirely new ones. Several were Berlin hits that are still played today. Some have been used or can be heard in movies in the 21st century. Besides "White Christmas," these include "Heat Wave," "The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," and "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me."Kaye has a couple dance numbers and one with Vera-Ellen who shows her dance talent in several other numbers. Rosemary Clooney plays half of the Haynes sisters act (as Betty) with Vera-Ellen's Judy; and she's also the romance interest with Crosby. Other top cast members include veteran actors Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes and Sig Ruman. Two future stars are in the music and dance cast – Barrie Chase and George Chakiris. "White Christmas" has one of the wittiest funny lines of filmdom. Kaye as Phil says to Crosby's Bob Wallace, "My dear partner. When what's left of you gets around to what's left to be gotten, what's left to be gotten won't be worth getting whatever it is you've got left." Another good example of the comedic banter between the two male stars is later. Bob is talking about Phil to Ed Harrison (played by Johnny Grant). "I have complete confidence in him. When it comes to conniving and finagling, you can't beat this boy."This wonderful film never wears thin for viewing year after year. The songs and dance numbers will always entertain any audience. And the story is a nice holiday tale of friendship, romance, kindness and fun. It's a classic that families will enjoy for generations to come.