Rating: 
Summary: The Ultimate Christmas Classic For All To Enjoy
Review: "White Christmas", seems to be one of those Yuletide offerings that in my belief gets better as the years go by. I find new things to appreciate and cherish in this 1954 Paramount production with each screening and Christmas would never be the same without a viewing of this sentimental favourite that has enchanted audiences for close on 50 years each Christmas season. Rosemary Clooney's passing a couple of years ago indeed was a great loss and it's hard to believe that all four leads so alive and energic in this film are now sadly no longer with us. Thanks to the immortality of film, legends Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen and of course Danny Kaye will hopefully live on forever bringing Christmas joy to all our homes at this special time of the year.Being one of Paramount's biggest productions for 1954 I dont think anyone at the time fully realised the lasting impact this film would have on audience's affections. Boasting an original score by none other than the legendary Irving Berlin and having as it's signature tune the classic "White Christmas" sung by Bing Crosby as no other performer can, the film was a winner from the start. Surprisingly the actual Christmas celebration features only partly in this terrific story as the film opens in the dark days of World War Two where on a depressing Christmas Eve on the battle front we find entertainers Captain Bob Wallace and side kick Private Phil Davis entertaining the troops. After the wars end the two men go into showbusiness and become great celebrities as the Wallace and Davis performing group. On a break from work in New York just prior to another Christmas period they travel to Florida where they come into contact with a sister act titled "The Haynes Sisters", made up of singer Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and dancer Judy(Vera Ellen). Helping the girls out of a tight jam financially at the nightclub where in one hilarious scene the boys dress up as the sisters to perform the amusing "Sisters", number to allow the girls time to get away from creditors they then find themselves travelling with the girls to a resort in Vermont. Once there they discover that not only is it now run by the boy's former commander General Waverly (veteran Dean Jagger) but that the place is in financial straits as the Christmas season fast approaches and there is no snow in sight thus driving away customers wanting to see a typical Vermont White Christmas. Ever loyal to their beloved General, Bob and Phil decide with the help of Betty and Judy to put on a real showbiz extravaganza to get patrons back to the resort. Using his New York connections Bob manages to transfer a whole Broadway show to the resort but in the process finds his growing love for Betty hitting hard times as she misunderstands his motives for putting on the show which sees her flee to a nightclub engagement in New York from which Bob has to lure her back for the sake of the Vermont show. All ends happily for the General as on Christmas Eve the snow begins to fall and the show plays to a capacity audience. Things are also irone dout between Bob and Betty who with alot of help from Phil and Judy are reconciled during the final lavish production number of "White Christmas", complete with stunning Christmas Tree and a real Snow Backdrop. The story may be sentimental and quite obvious but would anyone have it any other way? It is the ultimate in emotionally charged Christmas stories. Directed by veteran Michael Curtiz who was responsible for films as diverse as "Captain Blood", "Casablanca", and "Mildred Pierce", here he once again proves himself adept at handling any film genre. Bing Crosby was never better than as Captian Wallace and "White Christmas" was the tune forever after associated with him. Danny Kaye delivers a wonderful performance as Bob's sidekick and his comedy and especially his dancing skills are given wonderful coverage through the story. Rosemary Clooney who apart from this film strangely never became a top flight Movie Actress is wonderful as the senior sister and her singing is in a league of it's own in particular in the sultry number she sings at the Carousel Club where she has the benefit of performing with the talented Oscar winning dancer George Chakiris, one of Hollwood's most exciting young dancers at that time who later won fame in "West Side Story". Vera Ellen while mainly remembered as a dancer more than holds her own in the acting department and her work with Danny Kaye is excellent as the younger sister conspiring to get Bob and Betty together with Phil's help. The supporting cast of "White Christmas", is also rich with the presence of Dean Jagger as the boy's wartime superior and veteran comic actress Mary Wickes as housekeeper Emma lending her always amusing and comical support. "White Christmas", is what good old fashioned musicals full of likeable characters, beautiful colour, great music with dashes of romance and comedy thrown in, are all about. It would take a hardened cynic not to be moved by Bing Crosby's rendition of the famed title tune and I still have my breath taken away by the stunning finale when the stage set complete with Christmas Tree is wheeled away to reveal the falling snow outside. Lush colour and beautiful costumes in particular during the finale by famed designer Edith Head complete a gorgeous Christmas Bonbon for the whole family to enjoy. "White Christmas" IS Christmas and what it should always represent and if you haven't treated yourself to this unforgettable classic in the past, do yourself a favour this festive season and sit back and enjoy this enduring Christmas treat, you'll find yourself coming back for repeat viewings of it every year.
Rating: 
Summary: The answer to the debate is...
Review: "Holiday Inn".
I can't understand why so many people prefer this to "Holiday Inn". Don't get me wrong; "White Christmas" is a good movie. But Danny Kaye, while funny and an okay singer/dancer, is no Fred Astaire. And the Berlin songs in this movie are second-tier compared to the ones in "Holiday Inn". Again-- a good movie. Just not as good as the original.
Rating:
Summary: White Christmas
Review: Good family film, worth the money. Please make sure your DVD player is set for 4:3 letterbox before playing disc (if you have a 4:3 aspect ratio tv screen); otherwise the video distortion is terrible. This accounts for my previous bad review of the DVD. My DVD player's problem, NOT the disc. ENJOY!
Rating:
Summary: I'm dreaming of people lightening up!
Review: I would classify this movie as a great christmas classic. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye sound great and look awesome as the sing and Dance their way through this nostalgic family holiay favorite. true, this movie is predictable, but what movie from that time period isn't? This movie is a feel-good movie that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, and all-around Christmasy.
I can't believe how many people have written cynical remarks regarding this film, all I can say to all of them is this- LIGHTEN UP! I read one review from someone who said they hated this movie because Bing Crosby was a child abuser. This is not true. He was a strict father, but no abuser of children, and even if he were, this is no reason not to watch a movie featuring him.
Rating:
Summary: THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT OF ALLTIME!
Review: There are no other words to describe WHITE CHRISTMAS, but BRILLIANT, BOLD, FUNNY AND HEARTWARMING! It is by far THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT OF ALLTIME!!!! Like the title implies, SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! on Christmas Day! I love to see SNOW on Christmas! The ending of the movie is not really surprizing, but a true delight! When General Waverly (DEAN JAGGER) is told by one his officers that it's snowing, he goes out the front door to see the creation of a winter wonderland in Pine Tree, Vermont! When I see this I start to cry! Then as the end of the movie comes, Bob Wallace (BING CROSBY) has the backdoor opened to reveal the winter spectacle to the crowd of soldiers and their families, who have gathered to give their formal general of WWII a most heartwarming memorable Christmas reunion ever! I cry all the harder! The songs of Irving Berlin are priceless. Next to WHITE CHRISTMAS, I throughly enjoy two other songs; SISTERS, SISTERS and COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS! But the true magic of WHITE CHRISTMAS, isn't just the music or the SNOW, but something that lies deep inside of all of us! When Wallace and Phil Davis (DANNY KAYE) tag along with the Hayne Sisters, Betty (ROSEMARY CLOONEY) and Judy (VERA MILES) and travel by train to an inn in Pine Tree, Vermont, they chance encounter the boys former general the landlord of the inn! With good intentions Wallace invites the whole crew from New York to come up and rehearse in Vermont, at quite an expensive price tag! All goes well until nosy housekeeper Emma (MARY WILKES), overhears part of a phone conversation between Wallace and producer Ed Harris, and spills the beans to Betty without getting the FACTS! (SOMEBODY OUGHT TO SHOOT EMMA! I WOULD NOT WANT ANY SNOOPER LISTENING ON MY VERY PERSONAL AND PRIVATE PHONE CONVERSATIONS! THAT'S TRESPASSING!!!!) Betty becomes infuriated with Bob, thinking he's pulling an ANGLE, heads for a new job at a N.Y. nightclub. To make matters worse Davis and Judy fake an engagement, thinking Betty wouldn't have to take care of Judy any more! (BOY! PEOPLE REALLY JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS WITHOUT GETTING ALL THE FACTS FIRST!!!! STUPID EMMA!!!!) But only when she sees Bob making his pitch on TV and learning the FACTS that this is a special Christmas present, not a publicity stunt, she regrets her decision and returns to Vermont to help out with the show. Danny Kayes performance is a gem! Who else could play the simpleton grateful soldier who uses that old "I SAVED YOUR LIFE-BUT YOU OWE ME A FAVOR ANYTIME (remember my broken arm) GIMMICK!!!!" This is ROSEMARY CLOONEY'S, DANNY KAYES, and DEAN JAGGER'S greatest film ever! To see General Waverly dress in unform again makes your heart warm inside! Then the surprize revealed to him in the dinner theater brings tears to your eyes! And then the SNOW! WOW! WHITE CHRISTMAS is all this and much more! The music, the performances, all memorable! As for the SNOW, I live in Connecticut, in New England! And Vermont is here with us too! To me WHITE CHRISTMAS is New England at Christmastime! A time for joy, love, celebration and great faith! WHITE CHRISTMAS will always be a treasure to cherish every year! This is true PEACE ON EARTH!
Rating:
Summary: Just like the ones I used to know...
Review: Well, actually, it is not like the ones I used to know, because I wasn't alive when "White Christmas" was made. But that doesn't stop the waves of nostalgia from coming over me every year when I watch this film. Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen, Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney are each perfect in their roles, and make a nice balance of comedy, dancing, crooning and romance. The storyline is a bit sweet, but no more so that egg nog, cookies, candy canes and everything else that makes Christmas great. I want to sit next to that big open-hearth fire and pour a buttermilk for my lady. The all-Irving Berlin soundtrack is great. My favorite number, aside from White Christmas of course, is Choreography. But they are all winners. The DVD has a few nice extra features. Rosemary Clooney gives a fond look back. This is a DVD that is worth the money, as it gets at least a few plays every year.
Rating:
Summary: Had The Video and Planning on Getting the DVD!
Review: White Christmas is a very good movie! Knowing that I love classic movies and Christmas movies my brother gave me this movie on video one year and I really liked the movie and thought Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen were very good. I don't have the video anymore and I'm planning to buy the DVD and I recommend the movie very greatly!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Christmas-y and Fifties, Really Nice, Poor DVD Print
Review: Ok, I saw this flick when it was first released. Since that time I CAN'T consider Christmas complete unless I watch this movie at least 2 or 3 times. No, it's not the Greatest Movie Ever Made, but it's so darn enjoyable; director, cast, and crew just seem to do everything right. I prefer the VHS tape to the 2000 DVD release; the DVD has slightly greyed color with (apparently) a bad yellow layer in the master negs. My DVD players have OK color controls that correct this (even though yellow is the worst color to try to correct with most consumer-grade equipment), but the DVD image has two other problems -- most scenes show an irritating flicker and vignetting in corners, with too much contrast overall that makes for glossy noses, shiny foreheads, and other glazing effects on highlights. The DVD flicker (it showed up on 3 players and 4 tv sets) and vignetting are truly irritating, spoiling what is otherwise a very good 4-star movie and a good old-fashioned Christmas story. If you have an above-average VHS player, stick with the remastered tape. The DVD looks even worse on HDTV, and S-video or composite hookups don't help (Looks worse on S-video). I tried 2 copies of this DVD, both had the same problems. The defects are slight; many viewers won't notice, but those who do seldom fail to comment. The image doesn't stop this very pro cast from Paramount from doing a wonderful job with what is essentially 1950's fluff, but who cares? Berlin's music is wonderful ("The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing" has to be one of the most perfect Hollywood-musical songs ever written), even Dean Jagger makes his predictable lines ring true. Crosby and Kaye are quite good together, and Rosemary proves that the old way of just singing a song with sincerity beats hysterical wailing any day. The production numbers are above-average for Paramount, perhaps due to director Curtiz' expert touch (he also gave us 'Robin Hood' in 1938 and 'Casablanca', among many, many other great hits). Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: The Film That OWNS Christmas
Review: I am not going to waste one minute of anybody's time here doing a re-cap of the story line to this movie. If you grew up in the United States of America at any time over the last fifty years you know who Wallace & Davis are, you know who the Haynes Sisters are, and you know who General Waverly and his family are. You know where the Columbia Inn is, you know it has trouble paying its way financially because it is a winter resort that doesn't have any snow, and you know that Wallace & Davis are going to pull out all the stops to save the day. AND you know they WILL (...They ALWAYS do! Every Christmas!).
You also know that the centerpiece song of this film was first written for, and performed in, another Bing Crosby film called "Holiday Inn" (an Inn that HAD snow), released twelve years earlier and took off in popularity during World War Two to ultimately become the single most popular song ever written (though Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" has long tried to "edge" it). You know also that this same song...and others from "Holiday Inn",got recycled AGAIN into another movie titled "Blue Skies" (Crosby & Astaire once more) that fell IN BETWEEN "Holiday Inn" and "White Christmas". But you also know that the old saw about "Third Time's The Charm" came true here big time. THIS Irving Berlin Christmas extravaganza is the one that really hits the home run right out of the ballpark.
So, enough with what you know!!! Here's what yours truly knows. There are people out in this world who like to consider themselves "cool", and "hip", and "with it", and they like to snicker and smirk and revel in cynicism and sarcasm...believing these are the hallmarks of "sophistication"...and such people tend to regard films with strong sentiment like "White Christmas"as being "cornball" and "sugary syrupy" and "cloying".
Well guess what, people. THESE turkeys are the kinds of JERKS Wallace & Davis say the army makes "thousand dollar jobs" for.
They are emotional ignoramuses.The "Soulfully Challenged". Nobody needs their opinions. They can take their black clothes,
their tie-dyed hair, and their 847 body piercings, and TAKE A HIKE!If you POSSESS a heart and a soul, the end of this film is one of the most moving things you will ever see in your life. If you don't , then more's the pity for you. "White Christmas" is a gift in and of itself to each person who sees it, because not only does it make one's spirit soar to watch it, but it lays down an example for all of us. It says if you will unselfishly "go that extra mile" for someone else...not only at Christmas, but ANYTIME...then you can sometimes get a real-life spiritual payback that can send your heart right over the moon. Watch this film. Love this film. And let it love you back.
Rating:
Summary: "We'll follow the old man where ever he wants to go!"
Review: Back in 1954, director Michael Curtiz (1886-1962, who won the Oscar for Best Director for the 1942 film "Casablanca") directed a musical that has become a beloved Yuletide classic for many people (myself included): "White Christmas". With the all-star cast of Bing Crosby, Danny Kay, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen and Mary Wickes, the film is often regarded as an updated remake of the 1942 classic "Holiday Inn", which also starred Bing Crosby and featured the same classic Yuletide song, "White Christmas". Though the two films do have many similarities (they're both musicals with lots of song and dance and they both have two main male characters), there are sufficient differences in their respective plots to make each film a unique viewing experience. "White Christmas" begins on a World War II battlefield with soldiers performing a Christmas show for their fellow soldiers. The two starring soldiers are Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye). During the performance, all of the soldiers in attendance pay homage to their commander, General Thomas F. Waverly (Dean Jagger). The film then moves forward to its present day of 1954 where it finds Wallace & Davis as being very popular and successful on-stage song & dance performers. After one of their performances, they go to a nightclub where they a performance by two beautiful sisters: Betty Haynes (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy Haynes (Vera Ellen). Bob & Phil become infatuated with the pair (Phil more than Bob). They meet each other and Phil sneakily arranges for himself and Bob to go to Vermont, where the Haynes sisters are going, instead of their planned destination for their next performance. Bob isn't too happy initially with Phil's subterfuge, but relents and enjoys the trip with the Haynes sisters to the Vermont ski lodge. Sadly, when they arrive, there isn't any snow; but they quickly discover who owns the ski lodge: their former commander, the retired General Thomas F. Waverly, who is assisted by his daughter Anne Waverly (Anne Whitfield) and Emma Allen (Mary Wickes). The unfortunate lack of snow isn't very good for the ski lodges business, but Bob & Phil decide to help the retired general in the best way that they know. Songs by Irving Berlin in "White Christmas" include many wonderful and catchy tunes as listed below. (Vera Ellen's singing was dubbed by Trudy Stevens.) * "The Old Man/Gee I Wish I Was Back In The Army" (5 stars, performed by Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and chorus).
* "Sisters" (5+ stars, Rosemary Clooney, Trudy Stevens and chorus).
* "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" (4 stars, Danny Kaye with the Skylarks & chorus.)
* "Snow" (5+ stars, Bing Crosby, Danny Kay, Rosemary Clooney, Trudy Stevens and chorus).
* "Blue Skies/Mandy" (4 stars, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and chorus.)
* "Choreography" (5 stars, Danny Kaye, the Skylarks & chorus.)
* "Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep" (5 stars, Bing Crosby.)
* "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" (5 stars, Rosemary Clooney.)
* "What Can You Do With The General" (5+ stars, Bing Crosby.)
* "White Christmas" (5+ stars, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Trudy Stevens & chorus.) "White Christmas" has deservedly become an annual Yuletide classic that will be enjoyed by many generations to come. Overall, I rate the film with 5 out of 5 stars. Also on the DVD is an excellent commentary by Rosemary Clooney. Sadly, "White Christmas" was Vera Ellen's second-to-last film after she decided to retire from acting.
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