Rating: Summary: I don't care what generation you're part of... Review: ...or what your tastes in movies or TV usually are. I care even less about anyone's threshold for what some people call "schmaltz". This story of two World War II Army buddies (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) and their postwar show business career has been a Holiday tradition for half a century now, and shows no sign of fading in the forseeable future. Unlike a lot of musical extravaganzas, this one has a not-too-shabby plot. Crosby and Kaye are manipulated into auditioning a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) in Florida and end up in a more than professional relationship with the girls. So they wind up in Vermont at the next stop on the sisters' tour, at a struggling ski lodge owned and operated by their old general (Dean Jagger). It doesn't help the success of the Old Man's civilian business venture that there's been no snow in the area since Thanksgiving. Crosby's fine baritone shines as per usual, Kaye reminds us that his main talent was always dance, Clooney was in perhaps the finest voice in her career, and I'm suprised that dancer/ singer Vera-Ellen wasn't that well-known outside this film. I think this film was the stepping-stone for Jagger to his role as the principal in TV's "Mr. Novak". Anne Whitfield is adequately sweet-young-thing as the general's granddaughter Susan, much in the manner of Elinor Donahue in "Father Knows Best". We all know the signature tunes here. The title song, of course. The Clooney/ Vera-Ellen duet "Sisters", which also enjoyed radio success at the time. But a few other numbers here bear note as well. The Kaye/ Vera-Ellen dance number "The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing". The pointedly satirical "Choreography", a telling shot at the artsy direction stage dance performance was taking at the time. The signature Clooney torch song "Love You Didn't Do Right By Me". With all that in the show, it isn't too diffucult to let the rather trite "What Can You Do With a General" skate a bit. As a movie fan, I'm into Trek, Bond, flicks of Tom Clancy origin. I'm bonkers about the new "Lord Of the Ring" trilogy. As a music fan, my main addiction is progressive, I've loved Miles and Brubeck since junior high, I have a certain nostalgia for blues metal trios like Grand Funk and Cream. But I feel that an appreciation for "White Christmas" transcends genre boundaries. Sure it's brazenly sentimental. But isn't that what Christmas entertainment is supposed to be?
Rating: Summary: Delight in Red and White--and Blue Review: So much has been said about this movie that I prefer to concentrate on the wonderful visuals. Almost every scene has some kind of red and white scheme; in the gray-brown war scenes the Red Cross symbol stands out; in the club car the tables are red, and the bartender pours soft white drinks. The tony nightclub's bandstand has a red backdrop, the white trim resembles icecicles. As the girls prepare for their number, their dressing gowns are red and white; Rosemary Clooney later wears bright red pajamas. The Carousel Nightclub, with its riotous carousel horses still sneaks in some red and white. And, keeping with Berlin's patriotic reputation, blue frequently emerges too; the girls wear blue dresses in their act; the boy's red and white striped jackets pop out of a blue background in "Blue Skies." So if you know the story, can sing every song; still gasp at Vera Ellen's leggy pryotechnics in Mandy (another red and white costume!), view the backgrounds and costumes, and props and see a blending of Christmas spirit with the American flag.
Rating: Summary: I think it's against the law not to like this movie! Review: .....and if it isn't you have to have a heart of stone. This is another wonderful American tradition of Christmas Musical Movies. All these legendary stars performing their hearts out to the millions of people that view this film every year. Now this is in the splender of DVD what more can an American family want when it comes to tradition. Of course i love big production numbers and being a product of Radio City Music Hall i've seen and worked the best. The "White Christmas" number at the end is still spectacular and will still bring a tear to your eye. There is no such thing as "political correctness" in this film and it is wonderful. Merry Christmas everyone!
Rating: Summary: "White Christmas" STILL enchants! Review: "White Christmas" on DVD is the highlight of the season!So lovely to have this holiday classic on DVD with a winning documentary by the beloved Miss Clooney; hearing of her experiences with her costars and a cherished friendship with Mr Crosby... The "Technical" people who reviewed this seemed to enjoy picking it apart, but its content still shines thru! Bing singing WHITE CHRISTMAS in ANY forum is a JOY!His duets with Rosie are as smooth as honey and her presence there must've been the Sweetest gift to the general public in 1954! Though the film was originally scheduled to reunite Bing with Fred Astaire, Danny Kaye delights as his partner.... It is the first Christmas without Rosemary Clooney, indeed none of the principals are with us, yet thru this superb effort of Director Michael Curtiz, we are reminded that the joy of their personages STILL live, and make us smile inside! WHITE CHRISTMAS is a MAGIC!48 years..and COUNTING!
Rating: Summary: White Christmas - The Collectors Editon Review: This may seem like a long review but it is worth it if you are a fan of the film.It is my decision not leave reviews for the same movie or product twice. In this case it may look like I have left 2 reviews for the movie WHITE CHRISTMAS (WC). This is not the case. In the past I left a review for the DVD version of WC and now I'm leaving it for the WC Collectors Edition (WCCE). I already have the lp of WC but missed the opportunity to purchase it on cd. Good luck trying to find the soundtrack to WC it is in heavy demand. Anyway I was searching for the cd soundtrack on a Ebay. Whenever I typed in "WC" I got pages and pages of results, too many to sort through. I did no better when typing "WC cd" in the search engine. Then I remembered that Peggy Lee sang in place of Rosemary Clooney on the soundtrack and I typed in "WC and Peggy Lee" and only a few items came up and one of them was the WCCE. At first this item looks like any other WC video offered up on the auction block. Nothing special. However, I wondered why the movie image popped up when I did a seach for Peggy Lee ,since she was not in the movie, and this is what I discovered. Back in 1994 Paramount put together a 40th anniversary package for fans of the film. This package included a widescreen vhs version of the film with a couple of trailers for the film, a copy of Rosemary Clooney's actual script, an 8x10 glossy photo of the 4 film stars in one of the films ending dance sequences, a copy of the soundtrack cd that I had been looking for, and a booklet with photos from Rosemary Clooney of the film during production with comments. All this was packaged in an attrative white book. Written on the inside cover of the book is a one page letter from Rosemary Clooney detailing her thoughts on WC then and now. The price I paid for this new unopened package was less than the price of some new cd's. I don't think the seller knew what they were selling and I don't think buyers who glaced at the picture knew what was being offered. I got the better end of the deal. This is an outstanding item for fans of the film. The booklet, with it's commentary hints at Rosemary's relationship with some of the cast members. I was startled to find that Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen were not that close, mostly due to Vera-Ellen and what is hinted at as her stand offish attitude. The script actually lists Donald O'Connor in the role of Phil Davis. Evidently Mr. O'Connor injured himself prior to the filming and that was when Danny Kaye took over the part. Finally, WCCE is more than worth the price for real fans of the film. With Rosemary Clooney's passing earlier this year it is unlikely that a more complete editon of this film will ever be released as she was responsible for much of the background info in the WCCE and the DVD version. I just can't praise this edition enough. If you are a real fan of the movie you will want this item and may want to purchase it before Amazon.com runs out.
Rating: Summary: I think some reviewer got a bad DVD... Review: I work for Warner Bros., and I am well aware of the fastidious care that Paramount took with this DVD re-mastering of White Christmas in 2000. I am thrilled with the copy that I bought and think it looks fantastic considering the early era of Eastman color negative with which it was photographed. The luscious Technicolor saturations come through with flying colors. The remarkable VistaVision resolution translates very well to DVD. Are there technologies in 2002 that can get rid of some of the subtle color fluctuations? yes there are..., and you can see it on Roman Holiday and Sunset Blvd., and most effectively on Singin' in the Rain, but the technology wasn't available in 2000. Regardless, I think this DVD is a fabulous buy.
Rating: Summary: Living in Florida, this film is my only white christmas. Review: White Christmas takes me back to those days when I was a kid. This film was shown almost every year. Irving Berlin's White Christmas, was about two army buddies who sang and danced for the troops of their squad. "Bing Crosby" was superb in honoring his world war two general with the rest of the boys from his army bunker. "Danny Kaye", was the jokester of the singing dual that helped with setting up the general's ceremony. A touching film, full of emotions & fun; will leave u smiling and singing. I recommend this film.
Rating: Summary: "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." Review: Great musical that is very colorful. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are two ex-G.I.s when after the World War II, they pair up and go into show business and become sucessful. Soon they pair up again with a "sister act" (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen), and head for Vermont where they are "booked for the holidays." They draw in the crowds at the ski lodge in Vermont where the janitor there is the old Army general (Dean Jagger) that Bing and Danny knew. Within time, they gather up there old army pals and secretly prepare a show for General Waverly. It's quite a tearful moment when it happens. Afterward, the film closes in a vibrnt and gleaming "White Christmas" musical number. Great Christmas musical extravaganza! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Rating: Summary: A guilty pleasure and holiday tradition. Review: Someone described the film as 'happy,' and it is just that! It could've been conceived any time of the year, but as it is, the story takes place ten years between two Christmases. A title card opens the story on Christmas Eve of 1944; it then passes through time, and settles into the current year of the film itself- 1954, after which it ends with a luminous Christmas Eve snowstorm. Do the math. BTW, while Bing Crosby is the star of this one as well as 'Holiday Inn,' I don't entirely understand how this is a remake of that. (No other holidays are mentioned in this film.) But it does have the late Rosemary Clooney (a siren of beauty and a joy to hear) playing nicely off Crosby, especially in the duet "Count Your Blessings," as well as the ingenious Danny Kaye- particularly fine in the satirical "Choreography" and his glamorous, Astaire-like dance with Vera-Ellen to "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing." Sadly, they only dance together once, but that inconsistency is probably due to the producers' earlier plan to have Fred Astaire (and then Donald O'Connor) in that role. The other numbers- "The Army," "Sisters (both versions)," "Snow," "Mandy," and the title number- are all winning.
Rating: Summary: Good! Review: It is a very cute movie, but I have to admit that is is also very corny. Bing Crosby is great, as usual, but the plot is pretty drab. The songs are pretty awful, and the dancing is okay. All in all thuogh it is a very cute movie
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