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White Christmas

White Christmas (1954)

October. 14,1954
|
7.5
|
NR
| Comedy Music Romance

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.

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aubrimmer
1954/10/14

I'm not usually one to watch a Christmas film or a musical but as I have never seen "White Christmas" before, and since the song was stuck in my head courteous of the radio, I thought I'd give it a try. Plus Michael Curtiz is the director. So I thought it should be pretty good since I have seen many of his films and enjoyed them Watching the movie, I realized that it was actually a pretty good feel good movie. Not my favorite, but not bad nonetheless. It was cute and humorous (probably the only reason I enjoyed the film). The stars of the film had wonderful voices and there seemed to be an equal balance between the comedy and music. I have seen old/the first musicals that are really bizarre and strange with the sets. They always seemed to have that one man singing with beautiful women around him with detailed and ostentatious sets, even "Singin' in the Rain" had evidence of this. But "White Christmas" even though it was a fluff piece was nice and really served the purpose of making the audience feel good. Truthfully, even though it was Curtiz directing, nothing really stood out in the film for me. But that could have easily been caused by my aversion of Christmas.The director Michael Curtiz did a good job directing this film but this film doesn't even come close to "Mildred Pierce"(1945), "Casablanca"(1942), or "The Jazz Singer"(1952). But for a Christmas and musical film it wasn't that bad. Probably won't watch it again but I do like Michael Curtiz so I thought I'd give it a try. If you want a feel good Holiday film I would watch "White Christmas" but forewarning, it is a bit of a fluff piece in my opinion.

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corporalko
1954/10/15

I'd not watched "White Christmas" for a long time, and my (faulty) memory had it not quite rising to the level of "Holiday Inn," the other Bing Crosby Christmas musical from 12 years before. Happily, when I saw "White Christmas" yesterday at my local theater, it proved to be far superior to what I had recalled.Capt. Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Private First Class Phil Davis (Danny Kaye), both serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, starring in a musical comedy show for the troops in their outfit, lead a big good-bye show for Gen. Waverly (Dean Jagger), their commander, who is returning to the states. After the war is over, Wallace and Davis form their own singing-dancing duo and begin scoring well in live theater in the New York City area.They meet two other musical and dance performers, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen) Haynes, who are sisters, and, naturally, a double romance begins to brew. The four wind up at a "holiday inn," so to speak, in Vermont, and discover that the owner is none other than (retired) Gen. Waverly, whose bankroll is rapidly "getting small" because of no snow (in Vermont?!) and few customers.After several songs, both on stage and well-placed within scenes, Wallace gets in touch with a TV producer back in New York City, who agrees to set up a live TV show from the inn, which will be designed as a big tribute to Waverly (who must be kept "in the dark" until the trap is sprung).After some additional plot twists in which Betty gets mad at Bob because she thinks (incorrectly) that the show is going to be designed to poke fun at Waverly; and Judy tries to lure Phil into announcing a phony engagement between the two to try to get Betty and Bob back together; the movie finally climaxes with a giant Christmas show in the big dining hall at the inn, with many, many of Waverly's former subordinates from his Army career there with their wives; and the two show business couples finally falling into each other's arms. Good flick; good characterizations, although not terribly deep.Now: A few minor quibbles that kept me from giving it 10 votes:The opening scenes near the "battlefield" in France wouldn't have fooled a 5-year-old; the sets were very obviously in a Hollywood studio.Crosby's and Kaye's characters' names -- Bob Wallace and Phil Davis -- come on, guys! How Whitebread can you get? They needed a little more pizazz than that.Clooney's "lady in a snit, if you don't know why, I'm not gonna tell you" attitude when she thinks she has uncovered an unpleasant angle to the show being planned by Crosby. Why didn't she just tell him? Oh, I know why: It would have untangled the plot twists too soon.All in all, though, an excellent classic movie.

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Tracy Winters
1954/10/16

I was told that 'Holiday Inn' (1942) from which this film was adapted was the better movie. Boy, was that a crock. I just saw it and it stunk.This film has Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen, the much more desirable pairing than Bing Cosby and Rosemary Looney, two schmucks who could not dance or act to save their lives - and they needed to in this holiday celluloid because they have all the personality of a couple of comatose slugs.Danny sings as beautiful as ever, and of course he's so funny. Vera is pretty and puts Rosemary to shame. Dean Jagger provides a solid block of dignity as a retired army general.Pass on Holiday Inn; this is the version to watch. It's 10 times more fun with more story and less random dance numbers. Enjoy!

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Jonathan C
1954/10/17

This movie seems like a sort of excuse to give lots of singing and dancing opportunities to its various superstars, but underlying the merriment is a bit of pathos. It starts on a battlefield in Europe in the winter of 1944, and a soldier with a beautiful singing voice gently voices a prayer for a white Christmas that perhaps says more about the state of mind of the troops than any terrifyingly violent action film could say. The movie ends up being about finding love, self and some measure of contentment in the period after the war, and for that it packs more feeling than it first appears. For all of its clunky moments, it helps us find a meaningful Christmas.

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