The music’s the thing in WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

Posted by Stephen Jannise

Having never seen White Christmas before, I looked forward to seeing it for the first time at Austin’s Paramount Theatre. All I knew about the movie was its theme song, which I have heard, many times. Oddly enough, this song does not feature until the last scene of the film, when, like Busby Berkeley musicals, the film throws all the stops for a spectacular Christmas number that will prevent the film’s title from being decried as false advertising.

The rest of the film is about two army buddies turned showbiz entertainers, played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, who, after picking up a couple of dames who also like to sing and dance, find themselves in Vermont at a ski lodge owned and operated by their old commanding officer. The trouble is, the ski lodge has come under hard times as fewer and fewer guests frequent the resort, so Bing and Danny decide to use their considerable popularity to throw a big troop reunion, which will not only fill the lodge with guests but will also remind their superior how much they appreciated his leadership.

Turns out, men dressed as women aren't automatically funny.

Despite not being a film strictly about Christmas, the songs and dance numbers are quite entertaining, and catchy too, seeing as many people in the audience were singing them by heart. Perhaps because Curtiz and company recognized the quality of the songs and wanted to make sure the tunes were done justice, they hired four leads who were better known for their musical abilities than their acting talents. It certainly shows. Crosby and Kaye would both look like wet blankets if the two women they’ve been paired with weren’t positively drenched. Vera Ellen clearly was chosen entirely for her fine dancing, as she takes the lead winningly in all the dance numbers, and we all know Rosemary Clooney can sing. But when long stretches of dialogue come along, watch out. Unlike Fred Astaire, a musical talent who discovered he could occasionally deliver a one-liner with panache, these four should stick to their strengths, which are basically singin’ and songwritin’.