This is one of the few musicals I can actually watch, partially because it's a Christmas musical (and what could possibly go wrong with that?) and also because Christmas crooner Bing Crosby is the star. Just like everyone has their favorite Christmas movie, usually anyone you ask can quickly identify their favorite Xmas song too, and for me, it's just about anything Crosby sings. His version of Berlin's White Christmas is the quintessential holiday song and serves as a nice jumping off point for this 50s musical.
Two song and dance men, Bob Wallace (Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye), have hit it big since teaming up after WWII (Davis saved Wallace's life and basically guilts Bob into working with him). Their shows tour the country, filling theaters with their unique performances. While touring in Florida, they get a message from an old war buddy asking them to go check out his sisters' show. So Bob and Phil head to a club and see Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera Ellen) Haynes put on their show. Through some shenanigans with a hotel owner, a sheriff and a burnt rug (it's not worth it to explain it all), all four end up on a train bound for Vermont where the Haynes sisters have been hired at the Pine Tree Inn, a ski lodge.
Arriving in Vermont, the quartet find there's no snow for skiing during the holidays and to top it off, their old commanding general, Thomas Waverly (Dean Jagger) owns the struggling inn. Quick thinkers that they are, Bob and Phil decide to bring their hugely popular show up and get some business going for Gen. Waverly. Whatever acts they can't get, they'll have the Haynes sisters fill in. As the plan snowballs though, Bob has one more surprise up his sleeve with noisy housekeeper and all-around busybody Emma (Mary Wickes in a very funny supporting part) always trying to figure out what's going on
At 120 minutes, it might seem somewhat long for a musical but the story never goes more than a few minutes without a musical number of some sort, whether it be Ellen and Kaye dancing, the whole cast doing a minstrel number (my personal favorite), the foursome spontaneously bursting into song about snow (another gem), or Clooney singing a love song. The point is the whole movie is an excuse for a very talented cast to show off their talents. The actual story while highly enjoyable and sometimes heartbreaking -- poor General Waverly -- is completely lost in the ongoing musical numbers. Ellen was a highly respected dancer in Hollywood, Clooney can sing with the best of them, and Crosby and Kaye are equally adept at song, dance or comedy. Composer Irving Berlin pulls out all the stops in delivering a long list of quality musical numbers.
This is a movie that's obvious as you watch it that the cast and crew had fun making it. Fred Astaire was originally supposed to star only to be replaced by Danny Kaye. Sure, it would have been great to see Crosby and Astaire in another holiday classic -- think Holiday Inn 2 -- but Crosby and Kaye are perfect together with on-screen chemistry to spare, including one hilarious bit as they perform as the Haynes sisters. Here's the girls' version, and then here's the gents' spin on it. Of course, it is a musical so there does have to be some romantic fireworks as Crosby ends up with Clooney and Kaye with Ellen. All four actors work together so effortlessly in making this Christmas classic. Clooney didn't act in many movies, but I've always had a crush on her because of this part. She can sing, do comedy and is the definition of a classic beauty.
A fun movie all around, and what would you expect from director Michael Curtiz, who also made a little film called Casablanca, maybe you've heard of it? Filmed in Vistavision with tons of bright colors and great visuals, this isn't just a typical musical but a great movie overall with dead-on casting, plenty of humor to spread around, and of course, some great musical numbers. Remember, that's coming from a musical-phobe who usually avoids them like the plague. A perfect Christmas movie and one I look forward to watching every year. Check it out on Youtube starting here, although I'd highly recommend the DVD.
White Christmas <----trailer (1954): ****/****
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