White Christmas




Vermont should be beautiful this time of year, with all that snow.

This is a Christmas favorite that I was subjected to from an early age. Just as a warning, my subjectivity regarding this one is all but rendered useless.

After the second big war, Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) coaxes the popular entertainer Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) into a duet act with him by leaning on an old war injury. Their song and dance act becomes a smash hit, but Phil begins to worry about the very single Bob, and he clumsily tries to throw available women his way. When they catch the Haynes sisters' (Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen) performance, they both fall smitten. But while Bob may like Betty Haynes and vice versa, they both fight an uphill battle with each other while the four of them valiantly try to direct some business towards a Vermont lodge ailing from a lack of snow.

There's something to be said about the lighthearted script. Sure, it may be routine and predictable at times, often taking five in favor of the various dance numbers, but it's got its own kind of charm, with lots of well placed humor tailored for its respective leads. The sharp dialogue between Crosby and Kaye is enjoyable and even Clooney and Ellen get to have some fun. The pace is set rather nicely until they finally end up at the Vermont lounge, where it drags somewhat with all the love angst going around. Other than that, the romances are pretty carefree, even in the middle of the down times. There's never any doubt that there's a happy ending around the corner and even though the scenery remains absent of snow, a holiday sentiment still manages to slip in.

Frequently criticized as being a remake of Holiday Inn, the lifted set pieces are still more than able to stand on their own. Boasting lavish costumes, sets and scenery, this was the first movie to be filmed in VistaVision and it shows. But the real reason why White Christmas is remembered happens to be the songs. There are several classics, including the titular opener, written specifically for the film. Even the ones that convey a less than festive vibe (some of them have absolutely nothing to do with the holidays) are catchy and all of them are extremely well choreographed, often highlighting the leads' talent.

Bing is spot on with his more reluctant character unwillingly dragged along by Danny Kaye's outrageous attempts to hook him up. The two work well together, and Kaye is fairly irresistible. Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen are also nice, but Clooney is mostly stuck with the sensible sister role and Vera Ellen, being best known for her dancing, doesn't do much aside from assisting Kaye.

If someone looks hard enough past the schmaltz, there's probably a lot more to quibble over, but White Christmas still remains a charming Christmas flick.



-The Gnome