White Christmas (1954)    Paramount/Comedy-Musical    RT: 120 minutes    No MPAA Rating (nothing offensive)    Director: Michael Curtiz    Screenplay: Norman Krasna, Norman Panama and Melvin Frank    Music: Irving Berlin    Cinematography: Loyal Griggs    Release date: October 14, 1954 (US)    Cast: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen, Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes, John Brascia, Anne Whitfield, Johnny Grant.    Box Office: $30M (US)

Rating: ****

 My first encounter with White Christmas came about courtesy of Chevy Chase who referenced it in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when he exclaimed, “we’re gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby danced with Danny f***ing Kaye.” I got the joke even though I hadn’t yet seen the classic 1954 musical-comedy. I didn’t actually watch it until many, many years later. We’re talking more than two decades. I shouldn’t have waited so long. It’s a delight!

 Directed by Michael Curtiz (Yankee Doodle Dandy), White Christmas brings together two very talented people whose chemistry provides a great part of this movie’s overall entertainment value, crooner Bing Crosby and funny guy Danny Kaye. They play successful showmen whose partnership begins during WWII after Phil (Kaye) saves Bob’s (Crosby) life in an attack. Bob, a talented singer who we first meet crooning the title song in a battlefield Christmas Eve show, prefers to work alone. Phil uses the minor injury he sustains to guilt his pal into forming a duo.

 While performing in Florida, the guys receive a letter from an Army buddy asking them to check out his sisters’ nightclub act. He’d love it if they could help advance their careers. As you might expect, romantic sparks start flying soon after Bob and Phil meet Betty (Clooney) and Judy (Ellen). Phil and Judy instantly gel in a number called “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing”. It’s a little more complicated for Bob and Betty. Upon learning it was actually Judy that wrote the letter; Bob expresses his admiration for the girls’ resourcefulness. Betty thinks he’s too cynical. Yeah, they’re made for each other.

 The guys are about to leave for New York to perform on a successful variety show while the girls are scheduled to appear at a Vermont inn. Phil manages to convince Bob to accompany the girls to Vermont. They make two starting discoveries upon their arrival at the inn: (1) there’s not a single sign of snow which means that there are no guests and (2) the owner is General Waverly (Jagger), their old commanding officer. In order to help out their beloved superior officer, the guys bring their show to the inn.

 Naturally, one big misunderstanding (somebody overhears part of a phone conversation) leads to all sorts of complications. Betty gets mad at Bob. He has no idea why. Judy and Phil come up with a plan they think will help. It makes things worse. In other words, it’s business as usual for the genre except for the whole Christmas angle.

White Christmas is a lot of things. It’s enchanting, sappy, cheerful, corny, funny, light, paper-thin and easy to take. It’s completely predictable. Anybody over the age of 10 already knows everything will turn out right in the end. That’s the nature of any romance-oriented musical, but it’s a formula that works most of the time. It’s most definitely the case here.

 Irving Berlin provides a terrific score and the musical numbers are pretty great. As always, some of them are better than others, but the overall effect is a positive one. One of my personal favorites is the Minstrel Number (no, nobody wears blackface here!) which is a medley consisting of “I’d Rather See a Minstrel Show”, “Mister Bones” and “Mandy”. Kaye and Ellen glide around the dance floor to “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” as an early display of their affection towards each other. All four leads participate in the anticipatory song “Snow” as their train approaches Vermont.

 Of course, the centerpiece song “White Christmas” is heard at the beginning and again in the finale. I’ve heard it so many times over the years, but this is the first time I found it so moving and heart-warming. Bing was a magnificent singer. As a kid, I always enjoyed watching his annual Christmas TV specials with my father. This is the first time I’ve seen him as an actor. He makes the short list of musicians who have made a successful transition to the silver screen. After seeing a genuinely talented vet like Bing perform, it makes me realize even more that the so-called “big” music stars of today are nothing more than pre-fabricated corporate products whose sole purpose appears to be emptying the wallets of gullible teenagers and the parents who have to shell out their hard-earned money to buy the CDs that their kids want for Christmas.

 It’s my first time seeing the hilarious Danny Kaye in a movie. I didn’t see Walter Mitty until a few years later. He’s got a real gift for physical humor and it shows in the scene where he feigns an injury to distract  Waverly while Bob arranges a special surprise for the man who feels that he’s been forgotten by his friends in the Army.

 Kaye and Crosby work very well together. The former is the comic relief while the latter is the crooner. It’s a match made in heaven. It’s yet another reminder of something that I used to hear all the time from my grandparents, “They just don’t make ’em like they used to!” Off hand, I can’t think of a contemporary comedy team that even approaches the level of greatness seen in this pairing.

 In addition, Clooney (George’s aunt) and Vera Ellen as brassy Betty and sweet Judy make excellent love interests for the guys. They’re great singers too. Their voices really blend well. Their number “Sisters” is quite good. It leads to one of the funnier moments in White Christmas. While I won’t explain the exact circumstances, Bob and Phil find themselves in a position where they have to perform this number for an audience at a Florida nightclub. Their performance in this particular scene could very well have been the inspiration for the classic 1959 screwball comedy Some Like It Hot. Jagger delivers a touching performance as the aging military man for whom old age is signified by one’s desire to participate in a game of horseshoes.

 The cinematography in White Christmas is quite striking. The vibrant color scheme shines like a freshly wrapped Christmas present. When originally released, it was presented in VistaVision, a process that involves using twice the surface area of standard 35mm film. It produced finer-grained film prints. The movie looks amazing even by today’s high standards.

 I can see why White Christmas is considered a film classic. It’s an outstanding movie musical with generous doses of romance and comedy. I found myself smiling a lot throughout the movie, especially during the numbers. Maybe it’s a sign of aging, but I’m really starting to appreciate some of these classic films that I wouldn’t have even considered watching in my younger years. You know what, it’s all good! I love this movie and it has earned a place on my Christmas annual must-watch list.