White Christmas Anniversary Edition DVD
Posted by Michael Weyer on 11.21.2009
The holiday classic comes to life in a great presentation with some nice extras to add to the great entertainment.
White Christmas: Anniversary Edition
Paramount Home Video
120 Minutes
There are some holiday films that manage to transcend the actual season and be a classic for any time of the year. White Christmas is one of those movies. While the plot may seem thin, the terrific song and dance numbers, along with the brilliant chemistry of the leads, makes this a true gem of Hollywood’s musical golden age. While it’s seen a couple of releases before, Paramount has put out a brand new DVD that packs in some new extras while keeping the film itself looking and sounding fine. The result is a great update to a classic that remains a true gem to watch.
The Film
The movie opens on Christmas Eve, 1944 at a temporary Allied camp in Europe. Captain Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby), a former Broadway entertainer, and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) an up-and-coming songwriter are entertaining troops. It’s both Christmas celebration and a farewell to the unit’s respected General Waverly (Dean Jagger, best known for his Oscar-winning role in Twelve O’Clock High) who’s being replaced. After sending the old man off to a rousing song, the unit comes under attack and Davis saves Wallace from being crushed by a wall, receiving a minor arm injury in the process. From then on, Davis is able to guilt Wallace into going along with his ideas, constantly pointing at his arm as a reminder of how he saved Wallace’s life.
A nicely done montage shows us the post-war years as the two men form a successful team, going from nightclubs to a hit radio show to producing a smash Broadway revue. However, Davis is getting annoyed at how Wallace has thrown himself into work, refusing to give his partner a break. “I want you to get married. I want you to have nine children. And if you only spend five minutes a day with each one of them, that’s forty-five minutes and I can at least go and get a massage!” Davis’ attempts to set Wallace up with girls haven’t worked out well but Wallace promises he’ll try…after the two do a special Christmas performance on television.
While in Florida, the two check out a nightclub and see the main act: The Haynes Sisters, Judy (Vera-Ellen) and Betty (Rosemary Clooney). Sparks instantly fly between Judy and Davis while Betty and Wallace are a bit cooler to each other but clearly something there. When the two sisters run afoul of the corrupt local sheriff, the guys help them get away on board a train headed to Vermont. They decide to make a go of a nice snow vacation but when they get there, they discover the area is enduring a freak warm December and not a snowflake can be found. They check into the Columbia Inn, which turns out to be owned by the now-retired Waverly who put his pension into the place and faces bankruptcy thanks to lack of tourism. Determined to help their old commander out, Wallace and Davis arrange for their show to be rehearsed there with the Haynes helping. Romantic sparks continue to fly between the couples as the film culminates in a terrific Christmas Eve party that showcases that famous Irving Berlin song.
The movie is terrific old-styled Hollywood film, bright and colorful. It was the first to be shot in the “Vista Vision” format and thus seems more opened-up than most of the films of its time. That’s good for his sensational musical numbers which director Michael Curtiz (Yes, the director of Casablanca) stages with great flair. The “Mandy” number is a true sensation with dozens of dancers slapping tambourines while working together while “Choreography” takes aim at the overly planned dancing that was crawling in at the time, marring the more free movements of the past. He also handles creating an entire Vermont inn on a soundstage in as realistic a manner as he can and his choice of lighting also aids the numbers, like the moonlight for “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing.” Thanks to his direction, the film has a great feel.
But that would be nothing without the right actors and thankfully, Curtiz has those too. Crosby and Kaye are the perfect team, both obviously loving these roles and having a great time playing them. Crosby gives Wallace a nice dry air, committed to his work but enjoys a good time as well, the down-to Earth type. Kaye is fantastic as Davis, a wild comedian whose facial and voice constrictions make his punch lines all the better. The two bounce off each other wonderfully with lines and jokes, convincing you of their partnership. Clooney and Allen are also great as the sisters, Clooney with her lovely voice while Allen is an incredible dancer, her work in the “Mandy” number a true show-stopper. They match well with the guys as Judy and Davis fake an engagement, the two meshing well with their humor while Crosby and Clooney’s romance is slower but more heartfelt as they each give it their all. Together, the quartet provide the film’s heart and soul and thus make the entire film shine brightly.
Jagger is good in the role of the general who still refuses to give up and interesting to see him as the ram-rod boss at the start and then softer in civilian life. Mary Wickes is also a great standout as the sarcastic landlady who bounces off Kaye well. Also helping is the clever script which shows some good humor and smart wordplay (“When what’s left of you gets around to what’s left to be gotten, what’s left to be gotten won’t be worth getting, whatever it is you’ve got left.” “As soon as I figure out what that means, I’ll come up with a crushing reply.”) While the third act seems to slow a bit due to some romantic complications, the payoff of the film is a true classic moment in Cinema that can warm any heart. Sure, it may be Christmas themed but the great script, acting and musical numbers make this a movie you could enjoy any time of the year to put you in a good mood.
Rating: 8.5
Video: Widescreen format enhanced for 16:9 sets. As the movie was one of the first major wide-screen films, it’s framed well to fit the whole picture on screen. Unfortunately, the film remains a bit grainy and uncleaned from previous sets. While it’s still bright and clear, it’s not the crisp job one could hope for as Paramount continues their unfortunate tendency to neglect some of their older films. While the picture is still clear, it’s not the vibrant vision it could have been.
Rating: 7.0 out of 10.0
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with French mono and subtitles in English, French and Spanish. The audio comes through much clearer, especially on the musical numbers, always clear without the need to adjust the volume. For a movie that relies on its dialogue and music, that’s key and it works well.
Rating: 9.0 out of 10.0
Bonus Features
The movie comes with an audio commentary from 2004 by Rosemary Clooney. Sadly, it’s not a good track as she’s quiet for a lot of it and spends too much time laughing at things on screen and going “oh, this was such a good shot.” She shares some tidbits on how Bing would sneak away from the set to go golfing and acknowledges how her own dancing skills weren’t that good. There’s a funny bit during a dinner scene where she points out how she’s the only one actually eating and they had to keep working that in retakes. But if you want real insight to the movie’s background and how it worked, this isn’t the best resource.
Backstage Stories from White Christmas (11:54) goes in-depth to the movie’s production. It talks to film historians FX Feeney and Larry Billman and USC professor Dr. Drew Casper who give some nice insight to the movie’s background. They mention how the actual song is possibly the biggest selling and most recorded in history and makes sense it would form the backbone of a film. It was supposed to be the third teaming of Crosby and Fred Astaire after Holiday Inn and Blue Skies but Astaire backed out. Donald O’Connor was then cast but had to bow out due to ill health so Kaye stepped in. It’s revealed how the bit during the duo’s “Sisters” number, it was Kaye’s idea to hit Crosby with a fan and Crosby’s laughing on screen is genuine. The “Vista Vision” is explained with movies needing to compete with the rise of television and how Curtiz used the format in a way that influenced directors who followed. A good look at the film overall.
Rosemary’s Old Kentucky Home (13:25) is a focus on the actress’ upbringing in Augusta, Kentucky. We meet her son, Nick Clooney and Heather French Henry, a former Miss America who runs the museum in Rosemary’s name. They show the lovely town where Rosemary would rest by the river and her times there. There’s a tour of the local museum which has an entire room devoted to the movie, from dresses to a note Crosby wrote to the studio recommending Clooney. We also see the annual parade the town throws for her and how the film is a huge deal there.
Bing Crosby: Christmas Crooner (14:15) spotlights the big star with talks from author Gary Giddins, professor Ruth Prigozy and Crosby’s second wife, Kathryn and their son Harry. They talk about how Crosby influenced stars like Elvis as he was “the first hip white person born in the United States.” We see the Gonzaga University Crosby House which pays tribute to him and are shown him supporting the war and civil rights’ movements. They all agree that White Christmas was a “summation” of Crosby and the project always closest to his heart.
Danny Kaye: Joy to the World (13:08) puts the focus on the comedian with his daughter Deana, actor Robert Wagner and composer Leslie Bricusse discussing his rise from New York to stardom. They talk about how inventive the man was, his wild offbeat style paving the way for the likes of Steve Martin and Robin Williams. Robert Spiotto, director at the Hofstra University, shows some of Kaye’s haunts like his childhood home and the school named after him. They also discuss Kaye’s work with Unichef which helped put the foundation on the map so they named a welcoming center at their New York headquarters after him. It’s a good look but some might find Spiotto’s over-the-top jokey intros annoying.
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (7:21) is a short look at the creation of the song. Berlin was actually on vacation in California when it hit him and thus he wrote it as a satire. There’s a fun home movie his daughters made that convinced him to go through with it. Once more, it’s mentioned how it’s the most recorded song ever as Berlin managed to find something that could appeal across generations.
White Christmas: From Page to Stage (4:22) showcases the Broadway production of the film that opened in 2004 and has become an annual holiday event in various cities and even Broadway. Writers Paul Blake and Kevin McCollum, along with director Walter Bobbie, discuss the common challenge of movie-to-stage adaptations, which is fleshing out more story and adding more musical numbers. We see clips from the stage show which does look much like the film but the lack of actually hearing the numbers mars the presentation.
White Christmas: A Look Back With Rosemary Clooney (16:45) is from the 2004 DVD set. It goes a bit more into the film’s history and production with Clooney discussing her experiences on set. For those who wonder why Vera-Allen never went further in films, Clooney reveals that, while a brilliant dancer, the woman couldn’t sing and had to have her voice dubbed. (“Now if you could only dub my dancing…” Clooney laughs). It talks more of Jagger and Wickes and the background leading to the film. Clooney shares tidbits such as how hard it was doing that big final number but is still proud of how she contributed to such a classic piece of cinema. A bit bittersweet watching now after the actress’ passing but still interesting hearing her side of things.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10.0
The 411: The video could be better but the film still shines with its great musical numbers and the fantastic chemistry between Crosby, Kaye, Clooney and Allen. The script lets the numbers shine better and the new extras help enhance the experience. Overall, it's a great gem of a movie that's a gift to watch whatever time of the year.
