Top 25 Reasons to Watch "White Christmas" This Season
Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 1:12PM
Members of Team Experience have been asked to share their favorite Christmas movie. Here's new contributor Eurocheese...
25 Reasons to Watch White Christmas (Again)
01 Eye popping color (the first VistaVision film!) at every opportunity
02 The “Sisters” number! A surprise drag number where the actors can’t stop giggling in the 1950s? Yes please.
03 The way the movie teases snow until we almost demand it...
04 Rosemary Clooney’s hair
05 The 40s-style vocal harmonizing on “Snow”
06 The razor-sharp wit of the busybody housekeeper, played by Mary Wickes (aka Mary Lazarus from Sister Act)
07 Danny Kaye pointing at his arm at all opportunities to force Bing to do what he wants
08 “Mutual, I’m sure” as a replacement for “Hello”
09 Sparkles. So many sparkles.
10 The genuine heartfelt act of kindness done for someone in need. Few Christmas movies pull off generosity in such a moving gesture.
11 A hilarious number of shots of women’s legs
12 Mocking modern dance, which is somehow even funnier because all the dances are so out of date
13 “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” a song nearly as lovely as the titular track
14 Vera-Ellen cornering Danny Kaye into an engagement
15 Watching the sisters always go to bed with full make up on as if they can’t be seen without it
16 George Chakiris’ cameo as the sexiest dancer in Clooney’s “Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me”
17 Danny Kaye stumbling around the yard pretending to be hurt, yowling pathetically
18 “I got along very well in the army without you.” “It took 15,000 men to take my place!”
19 Edith Head’s oversized jewelry and massive dresses
20 Army men in uniform lined up to honor “the old man.” Even the Grinch’s heart would melt.
21 A horn announcing candles being blown out on a cake
22 The fat cutouts that pop up in “Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army”
23 The little boy singing “Doe” in perfect pitch
24 The white knight statue
25 The final shot. Fake snow falling, a Christmas classic being sung by the cast. All is well.
When was the last time you rewatched this perennial?
Reader Comments (15)
One of my personal favorite Christmas movies/favorite movies ever. All 4 leads are wonderful, the sets are gorgeous, just.....LOVE it.
Watch it every year ... along with the Natalie Wood version of Miracle on 34th Street.
Vera-Ellen’s waist!
Vera-Ellen's weightless dancing, and her husky voice when she's trying to entice Danny Kaye.
That part in "Choreography" were Vera-Ellen taps her foot rhythmically at about the speed of a hummingbird.
Also when Danny Kaye says that Bing Crosby needs to get married and have 8 children, and spend 15 minutes a day with each of them so Kaye can have 2 hours alone every day.
Just saw it on the big screen last weekend. Loved it before but it was so much better with an audience and being able to get lost in all those colors and the phenomenal cast.
I have to mention that A-MAZ-ING dress that Rosemary Clooney wears in the Love You Didn't Do Right By Me number! The neckline.....the earrings that match the jeweled clip on the dress's back...the gloves...it's all just pulled together so beautifully, especially for an engagement she didn't even make until seemingly the day before!!! Ah classic Hollywood.
Mary Wickes is a national treasure. She was the Thelma Reed before Thelma Reed.
And honestly watching Danny Kaye deliberately trying to screw up Bing Crosby in the Sisters number is so funny.
Thelma Ritter! Stupid autocorrect
Hey Nathaniel! I think I saw in a previous post that you were looking for volunteers to join the fil experience team! I’d love to join the Toronto chapter!!
Dancer John Brascia in very tight trousers showing off his moves with Vera -Ellen
The gorgeous old Heights theater here in Minneapolis shows White Christmas every year for about a week and every screening sells out. Went last year and it was just super-fun.
And in the chorus behind Vera Ellen of the tiny waist is George Chakiris! Oscar winner for West Side Story!
Joel I saw the commentary from Rosemary Clooney and she commented on the broach on her butt being a big deal at the time. Edith Head won in B&W for Sabrina but even with strong competition like A Star is Born and Brigadoon, this should have been nominated for Costumes.
It's my wife's favorite Christmas movie, so we watched it last night.
That Danny Kaye/Vera-Ellen engagement scene is borderline erotic. Her arm keeps going up and down his leg while he slumps further and further, almost enticing her. I never noticed until last night.
Don't forget Oscar winner Dean Jagger giving a great performance as General Waverly
Just watched this the other night and yes for pretty much all the reasons listed, except for Danny Kaye, who is like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth.
Always knocked out by Paramount's rich color and even though it's just a set, I want to live at that inn!
And what a beautiful man George Chakiris was/is.