kevinish You can argue about which version of "A Christmas Carol" you prefer, or if "A Christmas Story" beats out "Love, Actually" in the modern era, but this film hands down is the best Christmas musical by a long shot. Choreography unofficially by Bob Fosse, "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" with Kaye and Ellen is one of the best dance routines on film, period. Crosby, Clooney and ensemble deliver a sentimental treat throughout that still delivers today.

Hitchcoc I know that people may think me unpatriotic, but the message here is that we need to continue to glorify war. The U.S. had just finished World War II and celebrated a great victory. Now we had the big Commie fear and a trip to Korea where many more of our young people dead. So in 1954 comes a "Christmas" movie. It pushes all the right buttons and has the stars of the day, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Bing Crosby (one of the most hawkish performers of all time) and becomes a kind of recruiting poster when we were done with war for a while (of course, we were already meddling in southeast Asia). It does have a decent story and those songs were well performed, but there is no comparison between this and "Holiiday Inn" which carries a much more romantic theme, and also stars Bing Crosby. The main thing for me is that at times I just find it sort of dull.

malcolmgsw I didn't saw this film on its premiere engagement at the Plaza Lower Regent Street in 1954'I have seen it a couple of times since,and have never highly rated it.Mundane story and forgettable numbers apart from the title numbers.I saw it again last Wednesday at the Regent Street cinema.I didn't change my view of the film.However I noticed how thin Vera Ellen looked.I looked her up on the Internet when I got home.I saw that she had suffered from anorexia.The film was on TV on Christmas Day,so I watched again.She appeared painfully thin,her legs was like matchstick.She always had her neck and chest covered,presumably to hide how thin she looked.She was a great dancer but paid a heavy price for fame.

Leofwine_draca White Christmas is a solid family musical with one ultra-famous Christmas song sung early on in the proceedings. For the rest of the running time it's a rather typical Hollywood musical of its era: warm, good-natured, with lots of well-choreographed dance and singing routines, and a feel-good storyline. It's not my favourite of its type - I'm a sucker for Gene Kelly - but as a Christmas musical, it shines.Bing Crosby is the obvious draw here as the film belongs to him throughout, but the supporting cast are effective too. Danny Kaye has a fairly difficult role I reckon, playing second-string to Crosby, but he comes off as amiable enough. Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen are fine as the singing sisters. Like many of its type, White Christmas flags a little in between the songs, but the musical numbers are well staged and likable, so there's little to complain about overall.