White Christmas (1954)
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A legendary song-and-dance team must save a struggling inn and rekindle old flames during the holiday season.
The story
In 1944, during World War II, Broadway stars Bob Wallace and Phil Davis perform for the 151st Division. After the war, the pair becomes a famous song-and-dance team. While performing in Florida, they encounter two sisters, Betty and Judy, and eventually travel to Pine Tree, Vermont. There, they discover the local inn is owned by their former commander, General Waverly, who is facing financial ruin. To save the inn and the General's legacy, the duo decides to stage a large musical production to attract guests for the holiday season, while the personal relationships between the performers begin to complicate and evolve.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1944, during WWII, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis perform for the 151st Division. After the war, they become a famous duo. While performing in Florida, they meet sisters Betty and Judy. They travel to Pine Tree, Vermont, where they find General Waverly, their former commander, is struggling to keep his inn afloat. Bob and Phil decide to stage a musical to save the inn. A misunderstanding involving a radio broadcast leads to a rift between Bob and Betty. Meanwhile, Phil and Judy realize their feelings for each other. On Christmas Eve, a large performance is staged to honor the General. The show is a success, the soldiers surprise the General, and the romantic leads finally reconcile as a snowstorm finally blankets the town.
- First release year
- 1954
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Michael Curtiz
- Writers
- Norman Krasna · writer; Norman Panama · writer; Melvin Frank · writer
- Cast and characters
- Bing Crosby · Bob Wallace; Danny Kaye · Phil Davis; Rosemary Clooney · Betty Haynes; Vera-Ellen · Judy Haynes; Dean Jagger · Major General Tom Waverly; Mary Wickes · Emma Allen
- Genres
- musical; comedy; romance
- Themes
- nostalgia; friendship; romance
- Tone and mood
- light-hearted; festive
- Setting
- 1944 Europe (flashback), 1954 Florida, New York City, and Pine Tree, Vermont.
- Premise and plot tags
- musical; holiday; war veterans
- Source material / true-story basis
- Irving Berlin's song 'White Christmas'
- Reception
- The film was a major box office success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1954 and the highest-grossing musical at the time. Critical reception was mixed, with some praising the production and performances while others criticized the thin plot.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 56 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Awards and nominations
- Oscar · Best Original Song · 1942 · win; Oscar · Best Original Song · nomination
- Production trivia
- First film released in VistaVision; Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry; Original script was intended for Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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