White Christmas (1954)

 Production Company : Paramount

Directed : Robert Emmet Dollan

Starring : Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen

Plot : Having left the Army following W.W.II, Bob Wallace (played by Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (played by Danny Kaye) team up to become a top song-and-dance act. Davis plays matchmaker and introduces Wallace to a pair of beautiful sisters Betty and Judy (played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen) who also have a song-and-dance act. When Betty and Judy travel to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, Wallace and Davis follow, only to find their former commander, General Waverly, as the lodge owner. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers try to help the General.

Trivia : *Irving Berlin suggested a movie based on his song "White Christmas".Financially, the film was a partnership between Crosby and Irving Berlin, who shared half the profits, and Paramount, which got the other half.

*White Christmas was intended to reunite Crosby and Fred Astaire for their third Irving Berlin showcase musical. Crosby and Astaire had previously co-starred in Holiday Inn (1942) – where the song "White Christmas" first appeared – and Blue Skies (1946). Astaire declined the project after reading the script and asked to be released from his contract with Paramount.Crosby also left the project shortly thereafter, to spend more time with his sons after the death of his wife, Dixie Lee.Near the end of January 1953, Crosby returned to the project, and Donald O'Connor was signed to replace Astaire.Just before shooting was to begin, O'Connor had to drop out due to illness and was replaced by Danny Kaye

*26-year-old Clooney played older sister Betty and 33-year-old Vera-Ellen played the younger sister Judy. Even more striking is the age difference between Rosemary and her male counterpart. Crosby was 51, falling in love on screen with 26-year-old Clooney. Meanwhile, Kaye was the same age as his onscreen love played by Vera-Ellen.