White Christmas (1954)

Only bookended by Christmas songs, the movie might seem mistitled to a partial viewer since the middle body of the film is concerned only with debts incurred in wartime and the lengths some will go to either milk them for all they are worth or pay them off.

One of which efforts results in a (much too) successful and profitable partnership between a couple of entertainers (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye); so much so that one partner hopes, by playing matchmaker (with Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to fill-in an emotional void he perceives in his professional partner.

The other debt is to a much beloved officer (Dean Jagger, who left military service due to an injury?) only to be encountered later as the veteran owner of a sky resort in trouble because of too-hot weather conditions.

The obvious solution is for the two partners to put on a show.

The movie starts out its Christmas credentials strong, meanders for a little bit showing little of the romantic chemistry we'd expect from its leads, but once conflict develops sparks begin to fly and the movie picks up steam again in order to end with a pretty good finale.

The musical numbers also become more and more fun as the story advances.

One of them is an odd criticism of choreography, which might be more of an inside show-biz joke than anything else; but after this the numbers are all solid.

Much too little is made of the Kaye end of the romance which adds an odd, funny nuance to his part of the story as he seems much too disinterested in the fairer sex.

Strangely, I find the Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen 'romance' more interesting. I wish they had a song moment when both realize they have subtly fallen in love with each other. Instead, the focus is on the other couple's nonsensical fight (it's all one big misunderstanding!) and Kaye and Vera-Ellen mostly act as if their own relationship is unimportant and there only to trick/support the other couple.

Neither Kaye nor Crosby are strong enough to carry the film in that they require support, smartly provided by other male dancers who nicely carry the baton for them which is fine but ultimately a bit of a letdown.

I didn't serve in the military, but the film will resonate with anyone who developed a relationship with an old teacher or tutor, (in my case an emotional chord was struck as my old middle school typing teacher passed just last week.)

Grady Sutton is wasted in a cameo, but it's nice to see the man still getting gigs post his W.C. Fields' work.

Despite the fact that by its conclusion the overarching stories have nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas, the title of this Michael Curtiz directed musical remains appropriate, (since a white Christmas is the intended goal,) and the movie easily redeems its Classic holiday status.