Let’s face it, this one was likely past its prime even after it was first released in 1954. It’s pretty standard musical fare from this particular Hollywood period with lots of contrived plot devices, belief-defying coincidences, head-scratching relationships that turn on a moment’s notice and tons of schmaltz.
But oh by the way, all of those sins are forgotten amid some great songs brilliantly rendered by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney; big and oddly glitzy dancing and production numbers, costumes that arrive out of nowhere and an over-the-top comedic performance well-played by Danny Kaye — one of the most underrated stars of that era when seen by audiences of today.
And it’s got an ending that’ll still bring a tear to your eye.
My dad liked this movie (though it wasn’t his all-time favorite) and so did a friend I met as a freshman at Guilford College in 1977. For Scott Hicks, it wasn’t Christmas until he’d seen “White Christmas.” 
I was never that big a believer, but I always thought it was OK.
I saw it again Thanksgiving weekend on the Hallmark Channel. It’s probably the first time I’d seen “White Christmas” in 20 years. Nothing about the movie struck me differently. Once again, the story made no sense — there’s no real reason to go into the plot here because in the end that really doesn’t matter). There were a few jokes that made me wince. There’s a “minstrel show” number that thankfully was done without blackface or in some attempt at black dialect.
Still, it got me at the end. The song “Sisters” is every bit as good as I remember. And to hear Crosby and Clooney croon “White Christmas” in the final production number is a treat. You also gotta love those California studio backlot trees that are supposed to respresent Vermont.
“White Christmas” is not in my top 10 — maybe not even the top 20. But it has enduring appeal.
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