A successful song-and-dance team becomes romantically involved with a sister act and teams up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.
Director Michael Curtiz’s “White Christmas” needs little to no introduction. Since its premiere in 1954 (it was the highest-grossing movie of that year), the film has become a holiday staple. It is one of those movies that has become synonymous with the Christmas season—a musical romance that delivers warm, cozy feelings.
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as Bob and Phil, two war veterans who have become a show biz sensation. When a war buddy contacts them to view his sister’s act, they meet Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen). Phil, imagining a budding romance between Bob and Betty, convinces Bob to follow the pair to their gig in Vermont. There, Bob and Phil discover the hotel Betty and Judy are booked in is run by their former commanding officer, General Waverly (Dean Jagger). Waverly’s business isn’t doing well, so Bob and Phil decide to help.
“White Christmas” is a classic for a reason. It’s got a good flow to it, balancing a heartwarming story, a couple of romantic subplots, and entertaining musical numbers from Irving Berlin. Crosby, Kaye (it’s interesting to note that Kaye was not the first—or second—choice for this role), Clooney, and Vera-Ellen have great chemistry, establishing an engaging quartet for the film’s duration. While the movie falls victim to many genre tropes, it handles itself well.
This release is the film’s debut on 4K disc. I thought the movie looked spectacular. The colors are bright and vibrant, and I noticed nothing off-putting about the film’s technical presentation. I viewed the movie with the restored mono soundtrack. The audio, which I’m assuming is the same audio from the movie’s prior release on Blu-ray™, is excellent. I didn’t notice any background noise/hissing that you’d expect from older soundtracks.
There are no new extra features for this release. The Blu-ray™ included with this release is identical to the Blu-ray™ that was initially released. Although, if you haven’t previously viewed the features from that disc, I’d recommend checking them out. They are brief and engaging (though numerous), giving some background information about the movie and its stars.
“White Christmas” remains one of the classics of holiday cinema. If you have a 4K TV and disc player, I’d highly recommend this release — especially if this movie is one of your yearly holiday favorites.
Now available on 4K Ultra HD™ for the first time ever
3.4k
20k
1.5k
1.3k