Customer Reviews

White Christmas [VHS]

5 star:		(309)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

"White Christmas," one of my favorite movies of all time, had always looked bad on home video. The VHS version was a pale, pastel shadow of the original until the 40th anniversary edition of 1994 when all Paramount did was greatly darken the picture. Unfortunately, this was also the print that was used to make the first DVD release in 2000: a dark, dark picture with no contrast, tons of grain, and a barely-in-focus picture that revealed little detail. Fortunately, most of this has been improved in the newly-released 2-disc Anniversary Edition that has just hit the stores.

Although Paramount obviously did not want to fund a complete restoration, the picture now has vibrant colors (the "Mandy" number will knock your socks off!) with much better sharpness and detail and very little grain to speak of. However the picture is still a little too dark and flat, at least one scene still has registration problems (when Bing meets Doris, the "Mutual, I'm sure" girl), some scenes could have a sharper focus, and there's some trouble with minor flicker (stability) of the image. The bonus material is very enjoyable and above average, with family members, critics, and cultural historians to add perspective.

So in summary I definitely recommend this latest version of "White Christmas" as a rebuy on the strength of the improved picture alone, with the bonus material as a very nice plus. I would have given it my highest rating if the picture quality had presented absolute clarity and if the film itself were more inspired, but it still remains a sentimental favorite and a must-see!

This review refers to the Widescreen Collection(Paramount)DVD edition of "White Christmas"...

This DVD should be held up as an example of what DVDs are all about.The transfer and restoration of this 50 year old film is superb. It is the reason we are willing to spend a little more to upgrade from VHS and are awed when we see the wonderful results. Filmed in "VistaVision", the widescreen picture lets you take in every scene of this wonderful classic from edge to edge. The picture is clear, sharp and in glorious technicolor.The colors are beautiful and vibrant.
You have the choice of viewing it in DD5.1 surround or the restored Mono. For those looking for some special features, Rosemary Clooney helps out with a retrospective interview and also commentary. There are English subtitles for those needing them and may also be viewed in French(mono).

The film is a treasure in itself. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye,Rosemary Clooney,and Vera-Ellen are the stars of this 1954 musical with songs by Irving Berlin that you'll want to sing along with and keep humming long after the film has ended. Directed by Michael Curtiz it's a feel good film that although takes place during the Christmas season, is one that you can pull out and watch anytime of the year.

Bing and Danny were Army buddies, now a successful song and dance team and are out to help their favorite old retired General(Dean Jagger),who is having trouble coping with retirement. The General is now running a country inn in Vermont, but the big problem is there is no snow to bring up the tourists. Bing and Danny to the rescue, as they turn the inn into a showcase of talent, and fall for the Haines sisters along the way. Can these wonderful voices also bring the snow out of the sky?...well..you know.

This film is filled with Berlin's wonderful tunes. When Bing takes Rosemary's little hand in his and croons "Count Your Blessings" to her..well it's movie heaven. Rosemary also treats us to several numbers, Vera-Ellen does some fabulous hoofing, and Danny clowns and keeps us smiling like only Danny can. And how much fun is it watching Bing and Danny do the "Sisters" number together?...alot! Then there's the goose bump evoking, wonderfully nostalgic scene of the four of them singing "White Christmas" together with the Winter Wonderland of Vermont as a backdrop.I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful character actress Mary Wicks, she's a great busy-body who causes misunderstandings, and also keep an eye out for George Chakiris and Barrie Chase.

Thanks Paramount for bringing us this great old classic holiday film on this great DVD...enjoy...Laurie

also recommended:
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

The Bells of St. Mary's

or both together on DVD:
Christmas Collector's Pack (The Bells of St. Mary's / It's a Wonderful Life)

I do not have to relate the story of White Christmas. Anyone who watches Christmas movies has seen it over and over. It is a highly entertaining film that leaves you with a good feeling inside. The stars, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney are all wonderful.

The new Blu Ray transfer is magnificent. The picture is so sharp, so crystal-clear, so detailed and so alive with brilliant color, that it is hard to believe that the film is over fifty years old. While watching it, I almost felt like I was there in person. Fortunately, the picture was shot in real Technicolor, and was filmed using Paramount's VISTA-VISION, which created a much larger image on the film allowing for incredible sharpness of vision. The newly remastered 5.1 DTS soundtrack fills your viewing room with rich, lush sound and sharp dialog.

You cannot go wrong by buying this new Blu Ray of White Christmas. It's a film the whole family can enjoy.

Recently, Paramount has offered us wonderful new DVD-issues of classics like To Catch a Thief and Funny Face, both shot in Vista-Vision, and now looking better than ever on home video thanks to Paramount using original camera materials for the transfers. Naturally, I expected that the same loving treatment would be given an old favorite like White Christmas, which was the first feature film shot in Paramount's superb wide-screen process called Vista-Vision.
Not so! This new "remaster" is just as dreary-looking as the older DVD. Grainy and soft with an unstable look and dull colors except in some brightly lit "performance" scenes. Also lots of dirt marks and scattered speckles, plus an ugly splice or two. And NO new extras! Where is the expected featurette about the Vista-Vision system - newly made or at least some old promotional reel taken from a shelf in the archives? A huge disappointment! And by the way, where are all the many beloved Paramount classics from the fifties and sixties that have not yet been released on DVD? Not a single title in sight for the coming months. Sad.

WHITE CHRISTMAS remains the all-time classic Christmas movie (not counting IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE). Featuring a fantastic cast and a superb Irving Berlin score, it's a heartwarming and lavish musical.

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play two ex-GI's who team up with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) and help out their old army general (Dean Jagger) whose Vermont ski lodge has hit hard times. They decide to write a new musical and premiere it at the lodge with hopes of going to Broadway.

The performances cannot be bettered; Bing and Rosemary make a delightful singing screen couple; while Kaye and Vera-Ellen make the perfect matchmakers heckling on the sideline. Mary Wickes (SISTER ACT, NOW VOYAGER) is hilarious as Jagger's busybody other half.

Clooney is given the fantastic number "Love You Didn't Do Right By Me", Crosby is affecting in his duet with Clooney "Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep", Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen bring down the house with "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" and Vera-Ellen is breathtaking dancing to "Mandy".

The DVD includes an audio commentary from Rosemary Clooney, a retrospective interview with Rosemary Clooney and trailers.

Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) come together as a song and dance team after Phil saves the life of headliner Wallace on the battlefield on Christmas Eve. Anything Phil wants, he can get from Bob by making reference to the arm he injured (a phantom injury to be sure) in the saving. Now, he just wants Bob to take things slower. To that end, he is trying to get him to settle on a girl.

Enter the Haynes's sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen), one of whom forges a letter from their brother to Bob and Phil to come see their act and give some pointers as a favor to an old army buddy. It appears that Judy and Phil may have orchestrated the whole thing - Phil to get Bob to settle down and Judy to get tips from the pros. Now, Bob - though attracted to Betty - is a cynic and figures everyone's got an ulterior motive and is not surprised to find out the letter is a forgery. Betty is, however, offended that he thinks the SHE is playing an angle. Later, she will be convinced that Bob is playing an angle at someone else's expense and the resolution of the conflict makes for a wonderful and classic romance story.

After getting the girls out of a jam, thanks to Phil, the foursome end up going to Vermont where they run into their old general running a ski resort. But there is no snow. Bob & Phil come up with a plan to boost the old man's spirits. There are two plot lines here - one the romance between Bob and Betty, and, two, the relationship between the general and his old troops. It is maybe not a GREAT movie/musical but it certainly is good. Songs include White Christmas (of course), Sisters, The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing, Count Your Blessings, and What Do You Do With a General.

The Clooney commentary is very interesting. She points out a lot of things I would not have noticed and has a lot of funny stories about virtually every scene. For instance, the drag scene where Crosby and Kaye are performing "Sisters" ... they had already made so many mistakes that they didn't think it would be used and just really cut up. When she pointed it out, I saw things I hadn't seen before.

This is a great Christmas and family classic. I love this movie and don't know of anyone personally who doesn't.

However, as a fan of this movie, I must comment that I'm happy to see this movie come out in a collection seperate from the dreaded label of "WIDESCREEN COLLECTION" that many Paramount movies possess. Why Paramount was doing that to all their movies is beyond me, but over the last few months, they've begun to stop.

However, this does not mean the DVD is a new release. This IS the exact same DVD release originally printed in 2000. The cover and slipcover are the only new features of this release. If you're like me who's anal retentive and wants to get a fresh crisp copy that's decorated only with words and art from the movie, this exchange may be worth the extra $10.00 or so, but only for that reason. If you already have the 2000 release and you're happy with it, this exchange would serve you no justice.

I love this movie. It's an outstanding film and a shmaltsy Christmas tradition. I only wish someone who cared about the movie could have been involved in the production of the DVD. Paramount must have used a fifty year old projector with a 3-watt bulb for this one. The color fluctuates continuously, as though someone was playing with the brightness. It's not the worst I've ever seen, but it's such a shame to let a flawed transfer like this out for such a fine movie. The "making of" documentary with Rosemary Clooney was excellent. In fact, the movie clips in the documentary look infinitely superior to the body of the DVD itself. Paramount should hang it's head in shame at producing a DVD with such a low-quality image - and they're charging more than your average DVD as well! The audacity astounds me! I can only hope they recall this mess and re-transfer the film. Would I buy this, knowing what I know now? No, I don't think so. I'd wait to see if they re-release it. You shouldn't support their shoddy workmanship. Shame, shame, shame on you Paramount.

I was stunned to find this new anniversary edition at Target this past Tuesday - stunned because it is not being released for another month. I picked it up hoping for the best. It is a 2-disc edition with all the bonus features on the second disc. I see Amazon has finally listed those features above. They are actually quite good and I learned things I had never known. But the movie presentation is a disappointment. As usual, Paramount has NOT cleaned up the film. The colors are slightly off - skin tones don't look quite right and it sometimes looks faded, yet most of the time the colors are very bright and pop; the picture is not sharp and sometimes looks a little fuzzy; there is flickering throughout the whole film; etc. Why can't Paramount take a cue from Warner? They take the time to put out a beautiful product. Paramount seems to just throw it out. This is the third release on DVD for "White Christmas" and considering it is the 55th Anniversary, you would think more care would have been put into making the film look spectacular. It's 2009 so we should be seeing the best possible picture. But I guess this is the best we can expect from Paramount. I do give Paramount credit on their TV show releases as they do restore/clean them for the most part (Example: I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, The Andy Griffith Show, etc - which are all beautiful prints). They just do nothing for the motion pictures. Oh, the audio is in 5.1 or restored mono. The 5.1 is horrible. It is fine until the singing starts. The vocals are much louder than the music and has an echo-y sound. If you own "Grease," you'll understand. It is unwatchable! So I switched to the restored mono and it sounds great. What a difference! I would love to watch it with stereo sound but Paramount has screwed-up yet again. I sold my copy of "Grease" because of the ruined soundtrack, but at least this one has a great mono soundtrack. But it is too bad the picture has not been improved to what it could be. I give it four stars because of all the added extras - it would be five stars if the film looked better. Is it horrible? No! It is very watchable but I was a little distracted by the unrestored print. I'm just happy to have this anniversary edition. You make the choice.

I know it sounds scary, but it's just one of the many reasons why this is one of the greatest films ever. Don't be misled by comparisons to Bing's earlier "Holiday Inn." That's a great film too, but when they held a sprig of mistletoe over "Holiday Inn," and gave it a big, warm, Technicolor kiss -- they ended up with "White Christmas."

Rosemary Clooney is a star here. She's at her most gorgeous and in her best voice ever. Hearing her rich, beautiful alto renditions of "Count Your Blessings," or the mournful, haunting "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me," is like pulling a thick comforter up to your chin on a snowy night. Clooney went on to a long illustrious career, of course, becoming an acclaimed jazz vocalist in her later years, but I will always love the Rosemary of this period the best.

As much a star, but with a lot more twinkle, is the real stand-out, Vera-Ellen, who deserves extra accolades for being one of the first stars to be known only by her first name. She has the added distinction of being the sole reason for hearing someone at our house say every Christmas, "Look how TINY her WAIST is!"

She was a power-house dancer, but has never garnered the acclaim that she deserves. Her other best-known role was "Miss Turnstiles" in Gene Kelly's "On the Town," but her dancing skills are highlighted more in "White Christmas," being the only real dancer in the quartet. Director Michael Curtiz brings in John Brascia, an athletic and powerful dancer in his own right, just to keep up with her. He seems to, but, honestly, you can't take your eyes off Vera-Ellen long enough to know for sure.

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye bring all their star power to complete the quartet of principal characters. Crosby is smooth as usual, and a little understated, with his legendary pipe and even more legendary pipes, while Kaye's comic craziness is the spike in the eggnog. Their duet in drag (not full drag, mind you, like..say... Gene Hackman in "The Bird Cage") is a highlight of the film that still makes me smile after all these years.

Take these four superstars, dress them up in some of Edith Head's best designs, give them wonderful songs from Irving Berlin, add great supporting actors like Mary Wickes and Dean Jagger, a splash of Vista-Vision, a heapin' helpin' of Technicolor, march in a platoon of veterans, pour in a tanker-truck load of sentimentality, then tie it all up in some pretty Christmas wrapping, and you have yourself a classic.