A favorite piece of Christmas music is the song titled White Christmas. It is a standard on this special day and considered by many to be an integral part of holiday celebrations. Interestingly, the song actually preceded the movie. The song is as much of a tradition, if not more, than the movie itself and the best loved version is the original by Bring Crosby.

It seems that even after someone has listened to Bing singing White Christmas for the thousandth time, it still has the same effect. His silky smooth, rich voice invokes memories of past Christmases and tends to make us want to curl up in front of a roaring fire with a special someone and with a goblet of warm Christmas eggnog in hand.

The movie White Christmas was made after the end of World War II and leveraged the popularity of the song by creating a story-line to go with it. While some people find the movie weak and sappy, others enjoy the old-fashioned romance, humor and other snappy songs that make up this 50s era musical. It opens with a scene during World War II and then follows the lives of two entertainers, played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, through their renewed careers after wartime.

The characters of Bob Wallace (Crosby) and Phil Davis (Kaye) wind up with a traveling variety show that becomes a sensation. Their popularity grows even faster with the advent of a new technology, called the television. As a favor to an Army buddy, Bob and Phil go to check on a duo singing act, that of sisters Betty and Judy Haynes, played by Rosemary Clooney (yes, George Clooney's aunt) and Vera Ellen.

Through a series of mix ups and manipulations, Bob and Phil end up at a ski lodge in Vermont where the sisters are booked to entertain over the holidays. Upon arrival the two former Army soldiers encounter their fearless leader from wartime, General Thomas Waverly, played by Dean Jagger, who they learn is the new owner of the struggling inn.

Overall, it is filled with plenty of music. As was common to musicals of the day, it was filled with the kind of music people enjoyed singing along to and which is showcased in a variety of dance numbers to help keep the action moving. It also features the kind of upbeat, optimistic outlook on life that was reflective of the 1950s.

The story of White Christmas combines almost equal parts of music, comedy, inevitable romance and tributes to the servicemen of the time. It definitely falls into the category of a "feel-good movie" and is filled with enchanting voices, lively and intricate dance numbers, gently falling snow scenes, lovely costumes and vibrant colors. In fact, at the beginning of the movie, Paramount states its pride in presenting the first movie to be made in Vista Vision, a new technology for color on the big screen.

White Christmas is a long-time favorite holiday movie because of the sentimentality it engenders and because of its positive and upbeat message. It captured an exuberant period in American history that made people feel good while helping to bring the holiday spirit into their homes.

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