Seasonal Classic!

New post for White Christmas film, enjoy....

Bob Wallace and Phil Davis are serving in the Second World War together when Phil saves Bob’s life. As a result he gets talked into singing a duet with him on a new song he has written. He duet is a massive success at the end of the war and the pair see themselves going to new heights with their fame and they are soon directing shows and helping people sing and dance.
They receive a letter from a old War colleague asking them to go and watch his sister perform as they need help to get further with their career but thing take a different turn and the men end up helping the women escape from their latest show and they all end up going to Vermont.

When arriving in Vermont they discover that there is no snow and the ski lodge is deserted but they soon learn the ski lodge is owned by their old General and he needs help. Bob, Phil, Betty and Judy take it upon themselves to help out but can they get visitors to the lodge even with no snow and can they all find love so Phil can get his 45 minutes to himself each day?
I have to confess that I was made to watch this film as part of my education from hubby as it is another classic which I have never seen. I am pleased that did as it really got me in the festive spirit and despite being old and a musical I enjoyed every part of it. I did find the story rather predictable but it was still very good to watch and the acting only made this more so. The story was original for the year this was made and I loved the slight humour which was added.

The role of Bob was played by Bing Crosby and this is the first time I have seen him act, he was excellent in the role and really bought the character to life. He was natural and delivered his lines with ease. He had a good comic timing when working with the role of Phil and they seemed very at ease together. He was a sweet man who always wanted to help when he could and this was easy to see from the way he acted and spoke about people. He did bring some fun to the role and he had some good one lines. The role of Phil was played by Danny Kaye and he too was brilliant in his role. He was a more relaxed person and spend the majority of his time doing what Bob asked him to, this is why he was desperate to get him a wife and family so he cold have some time to himself each day. He brought the most comedy to the film and had perfect timing.
The roles of Betty and Judy were also great and Betty was played by Rosemary Clooney and Judy by Vera Ellen. They both worked very well with their chartacers and made them believable and pleasant to watch. They worked well with the men and there was a good on screen chemistry right from the first scene they starred in together. They did not look much like sisters but managed to see past this and just enjoy the roles for what they were. They were very different people and Judy was more of a mother hen and wanted to see Betty settled and happy before she thought about finding this for herself.

The film is a musical but I have to say I found there was not a lot of songs included, the ones we had were great and the vocals were fantastic for the age of the film. The songs were all in keeping with the storyline and despite the few corny ones I did enjoy them. I was actually surprised by how many of them I knew despite never seeing the film before. I wish the women would have showed off their vocals more and not just sang the song ’sisters’ when performing together. The dance routines were amazing and I was mesmerised when Rosemary Clooney was dancing, she was brilliant and consistent throughout, her vocals were not the best or strongest but she made up for this with the dancing. She moved with ease and it all looked natural and no special effects were used or needed.
The film is old and was made back in 1954, this is very apparent from the opening scene. The costumes and sets were all in keeping with the year and I did enjoy the gowns and dresses which the women wore throughout. The men all looked smart and sharp throughout and I found the sets looked pretty good. The backdrops were another matter and they were dreadful compared to today’s standard. Think they would have looked good when this film first came out thought. The explosions which we had at the start of the film was poor and so to were the backdrops used for the train scenes. I can forgive all of this as the film is very old and I enjoyed the story and acting.

This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 120 minutes which found to be a good length and the rate is a U and I agree with this. The DVD can be bought for just a few pounds on the internet and I think it is worth buying, especially this time of year.
I am happy to give this film a good sold 4 stars. I have dropped one due to the age and the effects. The songs are catchy and the acting is great. I think this is one we should all watch to get in the festive spirit.