Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Paramount
EAN: 0097361312040
Format: Color
Label: Paramount
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Paramount
MPN: PARD131204D
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Paramount
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2007-10-16
Running Time: 16
Studio: Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: 2000-11-21

Two talented son-and-dance men (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Remastered 2007 DVD Showcases a Thoroughly Entertaining Holiday Classic as Comfortable as a Security Blanket
Comment: Although Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life deserves its place among the pantheon of Christmas movies, this comparative confection from 1954 still deserves special mention. Granted the plot, what there is of one, is rather thin, it is splashy good fun directed by the dependably versatile Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) with several Irving Berlin standards and four superb variety performers in their prime. As much as Capra's film is an annual tradition, it is really this film that I look forward to the most of all the holiday classics.

The storyline focuses on two former soldiers, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, both song-and-dance men who become best friends when Davis saves Wallace from a falling building during WWII. After years of post-war success on Broadway and the nightclub circuit, they become reconnected with their gruff but lovable former army commander, General Waverly. The general now owns a Vermont ski lodge, but he is treading water financially since there is no snow as Christmas approaches. As it turns out, the Haynes sisters, Betty and Judy, are playing the lodge during the holidays, and of course, romantic entanglements ensue all the way through the big finale when all four star in a show that they hope will save the general's lodge.

All of this seems rather incidental to the musical numbers showcased in the then-revolutionary widescreen process called VistaVision. The most relaxed of actors during this era, Bing Crosby plays Wallace with his natural élan, and he croons the classic title tune early on and leads the group sing of the same song at the end. In contrast, Danny Kaye plays Davis with his mercurial style intact, though compared to his other films of the period, he is relatively subdued here. With her smoky, silken vocal skills on display, Rosemary Clooney plays Betty, Wallace's love interest, with aplomb and complements Crosby easily on "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)". She also delivers a nice torchy Berlin tune with "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me" despite some silly man-choreography.

I have to say the most impressive performer of the quartet is Vera-Ellen, a phenomenal dancer who was the equal of Astaire and Kelly at her peak. She makes even Kaye look good in their musical duets - "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" and the amusing Martha Graham riff, "Choreography". However, her best numbers are with dancer John Brascia - the elaborate "Mandy" number where her pliable, slender frame seems to be everywhere on the screen, and the brief rehearsal number, "Abraham", where she and Brascia snap, pop, clap, kick and swing with unerring military precision. It's worth noting that her singing is dubbed by vocalist Trudy Stevens, which is pointed out by Clooney on the less-than-informative audio commentary track in the 2007 DVD package. Much better is the 16-minute retrospective interview with Clooney where her natural sense of humor emerges.

There are other numbers worth mentioning in the movie - the duet, "Sisters", done first straight by the women and later by the men as a comedy routine in half-drag (Kaye steals this bit handily with his over-the-top clowning); the foursome on the vintage Berlin "Snow" and "Gee, I Wish I was Back in the Army"; and of course, the title tune at the end. Way over on the sidelines, Dean Jagger lends his warm dignity to the role of the retired general, and Mary Wickes plays Emma the housekeeper in her typically sarcastic manner. Special mention needs to be given to Loyal Griggs's vibrant Technicolor cinematography, which makes the entire movie look appropriately like a bright red candy box, and the print transfer in the DVD almost fully captures the original visual quality. This is undemanding entertainment and a dependable holiday classic that feels like a favorite well-worn blanket.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A Classic Movie we still enjoy!
Comment: My family loves this movie. We loved to watch it on cable every year, but recently purchased it to watch it in full anytime of the year!! Definately a classic that everyone still enjoys for years to come!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: White Christmas
Comment: This is my all time favorite Christmas movie. I have watched this movie every year since I was a kid and I am 55. It is clean and happy and brings me such wonderful memories of Christmas's gone by. In todays crazy mixed up world, it helps me remember a happier, slower paced, kinder, cleaner, less complicated time. I can't imagin anyone not liking it. I watch it several times each Christmas season!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: You need to understand the time
Comment: Those who find this insulting need to understand how things were at the time it was made. Appreciate that we have made a lot of progress since then, but to deny the absolute magical quality of this film would be a waste.

This movie is a perrenial classic in my family. We watch it every year on Christmas Eve (along with "The Ref"). It takes you back to a time when life was so much simpler. I just adore this movie. It is right up there with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and many other classics. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A Great Old Christmas Favorite!
Comment: I grew up with this old Christmas favorite, and it is one of my annual Christmas rituals to watch this film along with some wonderful film versions of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The music is wonderful, and Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby make a great team, as do Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. And you can't beat those wonderful Irving Berlin tunes. It takes one back to a more innocent time and helps you recharge and then come back to face today's challenges. Besides, Dean Jagger as the former commanding general turned innkeeper and Mary Wickes as his housekeeper are both great in supporting roles. And the production number, "Choreography", with Danny Kaye at the center of it, is priceless. It's a great deal of fun to watch, and I look forward to it every year.

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