…not to mention Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen Westmeier Rohe.
Curtiz and Berlin’s 1954 White Christmas (Berlin’s songs so define the picture that he fully earns co-auteur status—and indeed, the picture is often referred to as Irving Berlin’s White Christmas) is too fluffy for many to consider a classic, but, you know, as fluffy goes it’s really a formidable accomplishment. And its wholesome, cockeyed optimism is entirely infectious, and especially welcome right about now. It also represents a certain apex of Jew/Gentile artistic collaboration, which is totally awesome. So check it out, maybe.
My Lovely Wife and I wish you all a great holiday week. Posting will be lightish through New Year’s and a couple of days beyond; some stuff might pop up over on The Auteurs’ Notebook in the meantime. Look for a big DVDs-of-’08 Best-Of around these parts after the first week of ’09. And thanks, as always, for hanging out here.
Happy Holidays to you as well, Glenn. It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas screenings are tradition in my house. The only problem will be finding time to squeeze in my There Will Be Blood and Chungking Express blu-rays. Santa knows what will happen to him if those discs don’t find themselves under my tree tomorrow.
Thanks for being here, GK.
Happy Holidays Glenn. I’ll be watching Die Hard for the umpteenth Christmas in a row. For me, the greatest Christmas movie ever.
The main title actually reads, “Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS.” So much for Mr. Yankee Doodle Dandy!
Saw it again Sunday at the Egyptian and it holds up very well. But no one ever mentions the film’s true secret weapon: the casting of Dean Jagger as the general. He brings his considerable war-movie persona to the role and plays it with astonishing grace and gravitas.
Happy Hanukkah from the Left Coast!
I’ve got ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, ‘Gremlins’ and ‘Die Hard’ lined up.
Merry Christmas everyone, but especially to Mr and Mrs Kenny.
Cheers!
Merry Christmas, Glenn. And hey, did you ever get your copy of “The Sorcerers”?
Merry Christmas Glenn! Thanks for carrying on the writing this year and the best wishes for you and the wife.
A Very Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year to all. For me, the evening will be spent with Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray in Mitchell Leisen’s “Remember The Night”.
Well, time to rack up the director’s cut of REINDEER GAMES again!
Merry holidays to all.
Happy Christmas & thanks for 1 of the 3 or 4 best work time killers on the internet! Best to all who comment also. My personal favorite Christmas movie has to be “The Shop Around the Corner”.
I’ve been lurking for a while since I found your website (after being a big fan when you wrote for PREMIERE), and I have to say I’m THRILLED you took the name of a sleeper favorite Minnelli film of mine for your site!
I just watched WHITE CHRISTMAS for the first time about a week ago (after my dean stated I had to watch it) – somehow I had always missed it. Upon watching it, however, I found the use of television in the film to be very striking, particularly since Vistavision would be one of the ways Paramount might have used to strike out against the onslaught of TV. Is WC unique for this time period in its use of television? Just curious…
(Oh yes, and Merry Christmas!)
Happy Non-denominational Whatever!
I actually find “White Christmas” to be a bit odd, but certainly an engaging little picture.