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Post by morrisondylanfan on Dec 19, 2019 2:39:55 GMT
Hi all,despite having heard the Yuletide staple title track countless times,I've never seen the film it came from, until I caught this fun classic on the big screen last night. What do you think of the film/favourite moments?  Thanks! |
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Post by mattgarth on Dec 19, 2019 3:36:46 GMT
Bing and Danny lip-syncing 'Sisters' so the girls can escape the sheriff.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Dec 19, 2019 4:53:32 GMT
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Post by BATouttaheck on Dec 19, 2019 4:57:35 GMT
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Post by BATouttaheck on Dec 19, 2019 5:01:57 GMT
Bing and Danny lip-syncing 'Sisters' so the girls can escape the sheriff. and the originals 
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Post by mikef6 on Dec 19, 2019 6:51:34 GMT
It is my privilege to be the Scrooge on this thread. The opening title proclaims, “Paramount proudly presents the first picture in VistaVision.” Not that it did me any good, because the video I watched was full screen. No loss, though, because this is a slow moving, somewhat dreary musical featuring some third tier Irving Berlin songs. Not much here to recommend. It is one of those movies from the past that ask us to accept middle aged actors as young lovers who have not had previous marriages or relationships. The 51 year old Bing Crosby is given lines like, “I’m still waiting for the right girl to come along.” His partner, 41 year old Danny Kaye, is not ready to settle down either. They are paired up with Rosemary Clooney (26 – an OK age for the part she is playing) and Vera-Ellen (33 years old and sometimes looking more than that, but playing Clooney’s younger, more naïve sister). How in gods’ name did Michael Curtiz end up directing this? The plot: Crosby and Kaye are a couple of hoofers who have to put together a show to save a ski lodge in Vermont. ‘Nuff said.
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Post by mattgarth on Dec 19, 2019 9:08:03 GMT
Most profitable movie of 1954
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Post by wmcclain on Dec 19, 2019 12:09:54 GMT
White Christmas (1954), directed by Michael Curtiz. The good: - Gorgeous color!
- Bing Crosby was one of the great voices of the 20th century, and the title song a mega-hit of those long, pre-rock decades.
- Some impressive dance numbers, particularly those featuring...
- Vera-Ellen, anorexic and said to have the smallest waist in Hollywood. Her long legs are of proportions normally found only in glamor illustrations.
- WW2 nostalgia, just nine years later. The opening scene has a painted "Vermont" in a bombed out building; the final scene has a painted bombed out ruin in the real Vermont.
The bad: - None of the principle four are romantic lead material.
- Apart from the title song, little of Irving Berlin's score is very memorable.
- A paper-thin plot, traditional in musicals. The "keep the General from watching TV" skit is feeble.
The weird: - What a boring act the famous "Wallace & Davis" have!
- Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye do a mock-gay routine with extra mincing.
- They do a Minstrel Show without blackface.
- They lampoon Martha Graham and modern dance in "Choreography".
- When the big show moves to the lodge, where does everyone stay? Any room for paying guests?
- How do they fit such gargantuan sets into that little dining room? (Busby Berkeley would do the same thing).
- It's not really a Christmas film.
Edith Head costumes. First VistaVision film. Available on a lovely Blu-ray. 
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Post by spiderwort on Dec 19, 2019 13:08:08 GMT
I have to say I agree with a lot of the negatives that mikef6 describes. That said, notwithstanding its flaws I always enjoy watching this film, I think as much for the music as anything else. Cinematically, i.e. in terms of the widescreen format, it's a major disappointment -- very proscenium in its approach, though I know Michael Curtiz knew better (although, in the early days of that format many directors didn't handle it well). But I love the songs and the fun of it it, so I forgive all its flaws. And I love seeing Mary Wickes in anything. |
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Dec 19, 2019 14:21:53 GMT
White Christmas (1954), directed by Michael Curtiz. The good: - Gorgeous color!
- Bing Crosby was one of the great voices of the 20th century, and the title song a mega-hit of those long, pre-rock decades.
- Some impressive dance numbers, particularly those featuring...
- Vera-Ellen, anorexic and said to have the smallest waist in Hollywood. Her long legs are of proportions normally found only in glamor illustrations.
- WW2 nostalgia, just nine years later. The opening scene has a painted "Vermont" in a bombed out building; the final scene has a painted bombed out ruin in the real Vermont.
The bad: - None of the principle four are romantic lead material.
- Apart from the title song, little of Irving Berlin's score is very memorable.
- A paper-thin plot, traditional in musicals. The "keep the General from watching TV" skit is feeble.
The weird: - What a boring act the famous "Wallace & Davis" have!
- Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye do a mock-gay routine with extra mincing.
- They do a Minstrel Show without blackface.
- They lampoon Martha Graham and modern dance in "Choreography".
- When the big show moves to the lodge, where does everyone stay? Any room for paying guests?
- How do they fit such gargantuan sets into that little dining room? (Busby Berkeley would do the same thing).
- It's not really a Christmas film.
Edith Head costumes. First VistaVision film. Available on a lovely Blu-ray. Hi WMC, on Blu, has the film been put out in the VistaVision format? The version I saw was 4:3.
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Post by wmcclain on Dec 19, 2019 14:30:38 GMT
Hi WMC, on Blu, has the film been put out in the VistaVision format? The version I saw was 4:3. Yes, my thumbnails are from the Blu-ray and the aspect ratio is correct. Lovely image!
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Post by Doghouse6 on Dec 19, 2019 15:58:38 GMT
The opening title proclaims, “Paramount proudly presents the first picture in VistaVision.” Not that it did me any good, because the video I watched was full screen. Can't say for sure about the copy you watched, but you might not have missed any picture area in full screen. VistaVision was a flexible system that was designed to be shot in aspect ratios ranging from the standard 4:3 to as wide as 2:1, and could be exposed either with an aperture plate to capture only a selected aspect ratio, or full frame with a "safe area" within it for projection screen masking. VistaVision was more about image quality than picture size or shape. By running the negative horizontally through the camera rather than vertically, with a frame eight-perforations wide instead of one four perfs high, it exposed twice the picture area of standard 35mm, and yielded a finer-grained image when printed down to standard 35 for theaters.  Paramount's sales pitch to exhibitors was that it required no special equipment or modifications, but it never caught on with other studios, and only a handful of non-Paramount VistaVision titles were produced before the process was retired as a production medium in 1961. But because of the superior quality of the images it produced, it remained in use by special effects houses for decades to accomplish complex composite shots with minimal loss of image quality. When first mastered for home video, some VistaVision titles were done full frame even though they'd been designed to be screened with only the safe area visible. An early home video release of North By Northwest (one of only two VistaVision features made at MGM) was an example, and some shots revealed the tops of sound stage sets that were never meant to be seen by audiences. EDIT: Just for fun, here's a clip of scenes from that film with the proper aspect ratio highlighted at the center, but revealing the areas seen beyond the safe area in full frame.
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Post by mikef6 on Dec 19, 2019 16:06:10 GMT
The opening title proclaims, “Paramount proudly presents the first picture in VistaVision.” Not that it did me any good, because the video I watched was full screen. Can't say for sure about the copy you watched, but you might not have missed any picture area in full screen. VistaVision was a flexible system that was designed to be shot in aspect ratios ranging from the standard 4:3 to as wide as 2:1, and could be exposed either with an aperture plate to capture only a selected aspect ratio, or full frame with a "safe area" within it for projection screen masking. VistaVision was more about image quality than picture size or shape. By running the negative horizontally through the camera rather than vertically, with a frame eight-perforations wide instead of one four perfs high, it exposed twice the picture area of standard 35mm, and yielded a finer-grained image when printed down to standard 35 for theaters. Paramount's sales pitch to exhibitors was that it required no special equipment or modifications, but it never caught on with other studios, and only a handful of non-Paramount VistaVision titles were produced before the process was retired as a production medium in 1961. But because of the superior quality of the images it produced, it remained in use by special effects houses for decades to accomplish complex composite shots with minimal loss of image quality. When first mastered for home video, some VistaVision titles were done full frame even though they'd been designed to be screened with only the safe area visible. An early home video release of North By Northwest (one of only two VistaVision features made at MGM) was an example, and some shots revealed the tops of sound stage sets that were never meant to be seen by audiences. Very educational. Thanks. I'm going to have to read your info a couple more times, tho. I'm not very scientifically or technically minded.
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Post by marshamae on Dec 19, 2019 16:29:54 GMT
It’s cheesy, predictable...say what you want. But it’s one of 2-3 Christmas films I will watch over and over any time it’s on. One other is Holiday Inn, which shares some of the songs of white Christmas, notably the title tune and Abraham , and the bridge from Holiday inn dropped into Count your blessings. The last is Scrooge, the Alastair Sim version of the Christmas Carol. In all three cases it’s the score and the voices that keep me coming back.
Say what you like about the script of White Christmas , the story may be thin, but it’s very witty. Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby are a surprisingly good combination and they land all the jokes with finesse.
The dancing is thrilling with a Bob Fosse number thrown in uncredited ( I think it’s the jazz tap Abraham) Vera Ellen is remarkably versatile, moving from Ballet to adagio to jazz to real tap . Please stop spreading the falsehood that Vera Ellen was anorexic. It’s been dealt with over and over. Fhellow Cincinnatian George Chakiris scored a hit in the chorus of Love You Didn’t do Right By Me.
The one number that really seems cheesy to me is the grand finale. In a town like Los Angeles full of dancing schools they could not find better child dancers that those squinty- eyed camera shy twerps? And the knight statue Bing gave to Rosie, really awful.
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Post by spiderwort on Dec 20, 2019 15:46:36 GMT
The opening title proclaims, “Paramount proudly presents the first picture in VistaVision.” Not that it did me any good, because the video I watched was full screen. Can't say for sure about the copy you watched, but you might not have missed any picture area in full screen. VistaVision was a flexible system that was designed to be shot in aspect ratios ranging from the standard 4:3 to as wide as 2:1, and could be exposed either with an aperture plate to capture only a selected aspect ratio, or full frame with a "safe area" within it for projection screen masking. VistaVision was more about image quality than picture size or shape. By running the negative horizontally through the camera rather than vertically, with a frame eight-perforations wide instead of one four perfs high, it exposed twice the picture area of standard 35mm, and yielded a finer-grained image when printed down to standard 35 for theaters. Paramount's sales pitch to exhibitors was that it required no special equipment or modifications, but it never caught on with other studios, and only a handful of non-Paramount VistaVision titles were produced before the process was retired as a production medium in 1961. But because of the superior quality of the images it produced, it remained in use by special effects houses for decades to accomplish complex composite shots with minimal loss of image quality. When first mastered for home video, some VistaVision titles were done full frame even though they'd been designed to be screened with only the safe area visible. An early home video release of North By Northwest (one of only two VistaVision features made at MGM) was an example, and some shots revealed the tops of sound stage sets that were never meant to be seen by audiences. EDIT: Just for fun, here's a clip of scenes from that film with the proper aspect ratio highlighted at the center, but revealing the areas seen beyond the safe area in full frame. Bless you, doghouse, for articulating this so beautifully. I swear, you should write a book!
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Post by teleadm on Dec 20, 2019 19:50:56 GMT
Hi all,despite having heard the Yuletide staple title track countless times,I've never seen the film it came from, until I caught this fun classic on the big screen last night. What do you think of the film/favourite moments? Thanks! With all respects to anyone who loves this movie! Out of the two Christmas themed movies director Michael Curtiz did in a row, I have to say I prefer the more intimate and a bit too theatrical We're No Angels 1955 Otherwise big fan of Bing, Danny and Rosie!
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Post by vegalyra on Dec 20, 2019 20:07:39 GMT
One of my favorite films, it has the bonus of being one of the few "old" films my wife will watch (and loves too). My Dad echoes mikef6's comments, he likes Holiday Inn much better because he said Crosby and Kaye were way too old to still be bachelors. He always mentions that even though Crosby and Dean Jagger (the General) were the same age in real life, Crosby and the others refer to him as the "old man" etc. That still makes me laugh, although I really do enjoy the film.
I like the VistaVision format. I've tried to collect as many as are in the bluray format as possible. Another great one is Strategic Air Command (believe it was another of the earlier VistaVision releases).
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Post by Doghouse6 on Dec 21, 2019 1:26:02 GMT
Bless you, doghouse, for articulating this so beautifully. I swear, you should write a book! Bless you in return for being so generous. You know film, and know as well my fascination with its sometimes arcane nuts & bolts, so it's a relief to get an assurance that any of it has come out coherently.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Dec 21, 2019 1:37:12 GMT
I like the VistaVision format. I've tried to collect as many as are in the bluray format as possible. Another great one is Strategic Air Command (believe it was another of the earlier VistaVision releases). My go-to Blu-ray for a VistaVision demo is To Catch A Thief: beautiful people in ravishing locations; the stunning clarity; the eye-popping colors of the flower mart, the sea, the architecture and topography. What a visual feast.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Dec 21, 2019 12:53:05 GMT
It is my privilege to be the Scrooge on this thread. The opening title proclaims, “Paramount proudly presents the first picture in VistaVision.” Not that it did me any good, because the video I watched was full screen. No loss, though, because this is a slow moving, somewhat dreary musical featuring some third tier Irving Berlin songs. Not much here to recommend. It is one of those movies from the past that ask us to accept middle aged actors as young lovers who have not had previous marriages or relationships. The 51 year old Bing Crosby is given lines like, “I’m still waiting for the right girl to come along.” His partner, 41 year old Danny Kaye, is not ready to settle down either. They are paired up with Rosemary Clooney (26 – an OK age for the part she is playing) and Vera-Ellen (33 years old and sometimes looking more than that, but playing Clooney’s younger, more naïve sister). How in gods’ name did Michael Curtiz end up directing this? The plot: Crosby and Kaye are a couple of hoofers who have to put together a show to save a ski lodge in Vermont. ‘Nuff said. Some of your complaints are valid, but I can forgive the flaws and I much prefer it to Holiday Inn. Still dreaming after all these years. Old Army buddies Bob and Phil become a hugely successful song and dance act once the war is over. Taking a much needed vacation to Vermont, they are saddened to find that the ski lodge run by their old wartime General is due to be closed down on account of the lack of snow in the area. Falling in with two lovely sisters, Betty & Judy, the boys plan to put on a variety show with the girls to entice people back to the lodge. But misunderstandings and romantic leanings are not going to make this at all easy. Enduring, perennial, simple and beguiling are all words fit to be associated with White Christmas. It's directed by Mr Reliable, Michael Curtiz, features songs from Irving Berlin and stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen & Dean Jagger. Filmed in Technicolor, it's also notable for being the first film to be shot in VistaVision (think wide-screen process). In truth the film is thinly plotted and doesn't remotely feature some of Berlin's best tunes, and I dare to be a touch more critical as the VistaVision is wasted on the studio led direction. Yet it's such a charming and heart warming film it feels churlish to let the negatives negate the over riding feeling of having been cheered after a viewing. So although it's not the brilliance it perhaps should have been, it's ultimately a picture that still reels in new viewers every yuletide year, and that's something that is hard to argue with. So enjoy the title song and the likes of "Sisters," "The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing," "Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep" & "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me". Marvel at the zippiness of Vera-Ellen's dancing whilst lapping up the side-kick goofiness provided by the always watchable Kaye. Be emotionally involved with Dean Jagger's heavy hearted General, and of course there's Crosby too, seemingly ageless, he croons and simultaneously manages to melt the ice in your drink as you snuggle up by the fire. Delightful. 7/10
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