White Christmas

It will be a poor showman who can't get an audience into the theatre when he can base his sales talks upon such expertly assembled and tangible box office ingredients.

A big fat yam of a picture richly candied with VistaVision (Paramount's answer to CinemaScope), Technicolor, tunes by Irving Berlin, massive production numbers, and big stars. Unfortunately, the yam is still a yam.

A good musical with a lot of star power.

Great songs, gentle humour and a dose of syrup which is not to everyone's tastes, but worth buying to keep that Christmas spirit going until next year.

Paramount's first film in (lavender-hued) VistaVision was this pornographically soppy but, nonetheless, hearty and humorous 1954 festive romp.

White Christmas is the cinema equivalent of an inappropriate festive snog under the mistletoe -- you know you probably shouldn't enjoy it but you just can't help yourself.

They’re all awfully cute and it’s written in such a way that nobody has to try very hard. A charming picture.

Zestfully performed, but the gags could stand being a bit funnier and the musical numbers a bit snappier.

Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby at their best are funny enough together to deserve a sequel, although not all the production numbers in this big Irving Berlin musical are successful.

There are one or two diverting aspects to keep the film from being a mere parlour game in waiting for Crosby's seasonal number.