I am often asked what my favorite Christmas movie is, and I have one response that always rings true: White Christmas!
White Christmas is the most wonderful movie, full of dreams, conflict, and the resolution of a beautiful Christmas. But the real moment of truth is the musical number “Sisters”! Oh my, those wonderful dresses and feather fans just make me swoon. I have never seen such small waistlines in dresses in my life. My sister, Janice, and I have threatened to recreate the number, but where in the world would we find the fans and dresses? So we just sing right along as if we are Rosemary Clooney herself!
As the movie progresses, the costumes just keep getting better. Each tiny-waisted skirt is complete with high heels and a matching hat and handbag. I sometimes long for the days when women dressed like that! It is so stunning and elegant. Then comes the magical culmination of the red velvet Mrs. Santa outfits and white fur muffs. This sight makes for a perfect ending to a purely enchanting movie! It’s the ultimate film for me—I could watch it over and over again!
People connect so personally with Christmas movies because they take us to a magical place where we learn a life lesson—much like in It’s a Wonderful Life. Or we love them so because of the pure entertainment aspect and joyful endings, like in the old movie By the Light of the Silvery Moon.
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I love all of the movies mentioned.There is one I finally got on dvd called The year
without A Christmas Tree.It is about a Man{Jason Robards} who is grieving over the loss of his wife and has no Christmas spirit.His daughter Addie wins one and brings it home.She finally wins him over and he gets in thechristmas spirit.JeanJ
Along with so many kindred spirits I love the White Christmas movie and watch it every year, sometimes twice! I love the singing and dancing, the clothes, the styles and so much the feeling that this movie invokes. The ending of the movie with the group singing White Christmas around the Christmas tree in their beautiful dresses and dapper attire is magical.
There is another movie I would recommend and that is Little Women. It is not just a Christmas movie, but there are several Christmas scenes in the movie. I watch that movie every Christmas also and always enjoy watching it.
The Bishops Wife with Cary Grant and Loretta Young is one of my favorites and my moms too we have watched togather. It is a real feel good movie.
My parents took me to see this movie on my birthday, it had just come out. I haven’t missed too many years seeing it. I never get tired of it.
My all time favorite Christmas movie, is “White Christmas,” too! (My other all time favorite is “Some Like it Hot!”) . The costumes, the dancing, the story line, the all-time feel good feeling you are left with. I love it all!!! Years ago, I would show “White Christmas” to my classes, and one of my students told me, later, he liked it so much that it has become a family tradition, now, in his family, to watch it each Christmas season! How’s that for passing along a classic? I think movies like this one not only pass along great values and themes, but are intentional about sending a positive, inspirational message at the same time. And isn’t that what we all want and crave these days? Values and inspiration? Merry Christmas and enjoy that movie once more!!!
Oh, I love White Christmas!
It came out in 1954 and the color is still amazing! (Vera must have had the world’s tiniest waist!) For years, my sister and I would sing and do the “sister act”!
We actually went and saw a live production of it at the Lawrence Welk Theater over a decade ago, it never goes out of style. I don’t know where we would be without these good old “standards”!
Phyllis, I also love White Christmas and have enjoyed seeing it several times at the Alabama Theater during the holidays. Ten years ago we saw it on Broadway and it was fabulous!
White Christmas is my favorite, too. Besides the Sisters number, I love the scene on the train where the two couples sing Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow and make a snow scene out of salt on the table top.
Oh, me too-I love the snow song! And how they made the ski slope out of the napkin and then Vera orders a malted milk! So cute!
I also love “White Christmas” but my favorite Christmas movie is “The Bishop’s Wife” starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. David Niven’s ending sermon in “the Bishop” role is a treasure.
Oh, yes, that one is simply amazing. Cary Grant was sooooo handsome! I love the movies with angels.
White Christmas is a favorite of mine as well. I love the whole storyline and the songs. As for the dresses, the black velvet one Rosemary Clooney wears when she sings at the Carousel Club is absolutely stunning! I also love the Alastair Sim 1951 version of A Christmas Carol. The lighting was done so well and the housekeeper, played by Kathleen Harrison, is perfect. My number one favorite is actually A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s timeless and I always tear up when Linus explains the meaning of Christmas.
Oh, that dress! I was looking at it this last week, when I watched it for the millionth time, I think, and love how the shoulder straps are cut out to look as if they are like a ribbon, with folds, and yet not creased. Beautiful. So simple yet so elegant!
White Christmas, a fire in the fireplace, hot tea, and a light dinner….my favorite tradition with my sister.
The original 1964 version of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, with Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman. I was 11, and loved it, and still do! My parents used to play an album of Burl Ives songs, – like A Little Bitty Tear, Blue Tail Fly, Aunt Rhody, Mockingbird Hill Etc, so we were familiar with his voice . My grandkids are now enjoying watching it every Christmas .
Love the costumes in White Christmas!
Oh yes, that is one of the first and best Christmas movies I remember, too, made just was children. I don’t know if they called it clay-mation, but it must have been something like that. I, too was 11 then! But, I didn’t realize it was in color, for many years! LOL We had a black and white TV when it came out!
This one is probably less known than some of the others, but It Happened on Fifth Avenue is a romantic comedy that will definitely have you laughing and it has a happy ending! Saw it on TCM last night. It’s a Wonderful Life is another one, and I’ll make sure to see White Christmas this year!
I also just saw It Happened on Fifth Avenue on TCM for the first time and really enjoyed it. It’s now one more movie to add to my old time favorites list along with White Christmas, The Bishops’s Wife, Christmas in Connecticut and The House Without a Christmas Tree. Merry Christmas to everyone!
I have three favorites: White Christmas, the original Miracle on 34th Street & the original Christmas in Connecticut. I agree on those tiny waistlines. Every time I see Vera Ellen dancing with Danny Kaye in that pink dress, I am just awestruck at her teeny tiny waist.
You hit the nail on the head! White Christmas evokes more than a few emotions in me. I love the actors, the timeframe, the situations, clothes, music, dancing, and like you-the costumes. An underlying factor is the strong respect and loyalty shared by the two war buddies for the retired General as well as one another. There is a big patriotic theme with which many of us Baby Boomers identify. The sisters are loving and precious to each other as well as being talented and beautiful. Add Christmas and snow, give it a fast approaching deadline and you have a winner! My dad was a sailor; my mom worked in the war effort. After Dad passed Mom & I loved to celebrate their December anniversary by going to see this movie at the Alabama Theatre. It is beautiful on the big screen and a great way of making happy new memories.
I love “The Gift of the Maji” for an oldie to watch. And I never tire of “Home Alone”
for a good laugh. I think I have all the lines memorized…But, really I love them all.
A Charlie Brown Christmas is always special as I love the musical soundtrack I have the CD
and we play it throughout the days of Christmas. Listening to music is just as entertaining as watching movies. …..and sipping holidays refreshments.
Merry Christmas to you Phyllis and all of your bloggers!
California Carmel
I have two favorite Christmas movies. One is Miracle on 34th Street and the other is of course White Christmas.
My favorite Christmas movie is the original “Christmas In Connecticut”. I like it because Barbara Stanwyck’s character is pretending to be a super homemaker. Only Barbara Stanwyck’s superb acting could be so believable and have her boss convinced. Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan as her love interest have such terrific chemistry.
Marilyn
My favorite movie Christmas movie is The original”Christmas In Connecticut”. I love it because the one and only Barbara Stanwyck stars. That says it all.
Marion
My favorite Christmas movie is “Its A Wonderful Life”. George thinks he is a failure while his brother is a hero. George learns a lesson that he is a hero and saved his brother. If George had not saved Harry ,he[Harry] would not have been heroic in the war.
Joan
I Love this movie! So fun to watch and the costumes are beautiful. This movie will put anybody in the Christmas spirit! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
White Christmas is one of my favorites too. I have it but it is so much more fun to watch it on TV! My all time favorite is Holiday Inn but I do enjoy watching all of the Christmas Movies whether it be on TV orBlue Ray!!!!
My husband and I watch every and have for more than 25 years! We put on our jammies, order a pizza and sing along. My favorite scenes are the one in the picture above and when Danny is limping around and moaning to get the General out of the room!
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!
I too have so many that I love, it is hard to choose just one! I must watch It’s A Wonderful Life, every Christmas Eve. For fun, my family loves A Christmas Story…set in 1940’s , Indiana. Nine year old Ralphie steals the show. And a lesser known movie, but so lovely, is The Shop Around the Corner, set in Hungary, another Jimmy Stewart movie. Phyllis, if you haven’t seen it, please try to see it at some point. ( The movie You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks was based on this movie)
Time for some popcorn and hot chocolate!
Just watched it on Sunday, White Christmas. Good movie!