After the war is over Bob Wallace [Bing Crosby] and Phil Davis [Danny Kaye] team up to become one of the biggest show men and producers in the show business, and on this Christmas Phil decides to follow the Haynes sisters, Betty [Rosemary Clooney] and Judy [Vera-Ellen], to Vermont where they are booked for a show. When they arrive in Vermont they find out that their old General Waverly [Dean Jagger] is the owner of the inn and having a tough time with business. The boys then decide to throw on a show to cheer up the General and try and boost his business.
When you ask me what is a real Christmas movie I try not to think of only a movie that actually centres on the actual time of year but also shows a lot of the themes of what Christmas really means. So I guess the real question is what does Christmas really mean? Is it the birth of Christ? Or is it the one time of year where the hardest of people all grow warm inside and find the generosity they never knew to give to those who need it? I tend to think the later, but it depends on who you ask I guess. Does this movie show me the Christmas spirit? Yes it does. It shows me how a man who has everything can want to give a little cheer and happiness to someone who is down on his luck and all just for the sake of seeing that smile on his face.
The huge selling point of this movie has to be that it’s a song and dance film. Bing Crosby usually jut stands up there and sings you into a sense of joy as he goes on about how you count your blessings instead of sheep. I love the set pieces in the movie. I love the dance sequences from The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing to Choreography, and if I were to say that Bing Crosby doesn’t light up the screen with his crooning I would be a big fat liar.
What is quite possibly the most enjoyable part of this film, and this is true for most movies of this kind from the 50s, is the comedic timing and dynamic between Bob and Phil. Their entire relationship is based on the fact that Phil saved Bob’s life while at war and anytime he wants to give Bob that extra push he just has to remind him about it. What’s makes this hilarious is as Phil alludes to this as vaguely as possible so as to keep it as a little inside joke just for us while the other characters of the film are completely clueless as to what these two are talking about. I nominate the club car scene, when Betty and Judy come in the greet Bob and Phil, has some of the best dialogue of the movie and I (as I imagine you will too) had a hard time trying not to laugh as Phil continues to push Bob into this direction. To think it’s all about Phil getting his forty-five minutes.
If you ever thought that you wanted a Christmas musical film then this is the movie you need. Go check it out and share it with the family because it is one for the world to see.
IMDB says 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes says 77%
I say 8.0/10