There has been a debate for ages that I no longer engage in about whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. I could argue the same for “White Christmas.” It has about as much to do with the holiday as “Die Hard,” but I am not here to give my opinions on that. This was one of those I had never seen, despite my best efforts to brush up on classic cinema for a while now.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It takes a while to get to the heart of the movie: two former army buddies put on a show to honor their commanding General. I get setting up everything, but when it comes down to it, the subplot of the Haynes SIsters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) having to escape a shitty landlord was pointless. It would have been better to have them be a part of Wallace & Davis’ act and ditch the love story. That is where the movie is weakest. It didn’t need the forced love story between Clooney and Bing Crosby. It’s a tried-and-true Hollywood subplot; these two don’t like each other, stuff happens, and they end up falling in love.
You put Bing Crosby in a movie, and of course, you have him sing. “White Christmas” (the song) is why I believe this is not debated as a Christmas movie. That song is such a classic and is one of those you hear all the time on Christmas music stations, which, more than anything, cemented the movie as a Christmas movie.
