by Chris Feil

White Christmas is a classic “let’s put on a show to save the barn” musical, except its traveling entertainers are saving... a resort hotel in Vermont. What it isn’t is a Christmas staple that has all that much to do with Christmas. Despite the title, the film is closer to a winter-set cousin to the likes of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes or Summer Stock, and still we watch it every holiday season. Perhaps that’s partial carryover from Bing Crosby’s White Christmas album (more of a staple in my household than the film was) and Crosby’s other holiday films (ditto, strangely) - his presence alone is enough to make him some baritone duke of the holiday season in the eyes of audiences.