Why So Blu?

White Christmas (70th Anniversary 4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

The first film released in VistaVision and a HUGE spectacle in 1954, White Christmas is undoubtedly a staple in many film fans’ holiday viewing queue. For me, White Christmas started as the movie my mother would show us to make us nod off on Christmas Eve and now is the one I can’t wait to watch as soon as Thanksgiving ends.  Now celebrating 70 years, the film has made its way to 4K UHD thanks to Paramount Home Entertainment. Read more on my love of the film below as well as the excellent 4K presentation too!

Film:

‘Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as war veterans who become one of the hottest acts in show business. When they encounter a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen), they’re off to Vermont for a holiday celebration unlike any other. Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS was directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) and features a host of memorable songs including “Snow”, “Sisters”, “The Old Man,” “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing,” and, of course, the immortal classic “White Christmas.” ‘

See More on the official White Christmas Press Release HERE

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are marvelous as Wallace and Davis, two song and dance men with a popular travelling review.  On their way out of Florida, the two meet the Haines Sisters (Clooney and Ellen) on the run from a nowhere act in town.  The pair decide to side-step their trip home to New York to follow the girls to Vermont where they’ll perform at a lodge.  When the duo find out the inn is owned by their old Army General, they pull out all the stops to bring their hit show to the inn and shine some light on the beloved General.

The story of White Christmas is a simple one. Told with a sumptuous and colorful presentation and some incredible musical sequences, the film lends itself to a time long gone but also a time capsule to the beautiful process of 50’s Hollywood filmmaking.  Directed by the prolific Michael Curtiz who’s past triumphs include Casablanca and Mildred Pierce, the film is a widescreen, big and beautiful love letter to movie musicals.  The songs are all great and the dance sequences continue to confound and surprise no matter how many times you may have seen the film.  Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby provide sound vocal performances while Danny Kaye and the endless legs of the striking Vera-Ellen perform with their respective companies in rehearsals and more to give us the show they’re planning at the inn.  Supporting from the sidelines are General Waverly and his granddaughter Susan and the front desk operator, Emma.

White Christmas has an easy and wonderfully warm quality to it. There isn’t a moment of lag to be seen.  Music and dance lead into breezy moments of dialogue.  Chemistry is always spot on no matter who we are in a scene with.  You’ll notice while watching that the film really does take you in.  You’re in those nightclubs, or in that unfortunately warm Vermont winter in Pine Tree.  There is such a familial quality, it’s no surprise that the film became beloved in such a short time.  Comedy beats, sentimental moments, great musical numbers and exceptional direction have made this a timeless classic worth revisiting even if it isn’t Christmas time.

My memories of this film first began as a kiddo of about 6. My mother bought a VHS copy of the film. She put it on for us that first year and my brother, sister and I all laid in front of the big console TV with our heads propped up on our hands getting ready to watch.  By the time Vera and Danny start dancing to “The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing” I was sound asleep.  Funny now that I’m 38, this is one of my favorite moments. I remember falling asleep to that video for years during the holidays.  Fast forward to 2014, and my husband and I, just recently wed went to our local Best Buy where a new Blu-ray edition, sourced from this 4K master, had just been released.  He said he loved the film and watched it every year with his mother. We brought it home and had such a great time that now the film is usually one of the first ones we watch each holiday!

I love the holidays for all the warmth that they give us at the end of the year. But even more so, I love the holidays because I can enjoy the films I grew up on every holiday season.  These films hold memories, even if I fell asleep during some of them, and the warmth I feel from viewing them is always something I adore feeling each year.  To me, White Christmas is absolutely essential viewing and owning!

Video:

Encoding: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 4K (2160p)

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Layers: BD-66

HDR: Dolby Vision

Clarity/Detail: White Christmas has had a 4K remaster since 2014.  The film looked excellent on HD Blu-ray, but this new 4K edition gives the film a near glow, with a gorgeous color palette courtesy of Dolby Vision.  There is a softness as often accompanies older films, but also a sharpness and much detail to behold scene by scene.  The film glows in 4K and this is by far the best the film has ever looked.

Depth: Focus can sometimes be softer than desired in some shots.  When the focus is deliberate, the actors and scenery look rather beautiful.  Long shots have big scope and closeups look excellent overall.

Black Levels: Blacks and shadows look lovely too, thanks to spotlights and a very well cared for master. No crush or not-so-black blacks in evidence!

Color Reproduction: Colors are very natural and look of their vintage. They also happen to sparkle and look lovely too! There is nothing here that seems enhanced or out of place at any moment during the film.

Flesh Tones: The heavy makeup of the day can look at little bit overwhelming, but this is now a time where you can see so much clearer than in 1954, so as far as I’m concerned flesh tones look as they should!

Noise/Artifacts: Grain is restrained and lovingly complimentary.

Audio:

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English Restored Mono, French 2.0 Mono

Subtitles:  English, English Captions, French

Dynamics: This 4K release of White Christmas comes home with the same 5.1 mix and restored Mono tracks that came with the 2014 and 2017 releases of the film.  Dynamically the film has a more stereo sound, with surrounds activating very sparingly throughout with almost no LFE. This is not a gripe, as the film still sounds like it most likely did in 1954, save for the added channels at specific moments.

Height: N/A

Low-Frequency Extension: Bass is not nearly present. A few canned explosions at the beginning and a few moments of the music, but nothing to write home about.

Surround Sound Presentation: Some rehearsal moments and some other moments involving larger groups on screen add a small surround presence.

Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue and singing sound excellently placed dead center.

Extras:

Extras for White Christmas on 4K UHD Blu-ray are bundled with the same 2014 Blu-ray they originated from. These extras come from previous DVD releases also! This release has a limited-edition cover art that resembles the poster art from 1954!

 

Bonus Content:

• Commentary by Rosemary Clooney
• WHITE CHRISTMASSing-Along
• Classic Holiday Moments
• Assignment Children
• Backstage Stories fromWHITE CHRISTMAS
• Bing Crosby: Christmas Crooner
• Danny Kaye: Joy to the World
• Irving Berlin’sWHITE CHRISTMAS
• Rosemary’s Old Kentucky Home
• WHITE CHRISTMAS:From Page to Stage
• WHITE CHRISTMAS:A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney
• Photo Galleries
• Theatrical Trailers

Summary:

White Christmas borrows at least some elements from a previous film Holiday Inn that starred Crosby and Kaye too.  That film has an unfortunate Minstrel sequence that’s painfully long and chock full of blackface.  This film takes the Christmas element and makes it the star and ditches the racist implications of Minstrel routines when a Minstrel sequence does pop up. I’m glad that Irving Berlin, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye got together to create this film. With Michael Curtiz at the helm, the film is a masterpiece of a movie musical and one that fans of any type of film can find a reason to savor.  This new 4K edition is fabulous and a welcome addition to your 4K holiday collection!!

Order Your Copy of White Christmas HERE