7 Things You Didn’t Know About the Song ‘White Christmas’
Though the words “White Christmas” likely evoke images of a snow-packed street or immediately bring to mind one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, there’s something you likely didn’t know: White Christmas, the classic film, was actually released on October 14, 1954. What else don’t you know about White Christmas — the film and the song? Read on and find out.
1Irving Berlin crafted the song for the classic 1942 film Holiday Inn.
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The renowned composer initially thought “Be Careful, It’s My Heart,” another of the film’s songs, would be what audiences would be singing for decades to come. However, since its introduction, “White Christmas” has gone on to an unparalleled legacy as THE song of the season, becoming a beloved anthem for legendary crooner Bing Crosby. “White Christmas,” with its familiar lyrics of “treetops glistening” and “sleigh bells in the snow,” 80 years later is as much a part of our holiday season as trimming the tree and decking the halls.
2The original version of the song was written in California
There are differing stories regarding the creation of the song. One account stated that Berlin, who was already famous for such hit songs as “Cheek to Cheek” and “God Bless America,” wrote “White Christmas” while staying at a hotel in sunny La Quinta, California, in 1940. This would explain some of the lyrics first written for “White Christmas.” The original introductory verse (not used in most versions) was:
The sun is shining, the grass is green
The orange and palm trees sway
There’s never been such a day
In Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it’s December the 24th
And I’m longing to be up north …
Bing Crosby introduced the song in its first public performance when he sang it on Christmas Day 1941, as part of NBC’s Kraft Music Hall radio show. Crosby would then record the song for Decca Records in May 1942, and it would go on to be featured in Holiday Inn, released in August of that same year. By October 1942, “White Christmas” was at the top of the charts on the popular radio show Your Hit Parade. The song stayed on the Billboard charts for 11 weeks in 1942 and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
3The song inspired the hit movie
The introduction of “White Christmas” during World War II was also a large part of its initial popularity. The song’s tone of longing, along with reassuring holiday images, was a favorite of the military and those waiting on the homefront. After the first Christmas that the song debuted, its admiration continued to grow with each holiday season. Twelve years after its release, the song was popular enough to inspire the film White Christmas (1954). It starred Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen in the first film released in the widescreen, VistaVision format. It was an enormous hit, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1954, and to this day is shown in frequent rotation during the holiday season.
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The movie also bolstered the already popular song “White Christmas,” which became a staple on radio stations during the holidays (the version most often heard is 1947’s re-recording by Crosby, as the original 1942 recording had been damaged). Another tradition for many years was the Bing Crosby television Christmas special, which aired annually through 1977 (the year the singer passed away). Crosby would conclude each special by singing “White Christmas,” which, of course, became his signature song.
Although the song is closely associated with Crosby, countless other artists have left their stamp on “White Christmas.” Everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Bublé to the cast of the TV show Glee has offered up their version. So it’s no surprise that “White Christmas” holds the Guinness Book of Records title as the world’s bestselling Christmas single — sales of all versions of the song exceed 100 million! In honor of the wonderful film, let’s learn some more interesting facts for its 70th anniversary this year!
4White Christmas premiered in theaters in October
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While October is generally filled with horror and happily haunting Halloween films, White Christmas actually premiered on October 14, 1954. Although it debuted a few months before the holidays, it was a box-office success, proving that Christmas is a state of mind. This year celebrates its 70th anniversary and to commemorate the very special occasion, the film is being released for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD on November 5, 2024. Purchase it on Amazon.
5There were some large age differences on set
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If you know the ages of the stars while they were filming this movie, the pairings and relationships between the characters might seem quite odd. For instance, Clooney plays Vera-Ellen’s older sister in the film but in reality she was seven years younger. Crosby is Clooney’s love interest in the film but there was a 25-year age gap between them as Crosby was 51 at the time. Clooney once said that she wanted the role specifically so she could sing with Crosby, as she was always in awe of him and his talents.
6It was the first movie filmed in VistaVision
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Color films were still in their infancy in the ’50s, and White Christmas was the very first movie filmed in TechniColor using VistaVision by Paramount. It helped to offer a richer color and sharper image with less blurring.
7Vera-Ellen didn’t actually sing
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Turns out Vera-Ellen didn’t have the singing chops for the film, so anytime her character sings, it is really the voice of singer Trudy Stevens. The only time her real singing voice is heard is during the opening lines of “Snow.” However, she did all of her own dancing!
8“Sisters” was not originally part of the film
“Sisters,” featuring Kaye and Crosby, is one of the funniest parts of the movie and was created because the duo was goofing around on set. The director liked it so much that he added the scene in, and the laughing from the cast is real!
Tell us in the comments, what is your favorite part of this Christmas classic?
Home For The Holidays
November 2021
Celebrate the holidays with your favorite classic stars!
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