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Movie Music Monday, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, 1942, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire via @PatFurstenberg #Christmas #moviemusicmonday
I can never resist the romantic glamour of 1940’s-1950’s Hollywood musicals and its Golden Era in general. The fabulous musicals produced then still offer a generous amount of escapism. Be it Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Humphey Bogart, Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, I’m sold!
Holiday Inn is a movie filled with romance, music, gentleman-like manners, dance, dance, dance and fabulous gowns!
Here are Bing Cosby and lovely Virginia Dale in one of the most memorable and enchanting rendition of White Christmas:
Do you know the story behind the White Christmas song?
White Christmas is the most popular Christmas song ever written.
The lyrics to the song were created by Irving Berlin (1880-1989), born Israel Baline in Tyumen, Siberia (definitely knew a thing or two about what a real white Christmas looks like!). Irving, together with seven siblings and parents, emigrated to the US in 1893. Everybody had to work to make ends meet. After the death of his father Israel, 21 years of age, took a job as a “song plugger” (performing new songs in saloons, vaudeville theaters or on street corners). This experience proved invaluable and Berlin learned first hand what the audience and the what audience enjoyed the most music-wise.
The first draft of White Christmas was probably drawn in California but it was finished in Berlin’s weekend house in New York at the very beginning of 1940 and it soon to be performed in the musical Holiday Inn and performed by Bing Crosby.
History, however, had other plans.
On December 7 1941 Japan bombed the American port Pearl Harbor. Americans counter-attacked. War was on and that December 1941 the lyrics of White Christmas suddenly had a whole different meaning to the soldiers that left for war overseas and the families left behind:
“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know”
That year, 1941, White Christmas was performed on the radio as early as October, by popular demand.
To honor the spirit of those left to war and who took strength from listening to his son, Berlin removed a few humorous verse:
“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 am longing to be up north….”
In 1975, the final evacuation of Saigon was signaled by the song “White Christmas”
After almost twenty years of Vietnam War, Americans set their evacuation plan, needing to pull out 1000 Americans and 6ooo Vietnamese whose lives were at risk if left behind. The evacuation code was, read on Armed Force Radio: “The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising,” followed by the playing of “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.”
Here are Bing Crosby’s White Christmas lyrics:
“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know Where the treetops glisten and children listen To hear sleigh bells in the snow. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know Where the treetops glisten and children listen To hear sleigh bells in the snow. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas With every Christmas card I write May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, Just like the ones I used to know May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, With every Christmas card I write May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white. And may all your Christmases be white (all your Christmases be white) And may all your Christmases be white (all your Christmases be white) And may all your Christmases be (All your Christmases be white) (All your Christmases be white)”
“White Christmas” lyrics and movie clip are property and copyright of their owners. “Holiday Inn” movie clip is provided for educational purposes and personal use only.
The #MusicMonday meme was created by Drew @ The Tattooed Book Geek. You can pick a song that you really like and share it on Monday. I thoroughly enjoyed this blog feature on Mischenko’s lovely blog, ReadRantRockandroll .
What are your thoughts on White Christmas? Have you watched it yet? If not, December is a good month to watch a romantic musical!
The lyrics to the song were created by Irving Berlin (1880-1989), born Israel Baline in Tyumen, Siberia (definitely knew a thing or two about what a real white Christmas looks like!). Irving, together with seven siblings and parents, emigrated to the US in 1893. Everybody had to work to make ends meet. After the death of his father Israel, 21 years of age, took a job as a “song plugger” (performing new songs in saloons, vaudeville theaters or on street corners). This experience proved invaluable and Berlin learned first hand what the audience and the what audience enjoyed the most music-wise. 
