Holiday Inn

White Christmas (Anniversary Edition)
$24.99
The print transfer in the two-disc, 55th Anniversary Edition DVD set does justice to Loyal Griggs's vibrant Technicolor cinematography, which makes the 1954 movie look appropriately like a bright red candy box. Although Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life deserves its place among the pantheon of Christmas movies, this comparative confection still deserves special mention. Granted the plot, what there is of one, is rather thin, it is splashy good fun directed by the dependably versatile Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) with several Irving Berlin standards and four superb variety performers in their prime. As much as Capra's film is an annual tradition, it is really this film that I look forward to the most of all the holiday classics.

The storyline focuses on two former soldiers, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, both song-and-dance men who become best friends when Davis saves Wallace from a falling building during WWII. After years of post-war success on Broadway and the nightclub circuit, they become reconnected with their gruff but lovable former army commander, General Waverly. The general now owns a Vermont ski lodge, but he is treading water financially since there is no snow as Christmas approaches. As it turns out, the Haynes sisters, Betty and Judy, are playing the lodge during the holidays, and of course, romantic entanglements ensue all the way through the big finale when all four star in a show that they hope will save the general's lodge.

All of this seems rather incidental to the musical numbers showcased in the then-revolutionary widescreen process called VistaVision. The most relaxed of actors during this era, Bing Crosby plays Wallace with his natural ���lan, and he croons the classic title tune early on and leads the group sing of the same song at the end. In contrast, Danny Kaye plays Davis with his mercurial style intact, though compared to his other films of the period, he is relatively subdued here. With her smoky, silken vocal skills on display, Rosemary Clooney plays Betty, Wallace's love interest, with aplomb and complements Crosby easily on "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)". She also delivers a nice torchy Berlin tune with "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me" despite some silly man-choreography.

I have to say the most impressive performer of the quartet is Vera-Ellen, a phenomenal dancer who was the equal of Astaire and Kelly at her peak. She makes even Kaye look good in their musical duets - "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" and the amusing Martha Graham riff, "Choreography". However, her best numbers are with dancer John Brascia - the elaborate "Mandy" number where her pliable, slender frame seems to be everywhere on the screen, and the brief rehearsal number, "Abraham", where she and Brascia snap, pop, clap, kick and swing with unerring military precision. It's worth noting that her singing is dubbed by vocalist Trudy Stevens, which is pointed out by Clooney on the less-than-informative audio commentary track. Much better is the 16-minute retrospective interview with Clooney on Disc Two where her natural sense of humor emerges.

There are other numbers worth mentioning in the movie - the duet, "Sisters", done first straight by the women and later by the men as a comedy routine in half-drag (Kaye steals this bit handily with his over-the-top clowning); the foursome on the vintage Berlin "Snow" and "Gee, I Wish I was Back in the Army"; and of course, the title tune at the end. Way over on the sidelines, Dean Jagger lends his warm dignity to the role of the retired general, and Mary Wickes plays Emma the housekeeper in her typically sarcastic manner. This is undemanding entertainment and a dependable holiday classic that feels like a favorite well-worn blanket.

The remaining DVD extras are all on Disc Two. They include six new featurettes - "Backstage Stories from White Christmas" with historians and critics telling the tales along with remembrances from dancer George Chakiris; "Rosemary's Old Kentucky Home" looks at her childhood home which has since turned into a museum; "Bing Crosby: Christmas Crooner" takes a superficial look at the star with interviews with his widow Kathryn Crosby and son Harry; "Danny Kaye: Joy to the World" focuses more on Kaye's philanthropic work with UNICEF; "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" is about the origins of the classic song; and "White Christmas: From Page to Stage" shows how the recent Broadway show evolved. There are also two theatrical trailers included.

Holiday Inn (3 Disc Collector's Set)
$26.98
Every home should own this DVD. Great movie, we watch it over and over again.

Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition)
$14.98
This is the "Miracle on 34th Street" I remember from childhood. It is one of my favorite movies of all time and none of the remakes compare.

The set includes both the black and white and colorized versions. The colorized version is the one shown on television, not something new and improved. The opening scene was grainy and the color was distorted, as if to remind us this is an old movie. The black and white version is crisp, as it was meant to be shown. Both versions offer the option to view the movie with the Maureen O'Hara commentary, which she does throughout the movie.

I found O'Hara's commentary interesting. Sometimes, she just described what was happening in the scene, which we could see for ourselves. Other times, she would describe what it was like to work with an actor or what was happening behind that scene or on the set. That was a special treat and I sat glued to the set to watch the movie a second time just to hear her talk.

"AMC Backstory" gave a history of the movie and some of the problems behind the set. I found it fascinating, but I did not like that it was cut into clips and run like on television with all the pauses put in for commercials, except we didn't see any commercials. Certainly those pauses could have been edited out.

Also included are the Thanksgiving day parade footage, promotional shorts and the poster gallery.

I was looking forward to the little booklets often inserted into DVD sets, but this set lacks one. Still, it is a wonderful set.

The Bishop's Wife
$14.98

.....This is a nice Christmas story in the Vein of Miracle on 34TH Street or It's a Wonderful Life with Angels and a happy ending. However I think Sam Goldwyn should have stuck to his guns when he proposed that Cary Grant play the Bisop and that David Niven play the Angel. I don't know what arguement Grant used on Goldwyn to get him to change his mind but if I were Niven, I would have been furious. The part of Dudley "the angel" was a plum part and Niven had it stolen right from under his nose. I deducted one star for what I consider to be a casting mistake.

.....With an all star cast and good dialogue this is a very enjoyable film and the DVD is a quality transfer. Loretta Young was 34 and coming to the end of a very sucessful movie career when this movie was made but she still retained the radiant beauty that made her a top movie star and a soon to be successful TV star as the host of the Loretta Young show. For Loretta Young fans this movie is a must have for your collection.