I sat down this weekend for my annual tradition of watching White Christmas. Do I talk about White Christmas too much? You can read my other posts here:
White Christmas was released towards the end of the golden age of musicals and was a box-office hit. This movie will always be a classic for me. The singing and dancing are superb and I can watch it at any time of the year.
That being said, as the movie came out in 1954 (almost 70 years ago!) I've been thinking about how it has aged. There are plenty of old movies that have not aged well and have questionable characters/scenes in them, like the blackface scene in Holiday Inn (also starring Bing Crosby) and the racist stereotypes/character in Breakfast at Tiffany's. While this movie does not have blackface or racial stereotypes, there were still a couple of things that caught my attention.
I'm pretty sure I only saw one person of color and it was the barman on the train before the musical number "Snow". It doesn't really surprise me that there are no persons of color in a movie made by white people, about white people, in 1954. Also, the bulk of the movie takes place at a ski lodge in Vermont so I am not shocked that there are no minorities there. I am not excusing the lack of diversity in any way but because of discrimination and the lack of opportunities for persons of color, it doesn't surprise me that a musical made in 1954 has an all-white cast.
The age gap between Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby is a bit disturbing. Bing Crosby was 51 years old and Rosemary Clooney was 26 when the movie was filmed. I'm not sure what the ages of their characters were supposed to be, but you can definitely tell that they are nowhere near the same age. Honestly, their age difference has always creeped me out a bit.
There are also a couple of things in the movie that have never made sense to me and might not make sense to a modern audience:
- The "Choreography" number is mainly a spoof on Martha Graham. Martha Graham was a choreographer born in 1894 who created a principle in modern dance known as "contraction and release". I think this is what Danny Kaye and the dancers at the beginning of the performance are doing. But I'm not exactly sure how the following dance by Vera-Ellen and John Brascia fits in. I mean, it's a great performance and I love Vera-Ellen's electric pink outfit, but I've never quite got what this musical number is all about.
- The line by blonde bombshell Doris, "Without so much as a kiss my foot or have an apple," is fabulous. But I don't know what she means. I have tried to look these phrases up and no one can really agree on their meanings. Someone thought "kiss my foot" meant "kiss my derriere" and that "have an apple" meant to live a little. I also saw that the phrases could mean being obedient and humble, but I don't know how that would fit the narrative here. I also saw the idea that "kiss my foot" meant to grovel but again, I don't know how that fits the storyline. I always thought that Doris was angry because Bob turned her down without even getting to know her and that "kiss my foot" and "have an apple" meant something like have a conversation or get to know someone.
Nevertheless, I continue to watch this movie because it's a classic to me with great dialogue, costumes, singing, and dancing. There's something timeless about getting together at Christmas and the message of doing something nice for your loved ones and friends. This definitely will not be the last time I watch White Christmas this year!
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