Released in October of 1954, the classic film White Christmas returned to the big screen for a three-night 70th-anniversary run starting Dec. 15 (check local theater listings).
But you can also snuggle down and watch it at home, along with a few more films to get you singing, dancing, and glowing with Christmas spirit.
White Christmas (1954) Prime Video, AMC+, Apple TV, YouTube & More (and in theaters)
The quintessential Christmas musical is White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen, and Rosemary Clooney (aunt of film and TV star George Clooney).
Crosby and Kaye are successful song-and-dance men, and Vera-Ellen and Clooney are sisters forging a career in show business.
The foursome end up on a train to Vermont where tough times have fallen on an innkeeper, retired Major General Waverly (Dean Jagger), who commanded the men when they were in the Army.
To help him, the men decide to bring their successful act up to the inn, adding the women to their show. It brings life back to the dismal inn, which is suffering from a lack of snow and guests.
There is one more thing that they can do to help the man who led them through the war. They secretly invite their fellow soldiers from their Army outfit up for their Christmas show.
But will snow -- and guests -- arrive in time to make the shindig a success?
Many memorable songs make this a delightful film, and this year marks its 70th year entertaining viewers of all ages.
The film is also notable for being the first to be released in VistaVision, a widescreen process developed by Paramount that entailed using twice the surface area of a standard 35mm film. This large-area negative was also used to yield finer-grained and high-quality standard-sized 35mm prints.
Babes in Toyland (1961) PG, Disney+, Prime Video & More
Babes in Toyland has been made many times in many ways, including an animated version. The 1961 version is timeless and worth watching.
This story takes place in Mother Goose Village where Mary Quite Contrary (Annette Funicello) is engaged to Tom (Tommy Sands) the Piper’s son.
The evil Barnaby is jealous and wants Mary for himself. He has his henchmen kidnap Tom and kill him, but they decide to sell him to a band of gypsies instead.
To make matters worse, Little Bo Peep’s sheep have gone missing. Without the sheep how will they make ends meet? The kids go off into the Forest of No Return hunting for the sheep ... but somehow they all wind up in Toyland at the end.
A series of mishaps, and some fun segments filled with music and song, create this family-friendly fantasy. And yes, they all live happily ever after.
Holiday Inn (1942) Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube & More
Many people think the movie White Christmas was the beginning of that movie's title song, but in truth, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn was where it first made its film debut.
Bing Crosby is Jim Hardy, a singer who decides to give it all up and run an inn in Connecticut that will only be open on holidays. He writes songs for each holiday and intends on singing "White Christmas” on the opening day.
Things don’t quite go according to plan so he has to postpone the opening until New Year’s Eve. And yes, there is a special song for that night.
In the meantime, Jim's former partner Ted (Fred Astaire) has been dumped by his fiancé/musical partner and heads up to Connecticut to get solace from his old pal. It’s there that he dances with Jim’s girlfriend/musical partner Linda (Marjorie Reynolds), and decides to make her his new partner.
There are plenty of antics and music throughout the year, with special songs for each holiday.
The Mistle-Tones (2012) PG, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+ & More
And for something a bit more contemporary, get ready for a lot of music when Tia Mowry leads the cast in the cult favorite The Mistle-Tones.
After being rejected by The Snow Belles music group, led by snobby Marci (Tori Spelling), Holly (Mowry) starts her own music group and challenges the Belles to a sing-off competition on Christmas Eve.
This movie is filled with holiday songs from start to finish: “O Holy Night”, “Joy To the World", “Deck the Halls Medley”, “All I Want For Christmas”, “Jingle Bell Medley”, “Winter Wonderland”, "The Twelve Days of Christmas", “Please Come Home For Christmas” and more.
For those looking for a jump on the holiday spirit, this is the movie to watch.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) Max, Hulu, Apple TV, Tubi & More
Though not technically a Christmas movie, there is a touching holiday element to the story.
The film focuses on the upcoming 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, with the Smith family excited to celebrate the fair in its home town.
This is a story about family, love, and caring. Star Judy Garland's character sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to her little sister, who is upset about the prospect of the family moving from St. Louis. With that in mind there is no reason not to enjoy all the love of family and the spirit of Christmas this year.
There are many memorable songs in this film which is enjoyable any time of year although it has become a holiday favorite for fans.
Image: Adobe Stock
Francine Brokaw is a longtime journalist whose articles have been published in national and international publications. She is accredited by the MPAA and is a long-standing member of the Television Critics Association. She also hosts Beyond the Red Carpet on YouTube.
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