‘White Christmas:’ 10 Secrets About Everyone’s Favorite Holiday Movie

The midnight snack scene where Bob Wallace goes into detail about which foods create what kinds of dreams, according to Rosemary Clooney, was almost entirely improvised.

The "Sisters" reprise where Kaye and Crosby do the dance with the blue fans wasn't originally in the script. The two men were fooling around on set when director Michael Curtiz saw their antics and decided to film it. Crosby's laughter in the scene was a genuine response to Kaye's very, very silly dancing. They had a cleaner take, but that laugh was just too good to pass up.

Fred Astaire was the original choice to star beside Bing Crosby, but the filming took place during the time that he'd temporarily retired. The role was next given to Donald O'Connor, but he too had to back out for a much stranger reason: he'd contracted Q-fever from the talking mule he starred with in Francis Joins the WACs.

So, in the final hour, Danny Kaye was cast as the co-star. Good thing, too, or else that "Sisters" reprise may never have happened!

Vera-Ellen's own voice is only heard briefly, when the quartet sings the opening lines to "Snow" live during the railroad scene. For the rest of the movie, Rosemary Clooney's good friend, Trudy Stevens, dubbed all of her songs.

Crosby had a very distinct speech pattern, and writers lifted many of Bob Wallace's strange sayings from the actor's own way of speaking.

This was the first movie to ever be shot on VistaVision, a high-resolution film created by Paramount in 1954. It features the widescreen format that movies are made on today.

The New York Times critic went on and on about VistaVision and how crisp the image was, only to bash the integrity of the film itself, saying that it was a shame the film didn't hit the funny bone as sharply as the colors and movements met the eye.

It is said that every piece of Vera-Ellen's wardrobe was designed to cover her neck, which had been damaged by an alleged struggle with anorexia or bulimia, both very serious eating disorders. While her neck is covered in every scene of this movie, there is no proof that previous illness was the cause. Friends claim that the style was simply her trademark, while others are sure that it was due to her struggle.

Yet, it's nearly impossible to say whether or not she even suffered from either of these illnesses, since they weren't even really considered diagnosable diseases at the time.

The train conductor, played by Percy Hilton, also played the drunk Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street. Bing Crosby is caught playing some of his songs from Holiday Inn on the piano in various parts of White Christmas, and this was the third movie in which Crosby sang "White Christmas," the first two being Holiday Inn and Blue Skies. 

Also, the Vermont Inn in this film was recycled from Holiday Inn, and you'll notice that the set (pictured above) is very gray because the previous film was shot in black and white, and no one bothered to repaint it!

Barrie Chase, who later went on to work with the likes of Fred Astaire, danced behind Rosemary Clooney and had one line: "Mutual, I'm sure!"

George Chakiris, a future Academy Award winner, wore all black and danced behind Clooney as well in the number, "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me."

Alfalfa, from The Little Rascals, also known as actor Carl Switzer, was Judy Haynes' brother, although he was only seen in a photograph.

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