American Songwriter Throwback Review: The Story of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”

This review originally ran in the November/December 2002 print issue of American Songwriter.

White Christmas: The Story of an American Song by Jody Rosen is an intriguing and insightful look at the story behind a holiday classic of American popular music. This is a story of many parts, not only how Irving Berlin came to compose the tune but also a behind-the-scenes view of the making of the film Holiday Inn and Bing Crosby’s recording of what came to be the most famous of Berlin’s many memorable compositions.

[RELATED: The Historical Connection Between Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Two Major Wars]

Also included are sections on Berlin’s career in popular music, film, and the New York stage, the public’s initial reaction to “White Christmas,” the role the song came to play during WW II with its new depth of meaning to servicemen around the world and the surprising contributions of Jewish songwriters to America’s tradition of secular holiday music.

The author explores how Berlin, a Russian-Jewish immigrant, became known as the source of some of the most American of popular songs, including “God Bless America,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better),” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Easter Parade,” “Oh! How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning” and countless others identified with stars such as Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Kate Smith, The Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland and many other film stars and recording artists of the time. Rosen also delves into Berlin’s place in the original Tin Pan Alley school of songwriting that produced legendary tunesmiths like Jerome Kern, the Gershwin brothers, Oscar Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and Johnny Mercer, to name only a few.

[RELATED: Behind the Song Lyrics: “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin]

Another interesting aspect of the “White Christmas” story is the song’s genesis. While Berlin told wildly varying tales at different times about the actual creation of “White Christmas,” there is evidence that its origins lie in an idea he first had for a satirical novelty number to be part of a proposed Broadway music review in 1938. The first real record of the song in a form close to the final version, and confirmed by Berlin’s longtime musical secretary, Helmy Kresa, was in 1940, over two years before its introduction in the film Holiday Inn in 1942. When Berlin was approached about working on a score for a proposed film idea with a holiday theme, he had “White Christmas” waiting and ready for the right opportunity. On first hearing the song, Crosby had doubts about its public appeal. He later proceeded to cut it in just two takes, which came to a total of about 18 minutes of studio time.

By the time the film premiered in the fall of 1942, America was at war (the premiere became a benefit for the Navy Relief). While Berlin envisioned his song as the film’s centerpiece, the critics didn’t single out “White Christmas” as outstanding, much to his dismay. Within a few months, though, the public embraced the song on its own, and by Christmas 1942, “White Christmas” was well on its way to justifying Berlin’s belief that “Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote.” It has become an enduring American classic and one of the most lucrative copyrights in music business history.

Well-researched and well-written, “White Christmas” is just as worthwhile to read as it is to listen to.

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