The 1954 film “White Christmas” is brimming with behind-the-scenes lore, especially when it comes to the music. Most well-known is the fact that Vera-Ellen, who played Judy Haynes, didn’t do any of her own singing. (Her dancing, though, was a different story.) Singer Trudy Stevens provided Judy’s voice.
All of the songs in “White Christmas” were written by Irving Berlin, the legendary songwriter who wrote hundreds of hits, including “God Bless America.” “White Christmas” is one of his most famous tunes, and it was originally performed in the 1942 film “Holiday Inn.”
The song “Snow,” sung by the starring “White Christmas” foursome as they head to Vermont, was originally called “Free,” and was written for a musical called “Call Me Madam.” It had a completely different set of lyrics, which Berlin changed to fit the film’s holiday feel.
