Broadway Brunch: WHITE CHRISTMAS

To be honest, it couldn't go wrong. The darling of musical cinema Irving Berlin plus Bing Crosby, the housewife's favourite big-eyed boy? A match made in heaven.

The big surprise is - it's even better than it promised to be. This eagerly awaited musical is essentially a buddy film. Well sort of, it's certainly got two buddies in it, but it's also a love story, a Christmas fable, and a vehicle to hang some exceptionally catchy hits on. Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Paris (Danny Kaye) meet during the Second World War and become firm friends.

After getting demobilized they team up to become hot property as a song and dance duo ripping up the nightspots with their own brand of feel-good hits. After five years of rolling success they need a holiday and cruise off to a New England skiing resort in the company of two comely sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Vera (Vera-Ellen).

They arrive to find the place nearly bankrupt, as there has been no snow for over a year. The local top man is their old army boss General Waverly (Dean Jagger), and sure enough our two heroes wade in to help their old comrade and organise a benefit concert. But can they save the resort? (Matt Ford, BBC)