THE DANMAN CAN

As with a great many  Jean Rollin  films: minimal plot, dialogue, and logic, but plenty of atmosphere, beauty, and surreality. Jean Rollin Feature Films Ranked

The plot isn't anything special and White Christmas (1954) is certainly hokey and old-fashioned (plus Christmas only serves to bookend the film and other Michael Curtiz pictures bear more of his stamp), but the dance numbers are fantastic, the Irving Berlin songs are memorable, and the cinematography, costumes, and production design are all grand ( WC  was the first feature film to utilize  VistaVision ). All four leads are excellent, but Vera-Ellen is the MVP. Michael Curtiz Feature Films Ranked

I only saw  Vincente Minnelli 's  Meet Me In St. Louis   (1944) for the first time in 2023, but I loved it instantly. The film is filled with all the qualities that make a truly classic movie musical—exuberance, melodrama, memorable songs, beautiful costumes, and wonderful performances. Though it seems tenuous, the illusion of the perfect family dynamic is never shattered. Even in the picture's darker moments (speaking of, Tootie is delightfully macabre) the Smith family bond seems to be unbreakable.  MMISL  hits all the precise beats for maximum entertainment—it's joyful, it's fun and fancy free, it's melancholic, and it's a tearjerker. As the saying goes, they don't make 'em like they used to.