Show Leading I IJ J CUPola i i r. r t nm A C d I By LYN CONNELLY A SONG which made Its appearance appearance appearance appear appear- ance in 1942 entitled White Christmas is in m its fourth year and well on its way to permanent recognition as a Christmas fa fa I 1 ti 1 J I 1 u W I t t. t t t 4 tl t C t t f. f l t The amazing popularity of White Christmas as a yuletide song reached its peak last year when a poll conducted to establish the favorite carol of at servicemen revealed that 22 per cent of at the votes went to this early war song written especially for tor the occasion by Irving Berlin graduate of Tin Pan Alley The birth of at the song was entirely entire entire- ly by accident despite rumors to the contrary which attribute its conception to the war Actually It was composed in 1940 A Hollywood studio had an idea for tor a motion picture picture picture pic pic- ture to be called Holiday Inn starring co-starring Fred Astaire and BIng Crosby The theme of the picture was based on the holidays of the year year and a song was needed to represent each holiday Irving Berlin Berlin Ber Ber- lin was contracted for tor the The picture released In 1942 was synonymous with our second wartime Christmas and in that year the song sold one million copies In four months Although nothing Is done on the part of the publishers to exploit the song it automatically rings the register each year as the holiday season approaches Berlin calls it his Ws favorite favorite favorite fa fa- fa- fa song with the exception of at athis his God Bless America written during World War I. I Its difficult to predict a songs song's future says Berlin but Judging from its past I would say White Christmas has hasa a very good chance of becoming a permanent song along with other Christmas carols |