Behringer-Crawford Museum exhibit celebrates an iconic film and local legends

Behringer-Crawford Museum opened its latest exhibit celebrating the classic 1954 film White Christmas in November, but you still have time to see it before it leaves Jan. 15. The exhibit is a collaboration between BCM and The Rosemary Clooney House, and includes costuming designed by the iconic Edith Head and other artifacts related to the film.

The Rosemary Clooney House is run by Heather French Henry—who was Miss America 2000—and former lieutenant governor of the state of Kentucky, Steve Henry. “They are this amazing power couple and these tremendous collectors—it’s really exciting to partner with them to help tell the story of not only local individuals but a very much-loved holiday classic,” says Jason French, curator of collections at the Behringer-Crawford Museum.

Three of the major performers in the film—Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen and George Chakiris—are local to the area. Rosemary was born in Maysville, and Vera-Ellen and Chakiris both grew up in Norwood, Ohio.

“White Christmas” was originally a song written by Irving Berlin, and appeared for the first time in the 1942 film Holiday Inn. According to French, Berlin didn’t feel that the song got the treatment that it deserved in Holiday Inn, since it wasn’t really a Christmas film. That is why, about a decade later, Berlin suggested a movie be written specifically for his classic song. And so White Christmas was born.

It went on to be the highest-grossing film of 1954 internationally. “There’s movie posters in the exhibit from all around the world. ­There’s posters in Portuguese, there’s posters in Spanish, there’s posters in German,” says French. “There’s different pieces that were collected—little advertising pieces, dolls and things that are all celebrating the film.”

Robert Alton was the choreographer for White Christmas. “There’s items in this collection that are being displayed here at Behringer-Crawford Museum from Robert Alton’s son, who was actually on set in his early 20s,” says French. “There’s items that were his father’s that have never been displayed before.

“I think it’s a film that a lot of people watch every year,” says French, “and admittedly I had not been one of those people.” Having watched the movie for the first time to prepare for the exhibit, French says that he laments the fact that he hadn’t seen it before. “It’s a really special film.”

French is excited to share these artifacts with the residents of Northern Kentucky. “Many of these things have come from all over the world,” says French. “It was only until recently, really in the last 20 years, that Hollywood studios understood that their historic costuming actually had value. They just normally had it on racks, you know, kind of like a theater.”

The White Christmas exhibit has been displayed in other places around the country—such as the Carolinas, Wisconsin and Kentucky—but it’s never been displayed in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. It’s a unique experience that’s an ideal final activity for ending the holiday season. “White Christmas is really the icing on top of the cake,” says French.

The White Christmas exhibit will run until Jan. 15, 2023. Behringer-Crawford Museum is located at 1600 Montague Road in Devour Park in Covington. More information can be found online at bcmuseum.org.