Irving Berlin won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for his composition White Christmas at the 15th annual ceremony held March 4, 1942. Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds performed it in the movie Holiday Inn. The song has become one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time.
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, written by Harry Warren with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 19th ceremony, March 13, 1947. It is one of my favorites from this era but I had no idea it won an Oscar!
It was featured in the movie The Harvey Girls and performed by Judy Garland with Ray Bolger(!) among others as backup.
Johnny Mercer's recording with the Pied Pipers as backup last sixteen weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at #1. At one point in 1945, three versions of the song were on the chart simultaneously: Mercer, Bing Crosby and Judy Garland.
Holiday Inn, released in the US September 4, 1942, is best known for its score by Irving Berlin and the debut of White Christmas. Starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, it won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, White Christmas.
The success of White Christmas led to the movie of the same name in 1954, also starring Bing Crosby.
The American Film Institute listed White Christmas as No. 5 in its list of 100 Years...100 songs.
