White Christmas (song) White Christmas (song) "White Christmas" is a 1942 Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the world's best-selling single with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide. Other versions of the song, along with Crosby's, have sold over 50 million copies. Accounts vary as to when and where Berlin wrote the song. One story is that he wrote it in 1940, in warm La Quinta, California, while staying at the La Quinta Hotel, a frequent Hollywood retreat also favored by writer-director-producer Frank Capra, although the Arizona Biltmore also claims
54th Academy Awards 54th Academy Awards The 54th Academy Awards were presented March 29, 1982, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Johnny Carson. "Chariots of Fire" was the surprise winner (with a leading 12 nominations, "Reds" had been expected to win) of the Best Picture Oscar. It was the first time in 13 years that a British film won the Academy's top honor. The next year's winner, "Gandhi", was also a British production. Henry Fonda won his only competitive Oscar this year, as Best Actor for "On Golden Pond". At 76 years of age, Fonda