Christmas Vacation is probably my favorite holiday-themed movie of all time. I really need to replace my old worn-out VHS copy.
I'm kind of a sap when it comes to that stuff...."It's a Wonderful Life", "White Christmas" (Mitzi Gaynor...mmmmmm), "Charlie Brown Christmas," etc.....
Are you thinking of Vera-Ellen, maybe? Mitzi Gaynor was in South Pacific.
I love IAWL, but a few years ago, it seemed that everybody was showing it at Christmastime. An aside: that main street set was over 900 feet long, and was one of the largest ever created. The "snow" was a first-time use of water and soap, blown by a large fan...previously, cornflakes were used to simulate snow, but were so loud that dialogue had to be redubbed later. The bridge scene was filmed on a 90 degree day, and Jimmy Stewart was really sweating in a couple of shots.
The George Bailey role was originally written for Cary Grant, and Jean Arthur was the original choice to play Mary. It was Donna Reed's first starring role.
The movie was originally a box office disappointment, as it was released the week after the blockbuster The Best Years Of Our Lives.
Dan
