Good movie but has very little to do with Christmas
I sat down last night and watched this one for the first time. It's a good film, with a fun plot, likable characters, charismatic performers and some enjoyable song-and-dance numbers. (Though the movie's obvious set-on-a-soundstage artificiality at times makes it feel more like a stage play than a movie.)
Considering the film's name, poster art, and status as a Christmas classic, however, I was surprised by how little the story actually has to do with Christmas. Christmas only plays into the film's narrative at the very beginning and very end, with the interim having nothing at all to do with the holiday. This doesn't detract from the quality of the film, but going into it expecting a "Christmas movie," I was somewhat disappointed in this regard.