New Greenville exhibit showcases exclusive costumes, props, from classic film ‘White Christmas’

GREENVILLE — Imagine transporting back 70 years into the snowy world of Columbia Inn from the movie “White Christmas.”

But this time it’s not in Vermont. It’s in South Carolina.

As December arrives, the Upcountry History Museum will pay homage to the cult classic 1954 musical movie, “White Christmas” — a movie that still plays in living rooms decades later during every holiday season. 

The museum will host a nationwide traveling exhibit dedicated to “White Christmas” until Feb. 2.

“Few films generate more nostalgia than ‘White Christmas’ with its legendary actors, music and timeless ‘feel good’ storyline,” CEO Dana Thorpe wrote in a statement to The Post and Courier. “(It) allows the museum to take visitors on a visual and sentimental journey through one of the most beloved holiday films of all time.”

Based on the chart-topping 1942 song recorded by Bing Crosby, the film follows two popular music duos fighting to save a struggling Vermont inn owned by their former World War II commander. Meanwhile, love stories are developing.

The exhibit will offer decades-old artifacts, posters, costumes, props and reels from the star-studded original production. It was developed in partnership with the Kentucky-based Rosemary Clooney House, which houses the world’s largest “White Christmas” collection.

This includes the iconic blue dresses worn by actors Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney; military uniforms worn by Crosby, Danny Kaye and Dean Jagger; and elbow-length gloves worn by Clooney. Costumes were selected by the award-winning costume designer Edith Head.

Attendees will recognize multiple artifacts from the fictional Columbia Inn, including its sign and dining room table and chairs. They can even see a physical copy of the actual script. 

Meg Hunt, the media relations director at the museum, said they want visitors to feel like they’ve “stepped into a movie set.”

It’s the second time that the Upcountry History Museum has showcased the exhibit since March 2020. They wanted to bring it back after the pandemic.

The museum often hosts exhibits dedicated to movies. It recently presented one about “Star Wars” and has plans for another about “The Avengers: Endgame” in 2025.

“Our goal is always to bring — especially with traveling exhibitions — opportunities for visitors, whether they’re from Greenville, from South Carolina or the Southeast or anywhere, a chance to see things they might not ever have an opportunity to see,” said Hunt.