CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) -- The Great American Songbook Foundation is hosting a free exhibition featuring rare artifacts from the 1954 film "White Christmas" now through Dec. 20 at the Payne & Mencias Palladium in Carmel.
Drawn from the collections of the Songbook Library & Archives and The Rosemary Clooney House, the exhibit features iconic and rarely seen materials from the classic holiday musical, including costumes, a hat and pipe that belonged to Bing Crosby, and the transposing piano of songwriter Irving Berlin.
Maria Ferrer Murdock, the daughter of late singer and "White Christmas" actress Rosemary Clooney, joined Daybreak on Wednesday to discuss the exhibit and and upcoming film screening.
"It's the most incredible gift anybody could have. You get to see your mother through all generations and machinations in her life, through the eyes of the public and everything else. It's just extraordinary," Ferrer Murdock said, reflecting on the experience of seeing her mother in the film.
She added that growing up with Rosemary Clooney as her mother was unique, as she and her siblings were accustomed to seeing Clooney and their father, actor José Ferrer, on television.
As for the movie "White Christmas," Ferrer Murdock shared, "It was sort of on in the background. We'd be decorating the Christmas trees, and we had more than one tree. My mother was a rabid Christmas fan, prior to doing the film."
Thursday's special film screening and Q&A with Ferrer Murdock is sold out, but the exhibit remains free and open to the public. It's located inside the Palladium's Traditions Senior Communities Songbook Gallery.
Some of the artifacts that attendees will have the chance to see include: