was white christmas originally black and white

Well, it was originally in black and white, yes. That was the standard for movies back then. But as time went on and technology progressed, more and more movies started to be made in color. So, "White Christmas" was one of the first movies to be released in color. It was a big deal at the time because it was so vibrant and full of life. But it was also a bit controversial because some people felt that the colors were too bright and distracting from the story. But overall, it was a big hit and paved the way for more color movies to come.