The White Christmas star Anne Whitfield has died. She was 85 years old.
Her grieving family said she died in a “unexpected accident” while out for a walk near her home in Washington, D.C.
In the 1954 holiday classic White Christmas, Whitfield played Susan Waverly.
She passed away at Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Washington,. Her family was there with her.
Her family said: “‘The life of Anne Langham Whitfield Phillips was a beautiful one, with every second used to uplift the world and those around her.”
“Through the kindness of neighbours who provided expert medical support, family had the gift to say goodbye and express love and gratitude, a gift we will always cherish.”
Whitfield’s death notice said, “Annie was able to watch White Christmas with her family during the holidays in December, which was the movie’s 70th anniversary.”
The statement went on to say, “Annie was a great actor, but Los Angeles didn’t have enough trees for her, so in the 1970s she left Hollywood for a new life “up north.”
“During this change, Annie became deeply committed to causes that support peace and protect the environment.”
“Annie worked hard as an activist and community organizer after she “retired,” right up until the day she died.
“Annie’s three children and seven grandchildren were the most important things in her life.”
“She was beloved by her family, who were always her first priority.” .
Her three children and seven grandchildren will miss her.
The movie, TV, and radio star was born on August 27, 1938, in Oxford, Mississippi.
Whitfield started acting in radio plays when he was a child. He went to UCLA and kept acting and working on radio shows while he was there.
Whitfield’s mother took her to Hollywood when she was four years old to help her start her career in show business.
“GETTING THE JOB DONE”
While that was going on, her father had been sent overseas to lead the Army Band.
Whitfield began working in the theater in 1949 and has been the lead in many productions, such as Annie Get Your Gun.
The next year, she started getting small parts on TV shows like Racket Squad, One Man’s Family, and Hollywood Opening Night. She also got a lot of small parts in movies.
When Whitfield was only 15, she played the lead in the musical comedy White Christmas in 1954. It was her most famous role.
It starred her as Susan Waverly, the granddaughter of Major General Thomas Waverly (Dean Jagger), who runs the Columbia Inn hotel and stars Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace and Danny Kaye as Phil Davis.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Whitfield kept playing small parts. Her last movie role was in Robert Altman’s 1999 comedy Cookies’ Fortune.
