The White Christmas star Anne Whitfield has died.
She was 85 years old.
Her sad family said that the veteran actress died in a “unexpected accident” while she was out for a walk near her home in Washington, D.C.
The 1954 holiday classic White Christmas starred Whitfield as Susan Waverly.
Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Washington, was where she died. Her family was there with her.
They wrote: “‘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.”
“Just this past December during the holidays, Annie was able to watch White Christmas with her family on the movie’s 70th anniversary,” says Whitfield’s obituary.
“Annie was a talented actor, but Los Angeles didn’t have enough trees for her, so in the 1970s she left Hollywood for a new life “up north.”
“Annie became dedicated to causes that promote peace and protect nature during this time of change.”
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.” .
Three kids and seven grandchildren will miss her.
The legendary performer, actor, and radio host was born on August 27, 1938, in Oxford, Mississippi.
As a child, Whitfield started acting in radio dramas. While going to UCLA, he continued to act and work on radio shows.
Whitfield’s mother brought her to Hollywood when she was four years old to help her start her career in show business.
“STRIVE TO THE END”
While this was going on, her father had been sent overseas to lead the Army Band.
Whitfield has been working in theater since 1949 and has been the lead in many shows, such as Annie Get Your Gun.
The following 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.
In 1954, Whitfield was only 15 years old when she played the lead role in the musical comedy White Christmas.
She played Susan Waverly, who is the granddaughter of Major General Thomas Waverly (Dean Jagger), who owns the Columbia Inn hotel where Danny Kaye as Phil Davis and Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace take the stage.
Whitfield kept playing small parts in movies throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Her last movie role was in Robert Altman’s 1999 comedy Cookies’ Fortune.