Anne Whitfield, a renowned actress known for her role in the holiday classic “White Christmas,” passed away at the age of 85 on Feb. 15, her family announced.
Whitfield succumbed to injuries from an accident during a neighborhood walk in Yakima, Washington hospital, her family confirmed through B Town Blog. “The life of Anne Langham Whitfield Phillips was a beautiful one, with every second used to uplift the world and those around her,” the family wrote. Whitfield’s television career was extensive, with notable appearances in “Father Knows Best,” “77 Sunset Strip,” “Perry Mason,” “That Girl,” “Ironside” and “Emergency!”
Anne Whitfield, ‘White Christmas’ and Prolific TV Star, Dead at 85 https://t.co/lsnVzNIlDm
— People (@people) March 1, 2024
Whitfield was born Aug. 27, 1938, in Oxford, Mississippi. The actress moved to Los Angeles with her mother and started her acting career at four. By the time she turned seven, she landed a role portraying a Holocaust survivor on the soap opera “One Man’s Family.” Her talents were further showcased on radio shows like “The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show,” “Our Miss Brooks,” and “Mr. and Mrs. Blandings,” Whitfield’s obituary stated. (RELATED: ‘The Doctors’ Actress Dead At 89)
Whitfield’s big-screen break came with the Michael Curtiz-directed “White Christmas” (1954), where she played Susan Waverly, granddaughter of Major Gen. Thomas F. Waverly. This Paramount musical, which also starred Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, became a defining moment in her career, her family wrote. Her early years in Hollywood were marked by roles in films like “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima” (1952) and “Peter Pan” (1953). She juggled her acting with studies at Hollywood High School.