“Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.” ~ Dostoevsky
White Christmas is a Holiday classic. It’s positive, colorful, catchy, and fun. The conflict is light and uncomplicated, the plot pleasant. How does one go through life without such resistance?
That’s the question. And the answer.
There are villains in White Christmas. They lurk, and they boldly appear. Some are small, and some are powerhouses. Together, they all come as one to create a hero’s narrative, one of pro- and antagonists.
Who among them are said heroes and villains? Let us find out the darkness that lies at the heart of…White Christmas. Let us find out…
Who is the true villain of White Christmas?
John (John Brascia) – Some might call him a handsome devil, implying villainy. But come on, look at that face. Those moves! No way no how. He’s the true hero, working hard on all of the choreography to make the others shine.
Doris Lenz (Barrie Chase) – Doris can do no wrong. She’s pure and simple, and doesn’t have a villainous, manipulative, or inquisitive bone in her body.
Rita (Lorinne Crawford) – Only slightly higher up for putting her friend Doris in harms way via a set-up.
Susan Waverly (Anne Whitfield) – Not a villain. Just another pawn in a villain’s game.
Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) – Points docked for being in The Minstrel Number, but ultimately a good hearted soul trying to do right by some less-than-good-hearted characters.
Betty Haynes (Rosemary Clooney) – Vulnerable. A lack of communication does not warrant villainy, but simply asking Bob “What the heck’s going on?” would’ve solved plenty of problems. Not to mention, her Understudy was probably more than ready to perform in the big show on Christmas Eve, until Betty Haynes rolls up at the last possible second. A little villainous.
Major General Waverly (Dean Jagger) – Sunk all of his money into remodeling an inn without taking into consideration the off-the-beaten-path nature of its location, leading a professional touring performance troupe to put on a dang show in his honor, leading to romantic and professional miscommunication along the way. Absolutely a complex, complicated character.
Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) – Not as villainous as Judy, but he still went along with her plan. And the amount of times he used his injured arm as a bartering chip. Plus he, also, featured in The Minstrel Number. There’s some dastard in that man yet.
Judy Haynes (Vera-Ellen) – Manipulative. Machiavellian. The best dancer in a sea of hoofers. She gets points for not being in in the Minstrel Number (she is instead in Part 2, Mandy). But she still played a dastardly game of emotions. Such a Queen.
Emma Allen (Mary Wickes) – “In the age of information, ignorance is a choice” – Donald Miller. Had she simply taken in the proper information and processed properly, we would never have a multi-day chaotic mess. Emma played with fire, and everyone got burned. She never apologized, instead she simply sobbed crocodile tears into a kerchief and led the Busybody Club. Emma is the true villain.
Onward and upwards. 
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