Charisse's dancing abilities were pretty much restricted to ballet. And Vera-Ellen's lightness was perfect for the sections of the number that have her being carried and tossed about by the male chorus.
I was going to agree with the OP about Charisse being cast, not as a better choice necessarily, but an interesting one until I read your reply. As written, I think Vera-Ellen was perfect for this film for the reasons you mentioned, but I always regretted just a teensie bit that the movie didn't feature more Christmas themed numbers in them. Perhaps with different music/dance choices, Charisse would have made an interesting Judy.
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