MovieChat Forums > White Christmas (1954) Discussion > Poor, pathetic General...

Poor, pathetic General...

posted 11 years ago by rob-2423
13 replies | jump to latest

One thing that always bugged me...

In the movie, Betty became cold and distant to Bob because she thought that Bob was making this into a publicity ploy which would degrade the General. The housekeeper even stated that she was upset because she thought this "angle" would make the General look pathetic.

Thankfully, this was not the case. Bob's intentions were good, and he never wanted anybody to look down at Gen. Waverly or think of him as pathetic. So what does he do? He goes on national television, a popular TV show none-the-less, and sings a song asking "What can you do with a General unemployed". In the song he refers to the out of work General not being able to get a job, states that all soldiers get jobs but a "General, no one hires.". In the song Bob has lines such as "Here comes the General, and the all say 'General who?'" and "They're delighted that he came, but they don't recall his name."

For a song meant to promote a reunion and not degrade Gen. Waverly, this song sure is making him look pathetic.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] strntz 10 years ago

There's a big difference between singing a generic songs about generals, and actually putting General Waverly on TV as a pathetic lonely guy who sunk everything he had into a failing Inn that Wallace and Davis were going to bail out (which was the misconception that Betty had).

For a song meant to promote a reunion and not degrade Gen. Waverly, this song sure is making him look pathetic.

The song was about retired generals in, well, general, not General Waverly specifically, and nothing in that song made any of them objects of pathos or pity. Nobody in the viewing audience knew who Bob was singing about except those who served under his command with the exception of the town folk who knew him. And now the great Bob Davis was on national TV showing the world what General Waverly meant to Wallace and Davis and the men who served with him and respected him. Quite a feather in the General's cap.

I really love this song after taking many viewings for it to grow on me. I love the last line: It seems this country never has enjoyed - so many one and two and three and four star generals unemployed If it could only be as true today...

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[–] JussSayin 10 years ago

I never thought about it before but you're right. The song wasn't particularly flattering to the general and did make him look pathetic.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (47421091) 10 years ago

The song wasn't particularly flattering to the general and did make him look pathetic.

I don't see how a song about retired generals make them look pathetic, but even if that point is conceded, how did the song make General Waverly look pathetic?

[–] wrfarley 10 years ago

I have a feeling the song, "What Do You Do With A General," may have been a genuine reflection of the commanders' of WWII fading notoriety. The film also comes three years after retiring General Mac Arthur's famous "Old soldiers never die" speech, so maybe Berlin had that in mind when he wrote the song.

As to the film, Gen. Waverly does come off a bit pathetically. First, we see him bidding a sad farewell to the troops at his forced retirement party at the front on Christmas Eve, 1944 ("a guy who never retreated a day in his entire life"), a decade later, we see him sweeping the floor at his own hotel ("General Waverly, a janitor!") And, of course, there's the humiliating rejection letter from his old pal at the War Dept. ("They're telling me they can't use me.") The guy doesn't seem to get a break.

Looks like Bob and Phil will have to perk up the General's spirits every ten years by re-assembling the old battalion and putting on another spectacular revue.

[–] jackboot 10 years ago

Do you think many WWII generals were unemployed by 1954?

Well, we have to knock General Waverly, "Old Tom," down several notches in order to have something to which to raise him and rejuvenate his flagging spirits, yes?

Every ten years? I think this one should put him right with the world and once again fully able to sally forth with confidence. The snowfall at the end should be enough to resurrect his business we're led to believe. Bob and Phil are free to pursue making those nine children and taking the show to Chicago.

[–] wrfarley 10 years ago

jackboot, don't know about you, but I'm identifying with Gen. Waverly more and more every year. Waverly's untold back story must be pretty interesting. Here, he's living at the inn with his granddaughter, Susan, but there's no evidence of a Mrs. Waverly or a Tom Waverly, Jr. Even Susan's mother is MIA. Based on this unusual living arrangement, tragedy must have struck the Waverly family somewhere along the line.

Also, why was he moved to the rear on the eve of a major battle, replaced by an egghead general? He's loved by his troops, but that opinion does not seem to be shared by the War Dept. Also, he bought the inn in a "shrewd business deal," with the implication by Emma that he got conned. Is "Old Tom" jinxed or just unlucky?

[–] marktayloruk 9 years ago

Obviously a widower or divorced-guess son dead, he has to bring up his granddaughter. But surely real-life generals got jobs in the military industrial complex?

[–] tjacobs1945 9 years ago

I have had the impression that, because General Waverly is using a cane in the opening scenes, he had been wounded--and that is why he is being replaced just as his regiment is "moving up." Maybe in reality a general would have to have been more seriously debilitated than to have a minor limp but if his wounds were more realistic he wouldn't have been in the opening scenes at all--which was necessary for the story.

[–] wrfarley 9 years ago

Don't know about that. MacArthur was sometimes seen with a cane during WWII, they didn't replace him.

[–] Sitcom_Sally 9 years ago

The only WWII general I knew personally went on to have a successful career in finance. So, this idea that generals aren't hired after their service is odd to me. Is this statistically true? I know that our veterans now are treated poorly, but I would think a general would have more options.

"There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on." - Rod Serling

[–] clayjar_azn 9 years ago

Generals were usually in their 50s and 60s and most just retire after leaving the military with their generous pensions and benefits. But it's doubtful generals become struggling unemployed because they made good money with their pensions. Many companies would love to have a general with all their skills, experience, and talents.

Eisenhower became president. MacArthur was Chairman of the Board of a big company.

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[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

I was wondering the same thing. Either way he comes across as pathetic, so how is this way so much better 

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