Ann Miller, RIP

Ann Miller...the energetic tap dancer of MGM’s golden musical years... died last Thursday of lung cancer at the age of 81. She left behind an entertaining legacy of work in Easter Parade, On the Town and Kiss Me Kate.

She started in 1937 at the age of 13 (she had lied about her age and said she was 18) with RKO, and later had contracts with Columbia pictures where she made many b-rated war-time musicals, and eventually ended up at MGM in 1948 when she replaced Cyd Charisse (who had broken her leg) as Nadine in Easter Parade. That role is still my favorite of hers. She was classy, energetic, had a great sense of comic timing and could be sassy and brassy. She was best known for her 500 taps a minute and enerergitic tap routines. It’s kind of amazing that this dynamo started dancing because she had Rickets as a child and dancing was suppose to help her legs get stronger.

Ann’s roles were always a supporting role and she was usually type cast....but she was always entertaining to watch. When interest in musicals died out in the late 50’s she went on to Broadway and finally got her lead role when she replaced Angela Lansbury in Mame. In 1979, and the following three years, she co-starred with Mickey Rooney in the broaday musical Sugar Babies.

There was a terrific interview with her the other night (originally done in 1997) with Robert Osborne of Turner Classic movies. Even in her later stage of life she still possessed that same spark she showed on screen in her musicals. She was so interesting to listen to. She had worked and danced with all of the greats and shared her fasinating memories about them and the old studio system. One tidbit was how Harpo Marx scared her. She was only 14 when she was cast in Room Service...and when she first met Harpo he dropped his pants and chased her around the set. If the interview is shown again, it’s definately worth watching, even if your not interested in musicals.

My favorite dance routines of Ann’s are....
• Shakin’ the Blues Away...from Easter Parade
• It Only Happens When I Dance With You...from Easter Parade
• Prehistoric Man...from On the Town
• Dance of Fury...from The Kissing Bandit...with Cyd Charisse
• It’s Too Darn Hot....from Small Town Girl, which I believe was the last musical number Busby Berkley directed before he died.

Thanks to IMDb for this list...her most notable films...
Stage Door (1937) as Annie, Ginger’s dance partner
You Can't Take It with You (1938)as Essie Carmichael.Directed by Frank Capra...this film won the Oscar for Best Picture.
Room Service (1938) as Hilda
Easter Parade (1948) as Nadine Hale
The Kissing Bandit (1948) as a specialty dancer
On the Town (1949) as Claire Huddesen
Small Town Girl (1953) as Lisa Bellmount
Kiss Me Kate (1953) as Lois Lane 'Bianca'
Hit the Deck (1955) as Ginger
The Opposite Sex (1956) as Gloria Dell
Mulholland Dr. (2001) as Catherine 'Coco' Lenoix

Here are some great pictures of her.

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I heard this on the radio and couldn’t quiet place who she was… but now I recognize her… she was a very talented, beautiful woman…

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Very well written post Annie. Although old-time musicals have never been my thing, I do recognize who she was. Thanks for the insight.

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Thanks Annie, she was beautiful, I will keep an eye out for that interview.

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Damn. I loved me some Coco

_Sedai

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