Ann Miller
Ann Miller | |
---|---|
![]() Miller in 1957 | |
Born | Johnnie Lucille Collier April 12, 1923 Chireno, Texas, U.S. |
Died | January 22, 2004 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 80)
Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City |
Occupation(s) | Actress, dancer, singer |
Years active | 1934–2001 |
Spouse(s) |
Reese Llewellyn Milner
(m. 1946; div. 1947)Bill Moss
(m. 1958; div. 1961)Arthur Cameron
(m. 1961; div. 1962) |
Children | 1 |
Signature | |
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Ann_Miller_by_Ned_Scott%2C_May_1946.jpg/220px-Ann_Miller_by_Ned_Scott%2C_May_1946.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Ann_Miller_publ.jpg/220px-Ann_Miller_publ.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Anne_Miller_1948.jpg/220px-Anne_Miller_1948.jpg)
Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923[1] – January 22, 2004) was an American retired actress and former dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood cinema musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early work included roles in Frank Capra's You Can't Take It with You (1938) and the Marx Bros. film Room Service (1938). She later starred in the movie musical classics Charles Walters' Easter Parade (1948), Stanley Donen's On the Town (1949) and George Sidney's Kiss Me Kate (1953). Her final film role was in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (2001).
In 1960, Miller received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2017, The Daily Telegraph named her one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.[2]
Early life
Johnnie Lucille Collier (other sources give other birthnames, such as Lucille Collier[3] and Lucy Ann Collier)[4][5] was born in Chireno, Texas, to Clara Emma (née Birdwell) and John Alfred Collier, a criminal lawyer who represented the Barrow gang, Machine Gun Kelly, and Baby Face Nelson, among others. She was an only child.[6] Her maternal grandmother was Cherokee.[6] She began to take dance classes at the age of five, after suffering from rickets. Her mother believed that these classes would help strengthen her young daughter's legs.[7]
She lived in Houston, Texas, until she was nine, when her parents divorced, reportedly due to her father's infidelities. Her mother moved with her to Los Angeles. As her mother was deaf, finding work was hard for her; however, because Miller looked much older than she was, she began to work as a dancer in nightclubs and supported both of them. About this time, she adopted the stage name Ann Miller, which she kept throughout her career.[7]
She was considered a child dance prodigy. In an interview in a "behind the scenes" documentary on the making of the compilation film That's Entertainment! Part III (1994), she said Eleanor Powell was an early inspiration.[8]
Career
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At age 13, in 1936, Miller became a showgirl at the Bal Tabarin. She was hired as a dancer in the "Black Cat Club" in San Francisco (she reportedly told them she was 18). There, she was discovered by Lucille Ball and talent scout/comic Benny Rubin (although some sources say this occurred at Bal Tabarin[9]). This led Miller to be given a contract with RKO in 1936 at the age of 13 (she had also told them she was 18, and apparently provided a fake birth certificate, procured by her father – with the name "Lucy Ann Collier"[10][11]) and she remained there until 1940.[12] In 1937, she played Ginger Rogers’ dancing partner in Gregory La Cava’s Stage Door. In 1938, she played the quirky, constantly dancing Essie Carmichael in the best-picture Oscar-winner, Frank Capra's You Can't Take it With You. In 1941, she signed with Columbia Pictures, where, starting with Time Out for Rhythm, she starred in 11 B movie musicals from 1941 to 1945. In July 1945, with World War II still raging in the Pacific, she posed in a bathing suit as a Yank magazine pin-up girl. She ended her contract in 1946 with one "A" film, The Thrill of Brazil. The ad in Life magazine featured Miller's leg in a stocking tied with a large red bow as the "T" in "Thrill". She finally hit her mark in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals such as Easter Parade (1948), On the Town (1949), and Kiss Me Kate (1953).[citation needed]
In later life, Miller claimed to have invented pantyhose in the 1940s as a solution to the continual problem of tearing stockings during the filming of dance production numbers. The common practice had been to sew hosiery to briefs. If torn, the entire garment had to be removed and resewn with a new pair. Miller asked a hosiery maker to produce a single combined garment.[13]
Miller was famed for her speed in tap dance. Studio publicists concocted press releases claiming she could tap 500 times per minute, but, in truth, the sound of ultra-fast "500" taps was looped in later. Because the stage floors were waxed and too slick for regular tap shoes, she had to dance in shoes with rubber treads on the sole. Later, she would loop the sound of the taps while watching the film and actually dancing on a "tap board" to match her steps in the film.[13]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Ann_Miller_in_Sugar_Babies%2C_cropped.jpg/170px-Ann_Miller_in_Sugar_Babies%2C_cropped.jpg)
She was known later in life for her distinctive appearance, which reflected a studio-era ideal of glamour: massive black bouffant hair, heavy makeup with a splash of crimson lipstick, and fashions that emphasized her lithe figure and long dancer's legs.[14]
Her film career effectively ended in 1956 as the studio system lost steam to television, but she remained active in the theater and on television. In 1969, she starred on Broadway in the musical Mame, in which she wowed the audience in a tap number created just for her. 1971 found her starring in an iconic television commercial for “The Great American Soup” (created by Stan Freberg), with Miller rising up out of the floor on top of a eight-foot high cylinder designed to look like a giant soup can. The ad was a spectacular song and dance number in the tradition of the movie extravaganzas which were her stock in trade. In 1979, she astounded audiences in the Broadway show Sugar Babies with fellow MGM veteran Mickey Rooney, which toured the United States extensively after its Broadway run. In 1983, she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre.[15]
She appeared in a special 1982 episode of The Love Boat, joined by fellow showbiz legends Ethel Merman, Carol Channing, Della Reese, Van Johnson and Cab Calloway in a storyline that cast them as older relatives of the show's regular characters. Her last stage performance was a 1998 Paper Mill Playhouse production of Stephen Sondheim's Follies, in which she played hard-boiled Carlotta Campion and received rave reviews for her rendition of the song "I'm Still Here".[16] At the age of 63, Miller sang and tap danced to "42nd Street" at the opening of the Disney MGM Studios on May 1, 1989. This would be her last live dance performance.[citation needed]
She was the subject of This Is Your Life on British television in 1993 when she was surprised by Michael Aspel at the studios of CBS Television City, Hollywood.[citation needed]
Miller appeared as a dance instructor in Home Improvement episode "Dances with Tools" (1993)[citation needed] Between 1995 and 2001, Molly Shannon parodied Miller several times on Saturday Night Live in a recurring sketch titled "Leg-Up!"[17] In 2001, she took her last role, playing "Coco" in director David Lynch's critically acclaimed Mulholland Drive.
Outside of acting, she published two books. Her first book was an autobiography, Miller's High Life (1972).[18] Her second book was Tapping into the Force (1990), about her experiences in the psychic world.[19][20]
Personal life
Miller married three times, to Reese Llewellyn Milner in 1946, to William Moss in 1958, and to Arthur Cameron in 1961, and in between marriages dated such well-known men as Howard Hughes, Conrad Hilton, and Louis B. Mayer.[6] During her marriage to Reese Llewellyn Milner, while pregnant with daughter Mary in her last trimester, she was thrown down the stairs by Milner and went into early labor. Her baby Mary lived only three hours on November 12, 1946.[citation needed]
Death
Miller died, aged 80, from lung cancer on January 22, 2004,[6] and her remains were interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[21]
For her contribution to the motion-picture industry, Miller has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6914 Hollywood Boulevard. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.[22] To honor Miller's contribution to dance, the Smithsonian Institution displays her favorite pair of tap shoes, which she playfully nicknamed "Moe and Joe".[23]
Work
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1934 | Anne of Green Gables | School Girl | Uncredited |
1935 | The Good Fairy | Schoolgirl in Orphanage | Uncredited |
1936 | The Devil on Horseback | Dancer | Uncredited |
1937 | New Faces of 1937 | Herself, Dance Specialty | |
1937 | The Life of the Party | Betty | |
1937 | Stage Door | Annie | |
1938 | Radio City Revels | Billie Shaw | |
1938 | Having Wonderful Time | Camp Guest | Uncredited |
1938 | You Can't Take It with You | Essie Carmichael | |
1938 | Room Service | Hilda Manny | |
1938 | Tarnished Angel | Violet 'Vi' McMaster | |
1940 | Too Many Girls | Pepe | |
1940 | Hit Parade of 1941 | Anabelle Potter | |
1940 | Melody Ranch | Julie Shelton | |
1941 | Time Out for Rhythm | Kitty Brown | |
1941 | Go West, Young Lady | Lola | |
1942 | True to the Army | Vicki Marlow | |
1942 | Priorities on Parade | Donna D'Arcy | |
1943 | Reveille with Beverly | Beverly Ross | |
1943 | What's Buzzin', Cousin? | Ann Crawford | |
1944 | Hey, Rookie | Winnie Clark | |
1944 | Sailor's Holiday | Herself | |
1944 | Jam Session | Terry Baxter | |
1944 | Carolina Blues | Julie Carver | |
1945 | Eadie Was a Lady | Eadie Allen and Edithea Alden | |
1945 | Eve Knew Her Apples | Eve Porter | |
1946 | The Thrill of Brazil | Linda Lorens | Alternative title: Dancing Down to Rio |
1948 | Easter Parade | Nadine Hale | |
1948 | The Kissing Bandit | Fiesta Specialty Dancer | |
1949 | On the Town | Claire Huddesen | |
1950 | Watch the Birdie | Miss Lucky Vista | |
1951 | Texas Carnival | Sunshine Jackson | |
1951 | Two Tickets to Broadway | Joyce Campbell | |
1952 | Lovely to Look At | Bubbles Cassidy | |
1953 | Small Town Girl | Lisa Bellmount | |
1953 | Kiss Me Kate | Lois Lane 'Bianca' | |
1954 | Deep in My Heart | Performer in 'Artists and Models' | |
1955 | Hit the Deck | Ginger | |
1956 | The Opposite Sex | Gloria | |
1956 | The Great American Pastime | Mrs. Doris Patterson | |
1976 | Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | President's Girl 2 | |
2001 | Mulholland Drive | Catherine 'Coco' Lenoix | Final film role |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1953 | Lux Video Theatre | Intermission Guest | Episode - "Three Just Me" |
1971 | Dames at Sea | Mona | TV adaptation of stage musical[24] |
1972 | Love, American Style | Episode - "Love and the Christmas Punch" | |
1982 | The Love Boat | Connie Carruthers | Episode - "The Musical/My Ex-Mom/The Show Must Go On/The Pest/My Aunt, the Worrier" (Part 1 & 2) |
1990 | Out of This World | Elsie Vanderhoff | Episode - "Diamond's Are Evie's Best Friend" |
1993 | Home Improvement | Mrs. Keeney | Episode - "Dances with Tools" |
2003 | 100 Greatest | Self | Contributor, Episode - "The 100 Greatest Musicals".[25] |
Theatre
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1939 | George White's Scandals of 1939 | Performer | Alvin Theatre, Broadway |
1968 | Can-Can | Performer | |
1969 | Mame | Mame Dennis | Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway |
1971 | Hello, Dolly! | Dolly Gallagher Levi | Kenley Players |
1972 | Anything Goes | Reno Sweeney | Regional, New Jersey |
1973 | Blithe Spirit | Elvira | Little Theatre on Square |
1976 | Panama Hattie | Hattie Maloney | Syracuse Artists Playhouse |
1978 | Cactus Flower | Stephanie | Regional |
1979-83 | Sugar Babies | Ann | Mark Hellinger Theatre, Broadway |
1998 | Follies | Carlotta Campion | Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | Sugar Babies | Nominated | [26] |
1980 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Nominated |
On February 8, 1960, Miller received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6914 Hollywood Blvd.
See also
References
- ^ Texas, Harris County, JP 1, Houston City, Block 900, Enumerated 21 April 1930, ED 101-71, SD 26, Sheet 2A, family 86.
- ^ Robey, Tim (February 1, 2016). "20 great actors who've never been nominated for an Oscar". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ Shake A Leg. Crowell-Collier Publishing Company. October 1939. p. 20.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ Joseph F. Clarke (1977). Pseudonyms. BCA. p. 115.
- ^ Glenn Plaskin (October 1, 1992). Turning point: pivotal moments in the lives of celebrities. Carol Pub. Group. ISBN 978-1-55972-138-7.
- ^ a b c d Severo, Richard (January 23, 2004). "Ann Miller, Tap-Dancer Starring in Musicals, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ a b "Ann Miller profile". Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ "Obituaries – Ann Miller – Dancing Star and 'Queen of the Bs'". The Independent. January 24, 2004. Archived from the original on March 12, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ "Ann Miller to put on the glitz for big night". sfgate.com. July 5, 2002.
- ^ Tony Thomas (1984). That's dancing!. Abrams. p. 202.
- ^ Jim Connor (January 1, 1981). Ann Miller, Tops in Taps: An Authorized Pictorial History. Watts. ISBN 978-0-531-09949-0.
- ^ "Ann Miller profile". Reel Classics. March 10, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ a b "Private Screenings: Ann Miller". tcm.com. 1997. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ Profile, newsvote.bbc.co.uk; accessed October 31, 2014.
- ^ "Awardees". Sarah Siddons Society. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (May 8, 1998). "Beguiled by the Past". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ "Leg Up", a recurring sketch from SNL with Molly Shannon and Cheri Oteri
- ^ "Miller's high life". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Ann; Asher, Maxine (1990). Tapping into the Force by Ann Miller. ISBN 0962437522.
- ^ "Tapping Into the Force". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ The Archaeology of Hollywood
- ^ Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated, palmspringswalkofstars.com; accessed October 31, 2014.
- ^ "Ann Miller profile". notablebiographies.com. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Dames at Sea (1971, TV adaptation) at IMDb
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Musicals (TV Movie 2003)". IMDb.
- ^ "Anne Miller". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
Further reading
- Miller, Ann, Miller's High Life. Doubleday, 1972. ISBN 0-385-03440-7.
- Oderman, Stuart, Talking to the Piano Player 2. BearManor Media, 2009. ISBN 1-59393-320-7.
External links
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- 1923 births
- 2004 deaths
- 20th-century American actresses
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American women singers
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from Houston
- American child actresses
- American female dancers
- American film actresses
- American musical theatre actresses
- American people of Cherokee descent
- American Shakespearean actresses
- American stage actresses
- American tap dancers
- Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
- California Republicans
- Catholics from Texas
- Columbia Pictures contract players
- Dancers from Texas
- Deaths from lung cancer in California
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
- Musicians from Houston
- People from Harris County, Texas
- RKO Pictures contract players
- Singers from Texas