Annie (1982 film)

This article is about the 1982 film. For other films titled Annie, see Annie (disambiguation).

Annie
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Huston
Written by	Carol Sobieski
Produced by	Joe Layton Ray Stark
Starring	Albert Finney Carol Burnett Bernadette Peters Ann Reinking Tim Curry Geoffrey Holder Edward Herrmann Aileen Quinn
Cinematography	Richard Moore
Edited by	Michael A. Stevenson
Music by	Charles Strouse
Production company	Rastar
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	May 17, 1982 (1982-05-17)
Running time	127 minutes
Country	Template:Film US
Language	English
Budget	$59 million
Box office	$97,956,358

Annie is a DISNEY FILM!

Plot

In 1933, during the Great Depression, Annie (Aileen Quinn) lives in the Hudson Street Orphanage in New York City. Though the others living in the orphanage know for a fact that they are orphans, Annie believes that her parents simply left her there (Maybe). The orphanage is run by Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett) a drunk, cruel, hopelessly romantic tyrant whom all the girls fear. Among the orphans are Annie, Molly (Toni Ann Gisondi), Pepper (Rosanne Sorrentino), Tessie (Lara Berk), Kate (April Lerman), Duffy (Robin Ignico), and July (Lucie Stewart). After Annie is caught trying to escape by Miss Hannigan, Hannigan orders the girls to clean up the orphanage (Hard-Knock Life).

Later, while trying to escape again, in a laundry truck run by Mr. Bundles (Irving Metzman), Annie happens upon a dog who takes an instant liking to her (Dumb Dog). She later names him Sandy after convincing the dogcatcher that it's hers. Unfortunately, both Sandy and Annie are taken to the orphanage, where Annie awaits punishment and Sandy a one-way trip to the sausage factory (Sandy). However, they are saved by Miss Grace Farrell (Ann Reinking), a secretary to billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney) who wants to have an orphan stay at his mansion for a week to help his image. Grace instantly picks Annie and manages to save Sandy, having to resort to threatening Miss Hannigan's job when she protests.

Upon arrival, Annie, Sandy, and Grace are greeted by Warbucks' bodyguards Punjab (Geoffrey Holder) and The Asp (Roger Minami) among the other butlers, maids, and servants including Colette (Colleen Zenk Pinter), Drake (I. M. Hobson), Mrs. Pugh (Lu Leonard), Mrs. Greer (Mavis Ray), Annette (Pamela Blair), and Saunders (Victor Griffin). During her stay at the mansion, Annie has the time of her life, quickly endearing herself to everyone in the mansion (I Think I'm Going To Like It Here). The only person not immediately charmed by her is Warbucks, who wanted a boy orphan.

Meanwhile, Miss Hannigan, drunk and depressed (Little Girls), receives a surprise visit by her brother Rooster (Tim Curry) and his girlfriend Lily St. Regis (Bernadette Peters). Rooster tells Miss Hannigan that he was released from imprisonment on good behavior.

Annie eventually gains "Daddy" Warbucks' trust. When Sandy detects an assassin who tries to kill Warbucks with a bomb, it is thwarted by Sandy, Punjab, and The Asp. Grace explains to Annie that the Bolsheviks are displeased that Warbucks is living proof that the American system actually works. After an evening at the movies (Let's Go To The Movies), Warbucks and Grace tucks Annie in together. Grace eventually convinces Warbucks to adopt Annie and he goes to the orphanage to get the adoption papers signed. Though Miss Hannigan is uncooperative at first, and attempts to seduce Warbucks, he blackmails her into signing (Sign). However, when he goes to tell Annie and is about to give a Tiffany's locket to her, Annie says she wants to find her parents. Deciding to help, Warbucks makes an announcement on a radio show hosted by Bert Healy (Peter Marshall) offering a $50,000 reward to Annie's parents.

Several couples appear at Warbucks's doorstep. Oliver and Punjab take Annie in the autocopter to visit President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Edward Herrmann) in Washington D.C., where Annie charms the president and his wife (Tomorrow (White House Version)). When Annie realizes that the couples are fake, Warbucks convinces her not to give up. Meanwhile, Miss Hannigan is approached by two people who claim to be Annie's parents, but are revealed to be Rooster and Lily in disguise. The three make plans to use the disguises to collect the reward, drown Annie (suggested by Rooster), and split the take three ways (Easy Street). On hearing this, the other orphans escape and run to Warbucks's mansion only to be locked up by Miss Hannigan, Rooster, and Lily. The orphans escape, but arrive too late to prevent Rooster and Lily from collecting Annie and the money.

After the orphans' warning, Warbucks puts out an APB on the felons, and he and Grace search for them while Punjab and another servant search from the autocopter. The search ends at a railway drawbridge that is in the upright position. When Annie destroys the check, Rooster pursues her to the B&O Bridge despite Miss Hannigan's objections. As the police, firefighters, and ambulance arrive with Warbucks, Punjab saves Annie by kicking Rooster off the bridge to a firefighter's net.

With Rooster and Lily in jail, Annie finally gets her wish of a good family at a party where President Roosevelt and the First Lady along with Annie's orphan friends and the servants are enjoying themselves (I Don't Need Anything But You). Miss Hannigan, now a changed woman, is also shown amongst the guests. A new development in Grace and Warbuck's relationship is also shown, as they kiss twice. The film ends with a fireworks display spelling Annie's name.

Cast

Main

• Albert Finney as Oliver Warbucks, a billionaire who is a businessman and later becomes Annie's adoptive dad.
• Carol Burnett as Agatha Hannigan, Annie's alcoholic caretaker who runs the orphanage.
• Tim Curry as Rooster Hannigan, Agatha's con-artist brother.
• Bernadette Peters as Lily St. Regis, Rooster's girlfriend.
• Ann Reinking as Grace Farrell, Oliver's secretary and love interest.
• Edward Herrmann as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• Aileen Quinn as Annie, the titular character.
• Geoffrey Holder as Punjab, one of Warbucks' personal bodyguards.
• Roger Minami as the Asp, Warbucks' personal chauffeur and another personal bodyguard.

Orphans

• Toni Ann Gisondi as Molly
• Rosanne Sorrentino as Pepper
• Lara Berk as Tessie
• April Lerman as Kate
• Robin Ignico as Duffy
• Lucie Stewart as July

Supporting/Minor

• Lois de Banzie as Eleanor Roosevelt
• Peter Marshall as Bert Healy, a radio show host.
• Irving Metzman as Mr. Bundles, a laundry man whose truck Annie stows away in.
• I. M. Hobson as Drake, Warbucks's butler.
• Colleen Zenk Pinter as Ceceil, one of Warbucks' maids.
• Mavis Ray as Mrs. Greer, one of Warbucks' maids.
• Pamela Blair as Annette, one of Warbucks' maids.
• Lu Leonard as Mrs. Pugh, one of Warbucks' maids.
• Victor Griffin as Saunders, one of Warbucks' servants.
• Jerome Collamore as Frick
• Jon Richards as Frack

John Huston makes an uncredited cameo as a radio actor. Amanda Peterson, Shawnee Smith, and Tina Marie Caspary had minor appearance as dancers. Meredith Salenger made an uncredited cameo as a dancing orphan.

Several singer-actresses made their debuts in this movie, as Annie's fellow orphans and principal dancers:

• April Lerman would later portray "Lila Pembroke" on the first season of Charles in Charge.
• Martika (born Marta Marrero II) graduated to the hit TV series Kids Incorporated, and moved on from there to a successful solo career.
• Amanda Peterson, later of Explorers and Can't Buy Me Love fame, is a principal singer/dancer for the number "Sandy".
• Shawnee Smith has since appeared in such films as Not My Kid, Summer School, the original Iron Eagle, The Blob, Who's Harry Crumb?, Desperate Hours, Becker and most recently, the Saw series.

According to Robert Osbourne of Turner Classic Movies, Drew Barrymore had auditioned for the role of Annie while Bette Midler was an early choice for Miss Hannigan, and Jack Nicholson had been considered for the role of Daddy Warbucks.

Musical numbers

1. "Tomorrow" - Annie
2. "Maybe" - Annie
3. "Hard-Knock Life" - Annie, Orphans
4. "Dumb Dog" - Annie
5. "Sandy" - Annie, Orphans
6. "I Think I'm Going To Like It Here" - Grace, Annie, Warbucks' Staff
7. "Little Girls" - Miss Hannigan
8. "Maybe" - Pepper, July, Duffy, Tessie, Kate
9. "Let's Go to the Movies" - Annie, Warbucks, Grace, Chorus
10. "We Got Annie" - Grace, Mrs. Pugh, Punjab, Asp, Servants
11. "Sign" - Warbucks, Miss Hannigan
12. "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" - Bert, Boylan Sisters
13. "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (Reprise)" - Orphans
14. "Easy Street" - Rooster, Lily, Miss Hannigan
15. "Tomorrow (White House Version)" - Annie, Warbucks, Mrs. Roosevelt FDR
16. "Maybe (Reprise)" - Warbucks
17. "Finale (I Don't Need Anything But You / We Got Annie / Tomorrow)" - Annie, Warbucks, Company

Production

The NX Bridge over the Passaic River is sometimes colloquially known as The Annie Bridge

Wilson Hall, the centerpiece of the Monmouth University campus, where most of the film was shot

The producer of the film, Ray Stark, wanted both John Huston and Joe Layton while working as the director and choreographer respectively, to also be executive producer on the film, because it was too large an enterprise for one person. Carol Sobieski, the screenwriter said: "Hiring John [Huston] is an outsider risk, and Ray's [Stark] a major gambler. He loves this kind of high risk situation."

It was planned that the staging for the song "Easy Street", with Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, and Bernadette Peters, would be the biggest number in the film. A special outdoor street set, costing $1 million, was built, and it took over one week to shoot the scene. However, the final number was thought to be "overstuffed" and "sour". Nearly two months after the film had finished shooting, an indoor, more intimate, number was shot.

The production filmed for six weeks at Monmouth University in New Jersey, which has two mansions that were used in the film one of which is the Shadow Lawn Mansion, now known as Woodrow Wilson Hall. An abandoned railroad bridge over the Passaic River in Newark was used for location shooting of one of the climatic scenes

Stage to screen differences

There were major differences between the stage musical and the film. The film featured four new songs, "Dumb Dog", "Let's Go to the Movies" (which replaced "N.Y.C."), "Sign", and "We Got Annie", and cut "We'd like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover", "N.Y.C", "You Won't Be an Orphan for Long", "Something Was Missing", "Annie", and "A New Deal for Christmas". In addition, the song "Maybe" has two reprises while "Little Girls" and "Easy Street" do not.

In the stage musical, Hannigan, Rooster, and Lily are caught at the Warbucks estate, thus their plan to kidnap Annie fails as they are arrested by the President's secret service. In the movie, Annie is kidnapped, leading to Warbucks organizing a citywide search and while escaping, Rooster chases her up the B&O Bridge. Miss Hannigan's heart softens and she also attempts to rescue Annie from being killed by Rooster, but he knocks her out and continues the chase. Eventually, Punjab rescues Annie by autocopter and returns her safely at the end. Miss Hannigan is then shown joining in the celebration at the end of the movie and showing a possible romantic interest in Punjab.

The scene used for the "Maybe" song was the last scene filmed for the movie, because the original opening was too long. Although the "Maybe" song was still used, Annie and Molly are sitting at the window; however, this scene was still inserted into the film, only the last part with the rest of the orphans singing, after the "Little Girls" scene and the scene with Rooster and Lily's entry, during Annie's first night at the Warbucks estate.

Punjab and The Asp, Warbucks' servants/bodyguards from the comic strip, are brought back for this film in supporting roles.

The setting was moved from Christmas to Fourth of July.

Critical reception

The film received generally mixed reviews from critics, and despite grossing $57 million in the United States (making it the 10th highest grossing film of 1982), the film still did not turn a profit on its theatrical release. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score. Additionally, Carol Burnett and Aileen Quinn received Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical (both) and New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female (Quinn). Quinn won the Young Artist Award, Best Young Motion Picture Actress.

Home video

This film was released on VHS on April 5, 1983 by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video. It was re-issued in 1985, 1994, and 1997 (in a "Broadway Tribute Edition" to coincide with the original play's Broadway revival that year). There were two widescreen laserdiscs, one in 1989 and another in 1994. The film was released in a widescreen DVD on December 12, 2000.

A "Special Anniversary Edition" DVD was released on January 13, 2004 (four days before producer Ray Stark's death). Despite the fact that the first DVD was widescreen, the DVD was in pan and scan (but with DTS sound). Reviewing the disc for DVD Talk, Glenn Erickson, while praising the film overall, called the pan and scan transfer an "abomination that's grainy and lacking in color." He also noted that the short retrospective featurette with Ms. Quinn contained clips from the film in the correct aspect ratio. Erickson also called the music video of "It's the Hard-Knock Life" by Play "pretty dreary" and attacked the other, child-oriented extras by saying "Musicals and kids' films aren't just for tots ... and this disc is little more than a headache." [1] However, several countries in Region 2 received widescreen versions of this edition including the United Kingdom.

Awards

Won

• Young Artist Award 1981–1982
  • Best Young Motion Picture Actress - Aileen Quinn
• Razzie Award
  • Worst Supporting Actress - Aileen Quinn

Nominated

• Academy Awards
  • Best Art Direction-Set Decoration - Dale Hennesy and Marvin March
  • Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score - Ralph Burns
• Young Artist Award 1981–1982
  • Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture—Toni Ann Gisondi
• Hollywood Foreign Press Association
  • Best Actress, Musical/Comedy - Carol Burnett
  • Best Actress, Musical/Comedy - Aileen Quinn
  • Best New Artist of the Year, Female - Aileen Quinn

Adaptations

Television movies

Annie: A Royal Adventure! (1995)

A sequel, Annie: A Royal Adventure! was made for television and aired on ABC on November 18, 1995. The sequel starred Ashley Johnson, Joan Collins, George Hearn, and Ian McDiarmid. Aside from a reprise of "Tomorrow," there are no songs in the film.

In the film, Warbucks (Hearn), Annie (Johnson), an eccentric scientist (McDonalds) and one of the orphans travel to England, where Warbucks is to be knighted by the King. However, the kids get mixed up in the scheme of an evil noblewoman (Collins) to blow up Buckingham Palace while all the heirs to the throne are present for Warbucks' knighting, thus making her queen.

Annie (1999)

Main article: Annie (1999 film)

A made-for-TV movie version was broadcast on ABC on November 7, 1999, starring Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan, Victor Garber as Daddy Warbucks, Alan Cumming as Rooster Hannigan, Audra McDonald as Grace Farrell, Kristin Chenoweth as Lily St. Regis, and newcomer Alicia Morton as Annie. Produced by The Walt Disney Company in association with Columbia TriStar Television, the movie received generally positive reviews and high ratings. It also earned 2 Emmy Awards and a 1999 George Foster Peabody Award. Although truer to the original stage musical than the 1982 movie, it condensed much of the full story in an attempt to make it more viewable for children. It featured a special appearance by Andrea McArdle, star of the original Broadway production.

The film has aired on cable on Hallmark Channel, ABC Family, and Starz after its premiere on ABC. Disney Channel, which had aired the original 1982 version of Annie, has not aired the 1999 version, but will do in the future.

This version is more comical than the 1982 version's slightly darker tone.

Other versions

The Hindi movie, King Uncle, starring Jackie Shroff, Shahrukh Khan, Anu Agarwal, and Naghma, is loosely based on this movie, especially the storyline of the orphan who melts the heart of a rich man.

On January 20, 2011 it was announced that Will Smith was planning to produce a remake of Annie and it would star his daughter Willow Smith in the title role. Jay-Z is also in talks to provide the music for the film though no word yet if he will re-create the original soundtrack or write new music for the film.

External links

• Annie at IMDb
• Annie at AllMovie
• Annie at Box Office Mojo
• Annie at Rotten Tomatoes
• Annie at Metacritic