AnnMiller
Ann
Miller was born Johnnie Lucille Coiller on April 12, 1923 in Houston, Texas. The
star of forty motion pictures as well as Broadway shows, national tours, and
innumerable television appearances, Ann Miller. "THE QUEEN OF TAP" has
enjoyed one of the longest careers in Hollywood.
Ann
began her Hollywood career at age 11, after having won a contest at the
Orpheum Theater she enjoyed her first professional stage experience when
she performed in a two- week engagement at the Los Angeles Orpheum and
earned $50.00 per week. At the age of 13, Ann was put under contract
with RKO and was so remarkably talented that by age 14, she landed the
role of Ginger Rogers's dancing partner in Stage Door which started a
motion picture career which has spanned many years.
At
fifteen, Ann was "borrowed" by Columbia studios to appear in
1938s Academy Award Winning Best Picture: You Can't Take It With You
with James Stewart and Jean Arthur. She then appeared with the Marx
Brothers in Room Service. When Broadway called, Ann answered. She
starred in the 1939-1940 production of The George White Scandals. She
returned to Los Angeles to appear in the Rogers and Hart musical Too
Many Girls, in Gene Autry's first musical Melody Ranch, and in Hit
Parade.
From
the late 40's to the mid-50's, Ann, under contract at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, starred in some of MGM's most spectacular musical
productions including Easter Parade with Fred Astaire, On the Town with
Gene Kelly and probably her most memorable film Kiss Me Kate. Several of
Ann Miller's legendary song and dance routines were featured in That's
Dancing and the popular retrospective films That's Entertainment I and
That's Entertainment II. For years, MGM was proud to have the outgoing,
charming, and multi-talented Ann Miller in their stable of stars,
sending Ms. Miller around the world on personal appearances and speaking
engagements. She appeared in Bob Hope's Timex TV Hour in Morocco. In 120
degree heat Ann Miller made light of the sticky situation as she sang
and danced TOO DARN HOT for an audience of five thousand soldiers.
Ann
Miller is the recipient of many awards including: The Best Legs Award
from the Hall of Fame, The George M. Cohen Award for the best female
Entertainer in 1980 and the prestigious Sarah Siddons; award for Best
performer of the Year for Sugar Babies in 1984. She was also nominated
for a Tony Award as well as the Laurence Oliver Award in London for
Sugar Babies. She was recently honored on This Is Your Life television
show in England. Ann received an award for the best Dance Number from
the Dance Awards of America. In 1992 she was honored for the Lifetime
Achievement Award given by the University of Southern California. Ann
recently received the coveted Ms. Wonderful Award from the Thalians and
then the Gene Autry Golden Boot Award for her performances in Western
films. She has also won The Gypsy and Flo-Bert Awards praising her dance
abilities. In April of 1998 Ms. Miller received an Award from the
Smithsonian Institute for Women In Tap. Her tap shoes, Moe and Joe, are
on display at the Washington D.C. Museum. Also, in January 1998, Ann
received her second star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
Currently
the Queen of Tap resides in Beverly Hills with her secretary and her two
dogs, Angel and Koko. Ann travels back and forth between her homes in
Los Angeles and Sedona, Arizona. She is an avid reader, archeology being
one of her favorite topics. Ann has traveled extensively to Egypt,
Israel, and the Middle East. Ann has also written two books,
"Miller's High Life" and "Tapping Into the Force."
Ann
Miller just enjoyed a triumphant success in the revival of Stephen
Sondheim's Foffks at Papennill Playhouse. That performance was recorded
and will be released on TVT Records in August of '98.
from the Official Press
Kit
Ann Miller died 22 January, 2004 at the age of 81 from lung cancer and was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
"She is a real
straight shooter, just the kindest, most professional, anything-goes great gal
you ever want to meet." (David Lynch about Ann Miller)
I
came across DVD, probably owned by my aunt, for the 1949 movie On the Town
starring Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and none other than our own Ann Miller.
Watched it for the heck of it, it is one of those movies "they just don`t
make anymore". She was a true beauty and a glamorous Hollywood starlet,
about age 26 at the time, and bore a striking resemblance to Laura Harring. I am
sure that all of this was not lost on Lynch in casting her for the role of
"Coco". - (86Celticsboy)
Coincidental
facts
-
Ann
Miller was very fond of her dog. The
dog's name is Koko.
-
She
played alongside actress Betty Rhodes in a few of her
pictures.
-
She
played the presidents girl #2 in Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved
Hollywood (1976). In 1924 Estie comes to Hollywood to become an
actress, but the dog, that followed her becomes the star. But
Hollywood has its own rules of sucess. Directed by...Michael Winner,
who also directed The Big Sleep's remake, where Carmen is
changed to Camilla.
More
facts
-
Had a baby
girl who died 3 hours after birth.
-
Had to wear
ballet shoes to dance with Fred Astaire
because she was so tall.
-
Like
Betty
Grable, Ann's legs were insured by RKO for $1,000,000.
-
Father was
a well-known criminal lawyer who defended such infamous gangsters as
Baby Face Nelson and Bonnie and Clyde.
-
Discovered
by RKO film star Lucille Ball while doing a show in a San
Francisco nightclub.
-
Miscarried
her baby when she fell down a flight of stairs after a fight with
husband Reese Milner.
-
Refusing to
do movies for years because disliked nudity and sex, she finally
relented and returned to films after nearly four decades with David
Lynch's Mulholland Dr. (2001) in 2002, which contained nudity
and explicit sex.
-
She was
named "Johnnie" by her father, who was expecting a boy.
-
Claimed her
difficulty maintaining relationships with men was due to her being
an Egyptian queen in a past life and executing any men who displeased her.