American actress and dancer (1923?2004)
Ann Miller
|
---|
Miller in 1957
|
Born
| Johnnie Lucille Collier
(
1923-04-12
)
April 12, 1923
|
---|
Died
| January 22, 2004
(2004-01-22)
(aged 80)
|
---|
Resting place
| Holy Cross Cemetery
,
Culver City, California
, U.S.
|
---|
Occupations
| |
---|
Years active
| 1934?2001
|
---|
Spouses
|
Reese Llewellyn Milner
(
m.
1946;
div.
1947)
Bill Moss
(
m.
1958;
div.
1961)
Arthur Cameron
(
m.
1961;
div.
1962)
|
---|
Children
| 1
|
---|
Awards
| Hollywood Walk of Fame
|
---|
|
|
Ann Miller
(born
Johnnie Lucille Collier
; April 12, 1923 ? January 22, 2004) was an American actress and dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the
classical Hollywood cinema
musicals
of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early film work included roles in
Room Service
with the
Marx Brothers
and
Frank Capra
's
You Can't Take It with You
, both released in 1938. She later starred in the musical classics
Easter Parade
(1948),
On the Town
(1949) and
Kiss Me Kate
(1953). Her final film role was in
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 greatest actors never to have received an
Academy Award
nomination.
[2]
Early life
[
edit
]
Johnnie Lucille Collier (some sources provide other names, such as Lucille Collier
[3]
and Lucy Ann Collier)
[4]
[5]
was born at St. Joseph's Infirmary in
Houston, Texas
[1]
on April 12, 1923. She was the only child of mother Clara Emma (nee Birdwell) and father John Alfred Collier, a criminal lawyer who represented the
Barrow gang
,
Machine Gun Kelly
and
Baby Face Nelson
.
[6]
Her maternal grandmother was of
Cherokee
descent.
[6]
Miller was put in dance classes at the age of five in an attempt to strengthen her legs after suffering from
rickets
.
[7]
She came to be considered a child dance
prodigy
. In a documentary on the making of the compilation film
That's Entertainment! Part III
(1994), she said that
Eleanor Powell
was an early inspiration.
[8]
When Miller was nine, her parents divorced, reportedly due to her father's infidelities. Miller later noted that her father "wasn't a very good dad."
[9]
After the divorce, she and her mother moved to
Los Angeles
, but her mother struggled to find work due to
deafness
. Because Miller appeared much older than her true age, she began to work as a dancer in nightclubs and supported her mother. She adopted the stage name Ann Miller, which she kept throughout her career.
[7]
Career
[
edit
]
1936-1956: Film actress
[
edit
]
In 1936, at age 13, Miller was hired as a showgirl at the
Bal Tabarin
. Due to employment laws regarding establishments that sold liquor, Miller lied and gave her age as 18. Miller appeared in small roles in films like
Anne of Green Gables
(1934),
The Good Fairy
(1935), and
The Devil on Horseback
(1936).
While working at Bal Tabarin, Miller was discovered by
Lucille Ball
and talent scout/comic
Benny Rubin
.
[10]
[9]
This led to a contract with
RKO Pictures
, who also believed that Miller was 18. When RKO discovered her true age later, Miller's father provided a fake birth certificate with the name Lucy Ann Collier.
[11]
[12]
[9]
Miller had small appearances for RKO in
New Faces of 1937
(1937) and
The Life of the Party
(1937). Her first major role came as
Ginger Rogers
’ dancing partner in
Gregory La Cava
’s
Stage Door
in 1937.
In 1938 and 1939, Miller was a supporting actress in many of the studio's films such as
Radio City Revels
,
Having Wonderful Time
,
Room Service
,
Tarnished Angel
, and most notably as the quirky Essie Carmichael in
Frank Capra
's
You Can't Take It With You
(made at Columbia). Her last film at RKO was
Too Many Girls
(1940).
In 1939, Miller made her
Broadway
debut in
George White's Scandals of 1939
. She remained at RKO until 1940.
[13]
Miller was famed for her speed in
tap dancing
. Studio publicists drafted press releases claiming that she could tap 500 times per minute. But because the stage floors were waxed and too slick for regular tap shoes, she had to dance in shoes with rubber treads on the soles. Then, like all other film dancers of the time -- including Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, Gene Kelly, etc., -- she would then loop or 'dub' the sound of the taps while watching the film and dance on a "tap board" to match her steps in the film.
[14]
In later life, Miller claimed to have invented
pantyhose
in the 1940s as a solution to the continual problem of torn stockings during the filming of dance-production numbers. The common practice had been to sew hosiery to briefs, and 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.
[14]
[15]
Republic and Columbia Pictures
[
edit
]
Miller made two films for Republic,
Hit Parade of 1941
(1940) and
Melody Ranch
(1940) with Gene Autry.
In 1941, Miller signed with
Columbia Pictures
starring in eleven
B
musicals from 1941 to 1945, beginning with
Time Out for Rhythm
with Rudy Vallee.
Miller followed it with
Go West, Young Lady
(1941),
True to the Army
(1942),
Priorities on Parade
(1942),
Reveille with Beverly
(1943),
What's Buzzin', Cousin?
(1943),
Hey, Rookie
(1943),
Sailor's Holiday
(1944),
Jam Session
(1944),
Carolina Blues
(1945),
Eadie Was a Lady
(1945), and
Eve Knew Her Apples
(1945), a musical remake of
It Happened One Night
.
In July 1945, Miller 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
. An advertisement for the film in
Life
magazine
featured Miller's leg in a stocking tied with a large red bow as the "T" in "Thrill."
[16]
After leaving Columbia and recovering from an injury, Miller was hired as a contract player at
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
. Her first appearance was in
Easter Parade
(1948), in which she co-starred alongside
Fred Astaire
and
Judy Garland
.
During her tenure at MGM, Miller usually appeared as the secondary female lead in musical films such as
The Kissing Bandit
(1948),
On the Town
(1949),
Watch the Birdie
with
Red Skelton
,
Texas Carnival
(1951) with
Esther Williams
,
Two Tickets to Broadway
(1951),
Lovely to Look At
(1952),
Small Town Girl
(1953),
Kiss Me Kate
(1953),
Deep in My Heart
(1954),
Hit the Deck
(1955), and
The Opposite Sex
(1956). Her last MGM film was a flop "straight" comedy
The Great American Pastime
(1956).
1957-1989: Stage Work
[
edit
]
As the studio system and musical films began to fade in the late 1950s, Miller turned her attention to theater and television appearances. She became known later for her distinctive appearance, which reflected a studio-era ideal of glamour: large black bouffant hair, heavy makeup with a splash of crimson lipstick and fashions that emphasized her figure and long legs.
[17]
In May 1969, Miller made a comeback on
Broadway
when she took over the title role in the musical
Mame
, dancing a tap number created for her. Miller remained in the role until the show closed in January 1970. The following year, she headlined a television production of
Dames at Sea
alongside
Ann-Margret
for
NBC
.
She also appeared in an iconic television commercial for “The Great American Soup” (created by
Stan Freberg
) in which she rose through the floor atop an eight-foot high cylinder designed to resemble a giant soup can. The advertisement was intended as a spectacular song and dance number in the tradition of the musicals in which she had starred.
Miller began touring with theater productions such as
Hello, Dolly!
and
Panama Hattie
. In 1979, she appeared in the Broadway show
Sugar Babies
with fellow MGM veteran
Mickey Rooney
, for which she was nominated for a
Tony Award
. The duo toured the country extensively after the show's Broadway run. In 1983, she won the
Sarah Siddons Award
for her work in
Chicago theatre
,
[18]
On May 1, 1989 at the age of 66, Miller sang and tap-danced to "42nd Street" at the opening of the
Disney MGM Studios
, her last live dance performance.
[
citation needed
]
Miller 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. Miller also published two books. Her first was an autobiography,
Miller's High Life
(1972).
[19]
Her second was
Tapping into the Force
(1990), a book about her experiences in the
psychic
world.
[20]
[21]
1990-2004: Final projects
[
edit
]
During the 1990s, Miller rose as a popular figure to interview for her time in the
Golden Age of Hollywood
. 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
. That same year, she appeared as a dance instructor in the
Home Improvement
episode "Dances with Tools".
[
citation needed
]
Miller's 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."
[22]
In 2001, Miller played her last role as landlady Coco in director
David Lynch
's critically acclaimed
Mulholland Drive
.
Between 1995 and 2001,
Molly Shannon
parodied Miller several times on
Saturday Night Live
in a recurring sketch titled "Leg-Up!"
[23]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Miller was married three times: to Reese Llewellyn Milner from 1946 to 1947; to William Moss from 1958 to 1961; and to Arthur Cameron from 1961 to 1962. Between marriages, she dated well-known men such as
Howard Hughes
and
Conrad Hilton
. In 1944,
Louis B. Mayer
proposed to her despite his being married.
[15]
[24]
During her marriage to Milner, Miller became pregnant. During her last trimester, Milner threw her down a flight of stairs, breaking her back and causing her to experience premature labor. Her baby, Mary, lived only three hours on November 12, 1946.
[24]
Miller filed for divorce shortly after.
[24]
She alleged that her second husband was also abusive.
[24]
Death
[
edit
]
Miller died at the age of 80 from
lung cancer
on January 22, 2004,
[6]
and her remains were interred in
Holy Cross Cemetery
in
Culver City, California
.
[25]
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.
[26]
To honor Miller's contribution to dance, the
Smithsonian Institution
displays her favorite pair of tap shoes, which she playfully nicknamed "Moe and Joe."
[27]
Work
[
edit
]
Film
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
Year
|
Title
|
Role
|
Notes
|
1953
|
Lux Video Theatre
|
Intermission Guest
|
Episode - "Three Just Me"
|
1971
|
Dames at Sea
|
Mona
|
TV adaptation of stage musical
[28]
|
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)
Episode - "The Musical/My Ex-Mom/The Show Must Go On/The Pest/My Aunt, the Worrier" (Part 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".
[29]
|
Theatre
[
edit
]
Awards and nominations
[
edit
]
On February 8, 1960, Miller received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6914 Hollywood Blvd.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Biography
, tshaonline.org. Accessed June 13, 2023.
- ^
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.
- ^
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
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
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Ann Miller 1"
. October 17, 2010
. Retrieved
August 10,
2023
– via
YouTube
.
- ^
"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
.
- ^
a
b
"Ann Miller 3"
. October 17, 2010
. Retrieved
August 10,
2023
– via
YouTube
.
- ^
Columbia Pictures [advertisement] (September 30, 1946). "Here's the Thrill of Brazil".
Life
.
21
(14). [New York]: Andrew Heiskell: 67.
- ^
Profile
, newsvote.bbc.co.uk; accessed October 31, 2014.
- ^
"Awardees"
.
Sarah Siddons Society
. Retrieved
January 24,
2018
.
- ^
"Miller's high life"
.
Goodreads
. Retrieved
March 6,
2020
.
- ^
Miller, Ann; Asher, Maxine (1990).
Tapping into the Force by Ann Miller
. Hampton Roads Publishing Company.
ISBN
0962437522
.
- ^
"Tapping Into the Force"
.
Goodreads
. Retrieved
March 6,
2020
.
- ^
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
- ^
a
b
c
d
Rutledge, Stephen (April 12, 2019).
"#BornThisDay: Gay Icon, Ann Miller"
.
The WOW Report
. Retrieved
August 10,
2023
.
- ^
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
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Ann Miller
.
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Artists
| |
---|
People
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|