Ann Miller

Johnnie Lucille Collier (April 12, 1923[1] – January 22, 2004), known professionally as Ann Miller, was an American dancer, singer, and actress. 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 would star in the movie musical classics Vincent Minnelli's Easter Parade (1948), Stanley Donen's On the Town (1949) and George Sidney's Kiss Me Kate (1953). Her final film role would be in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (2001).

Ann Miller
Publicity photo, 1957
Born	Johnnie Lucille Collier (1923-04-12)April 12, 1923 Chireno, Texas, U.S.
Died	January 22, 2004(2004-01-22) (aged 80) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Occupation	Dancer, singer, actress
Years active	1934–2001
Spouse(s)	Reese Milner ​ ( m. 1946; div. 1947) Bill Moss ​ ( m. 1958; div. 1961) Arthur Cameron ​ ( m. 1961; div. 1962)
Children	1 (deceased)
Signature

In 1960, Miller received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life

Johnnie Lucille Collier (other sources give other names, Lucille Collier,[2] Lucy Ann Collier),[3][4] was born in Chireno, Texas, to Clara Emma (née Birdwell) and John Allison Collier, a criminal lawyer who represented the Barrow gang, Machine Gun Kelly, and Baby Face Nelson, among others.[5][6]

Her maternal grandmother was Cherokee.[5] Miller's father insisted on the name Johnnie because he had wanted a boy, but she was often called Annie. 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

The handprints of Ann Miller in front of the Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park

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, starring Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, Jimmy Stewart and Edward Arnold.

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).

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]

She was known, especially later in her career, 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, has in which she wowed the audience in a tap number created just for her. 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 production of Stephen Sondheim's Follies, in which she played hardboiled Carlotta Campion and received rave reviews for her rendition of the song "I'm Still Here".[16]

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1993 when she was surprised by Michael Aspel.[17]

At the age of 63, Miller sang and tap danced to "42 Street" at the opening of the Disney MGM Studios on May 1, 1989. This would be her last live dance performance.

Miller appeared as a dance instructor in Home Improvement episode "Dances with Tools" (1993).[18] Between 1995 and 2001, Molly Shannon parodied Miller several times on Saturday Night Live in a recurring sketch titled "Leg-Up!"[19] 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).[20] Her second book was Tapping into the Force (1990), about her experiences in the psychic world.[21][22]

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.[5] 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.[23][24]

Death

Miller died, aged 80, from lung cancer on January 22, 2004,[5] 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 Blvd. 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

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[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 & 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"

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	Kenley Players
1972	Anything Goes	Performer	Regional, New Jersey
1973	Blithe Spirit	Elvira	Little Theatre on Square
1976	Panama Hattie	Performer	Syracuse Artists Playhouse
1978	Cactus Flower	Stephanie	Regional
1979-83	Sugar Babies	Ann	Mark Hellinger Theatre, Broadway
1998	Follies	Carlotta Campion	Regional, New Jersey

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
1980	Tony Awards	Best Actress in a Musical	Sugar Babies	Nominated	[29]
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

1. U.S. Census, April 1, 1930. State of Texas, County of Harris, enumeration district 71, page 2A, family 86.
2. Shake A Leg. Collier's. Crowell-Collier Publishing Company. October 1939. p. 20.
3. Joseph F. Clarke (1977). Pseudonyms. BCA. p. 115.
4. Glenn Plaskin (October 1, 1992). Turning point: pivotal moments in the lives of celebrities. Carol Pub. Group. ISBN 978-1-55972-138-7.
5. Severo, Richard (January 23, 2004). "Ann Miller, Tap-Dancer Starring in Musicals, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
6. "Ann Miller profile at". Film Reference. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
7. "Ann Miller profile". Retrieved October 31, 2014.
8. "Obituaries – Ann Miller – Dancing Star and 'Queen of the Bs'". The Independent. January 24, 2004. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
9. "Ann Miller to put on the glitz for big night". sfgate.com.
10. Tony Thomas (1984). That's dancing!. Abrams. p. 202.
11. Jim Connor (January 1, 1981). Ann Miller, Tops in Taps: An Authorized Pictorial History. Watts. ISBN 978-0-531-09949-0.
12. "Ann Miller profile". Reel Classics. March 10, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
13. "Private Screenings: Ann Miller". tcm.com. 1997. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
14. Profile, newsvote.bbc.co.uk; accessed October 31, 2014.
15. "Awardees". Sarah Siddons Society. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
16. Brantley, Ben (May 8, 1998). "Beguiled by the Past". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
17. "Ann Miller". Bigredbook.info. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
18. "Home Improvement-Dances with Tools". IMDb.com. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
19. "Leg Up", a recurring sketch from SNL with Molly Shannon and Cheri Oteri
20. "Miller's high life". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
21. "Tapping into the Force by Ann Miller". www.amazon.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
22. "Tapping Into the Force". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
23. BBC obituary, bbc.co.uk; accessed October 31, 2014.
24. Photographs and literature, virtual-history.com; accessed October 31, 2014.
25. The Archaeology of Hollywood
26. Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated, palmspringswalkofstars.com; accessed October 31, 2014.
27. "Ann Miller profile". notablebiographies.com. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
28. Dames at Sea (1971, TV adaptation) at IMDb
29. "Anne Miller". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved April 8, 2020.

[26]TCM movie database

Notes

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

• Ann Miller at Find a Grave
• Ann Miller on IMDb
• Ann Miller at the Internet Broadway Database
• Profile @ Turner Classic Movies
• Great American Soup Commercial on YouTube
• Photos of Ann Miller from 'Eadie Was A Lady' by Ned Scott