Ann Miller looked like a woman as a kid
Escapism.
Watch about the first 13 minutes. Ann Miller lied about her age big time when she began her career, but she got away with it because she looked like a woman. She had a very protective mother to keep the wolves away:
I first saw Ann Miller in David Lynch’s “Mulholland Dr.” which was Ann’s last film. It’s in the above biographic at about 42 minutes.
A few years ago I saw her in some film that was essentially a film adaptation of a Broadway musical and she was a co-star and perhaps 30 years old. I think we watched it for Fred Astaire or another dancer and I was surprised to see Ann.
Would you believe she is my first cousin, once removed? My father and her were first cousins; she born in Chireno, Texas, my father five years later outside of San Augustine, Texas about 20 miles away. Wish I’d had a chance to meet her. Quite a few of us left Deep East Texas to find our success in the world. She was such a fantastic dancer…
Of course I knew of Ann Miller, she was a big star from the era of stars. But what a story this is! Neo, your posts on dance are simply a delight. They bring me much new knowledge from a field I do not know on my own. Thanks!
What a wonderful video! She was amazing. Tragic story at times, but she lived it well. Thanks, Neo. I was kind of teary throughout it, though. I used to watch a lot of those movies from way back with my parents when I was little. (I’m 53). I remember when Ann died. It was the same year that my dad passed.
Ann and my mother were both born in 1923, April and September respectively. Mom was a big fan of celebrities, collecting many autographs waiting at the backstage doors of Detroit theaters. The two met in 1939 after a show with Mom waiting at the backstage door next to a limousine. Ann came out, signed autographs, and just before getting into the limo, looked at Mom, and asked if she would join her.
The two of them rode around Detroit for a couple of hours together getting ice cream cones, gossiping, talking about life, laughing, and just being teenage girls. Of course, my mother had no idea she and Ann were the same age. Like everyone, Mom thought Ann was a grownup woman. Mom asked Ann why she was invited. Ann explained that she was 16 years old and didn’t have any friends her own age and just wanted to be a normal girl for a little while.
Mom and Ann never saw each other again. My mother recalls Ann as being both fun and sad. She enjoyed the life she had but missed the life of an average teenage girl. Mom remembers those few hours with Ann with great joy for herself and sadness for Ann.
Uh-oh. I forgot about the “Watch about the first 13 minutes” admonition. Sorry about that.
Indigo Red:
Great story!
Hella crush on her.
Lovely.
Mila Kunis, auditioning for a role upon arriving in America from Ukraine at 15, when asked her age: “I’ll be 18 on my birthday.” Note the failure to specify which birthday…
Such sparkling youthful beauty!
We recently watched Ivanhoe (’52) with lovely young Liz Taylor, not as young as Ann.
Wife and I are often liking movies today with “normal fine looking” women, who are not such movie starlet perfect. Modern stars, (+ fake boobs), leave us cool.
Chorus Line T & A remain so relevant.
Still, seeing the near perfection of the best early Hollywood casting is a bit surprising; how very lovely the lovelies are.
Tom Grey,
When the Mrs. and I go to the cinema (errr, “went,” back before COVID eliminated movie houses) we almost always chose foreign films. One reason, we usually had heard nothing about them so didn’t know what to expect. Too many trailers and previews spoil the whole plot. Second reason, the people look real, not plastic. It’s so much easier to be drawn into a story when the actors look like real people, warts and all.
Indigo Red,
Amazing! How wonderful!!
Thanks for sharing that.
She’s great in “Kiss Me Kate.” More people should know about her–she had monstrous talent. And she could tap dance without losing her femininity.