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Ann Miller

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
83

Gender
Female

Birthday
April 12, 1923 (103 years old)

Place of Birth
Houston, Texas, USA

Ann Miller

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johnnie Lucille Collier (April 12, 1923 – 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 musical films of the 1940s and 1950s.

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). It was there that she was discovered by Lucille Ball and talent scout/comic Benny Rubin (although some sources say this occurred at Bal Tabarin). 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") and she remained there until 1940.

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 large, red, bow-tied stocking 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).

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.

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. She starred on Broadway in the musical Mame in 1969, 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. 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".

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. To honor Miller's contribution to dance, the Smithsonian Institution displays her favorite pair of tap shoes, which she playfully nicknamed "Moe and Joe".

Known For

Acting

2021Broadway: Beyond the Golden Ageas Self
2009Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1970'sas Self
2005Easter Parade: On the Avenueas Self
2004Judy Garland: By Myselfas Self - Actor (voice)
2003Ritaas Self
2003Broadway's Lost Treasuresas Ann (segment "Sugar Babies")
2003Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn Hotas Self
2003Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were Thereas Self
2003Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguineas
2003Inside the Marx Brothersas Self
2002Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Danceras Self (archive footage)
2002Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Songas Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2001Mulholland Driveas Coco
2000Hollywood Musicals of the 40'sas Self (archive footage)
2000Frank Sinatra Memorialas Self
1996E! True Hollywood Storyas
1996Private Screeningsas Self
1995Inside the Dream Factoryas Self
1994That's Entertainment! IIIas Self - Co-Host / Narrator
1993Lucy and Desi: A Home Movieas Self
1991Home Improvementas Mrs. Keeney
1987Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywoodas Self
1985That's Dancing!as
1982Night of 100 Starsas Self
1977The Love Boatas Connie Carruthers
1976Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywoodas Presidents' Girl 2
1976That's Entertainment, Part IIas (archive footage)
1974That's Entertainment!as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1971Dames at Seaas Mona
1969Love, American Styleas
1968The Dick Cavett Showas Self - Guest
1968Rowan & Martin's Laugh-Inas Self (uncredited)
1967Mondo Hollywoodas
1964The Hollywood Palaceas Self
1962The Merv Griffin Showas Self
1961The Mike Douglas Showas Self
1956The Great American Pastimeas Doris Patterson
1956The Opposite Sexas Gloria Dahl
1956The Dinah Shore Chevy Showas Self
1956Tony Awardsas Self - Performer
1955MGM Paradeas Self
1955Hit the Deckas Ginger
1954Deep in My Heartas Performer in Artists and Models
1953Kiss Me Kateas Lois Lane, "Bianca"
1953Small Town Girlas Lisa Bellmount
1952Lovely to Look Atas Bubbles Cassidy
1951Two Tickets to Broadwayas Joyce Campbell
1951Texas Carnivalas Sunshine Jackson
1950Watch the Birdieas Miss Lucky Vista
1950What's My Line?as Self
1949On the Townas Claire Huddesen
1949Mighty Manhattan, New York's Wonder Cityas Self
1948The Kissing Banditas Fiesta Specialty Dancer
1948Easter Paradeas Nadine Hale
1948The Ed Sullivan Showas Self
1946The Thrill of Brazilas Linda Lorens
1945Eve Knew Her Applesas Eve Porter
1945Eadie Was a Ladyas Eadie Allen / Edithea Alden
1944Carolina Bluesas Julie Carver
1944Jam Sessionas Terry Baxter
1944Hey, Rookieas Winnie Clark
1944Sailor's Holidayas
1943What's Buzzin', Cousin?as Ann Crawford
1943Reveille with Beverlyas Beverly Ross
1942Priorities on Paradeas Donna D'Arcy
1942True to the Armyas Vicki Marlow
1941Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2as
1941Go West, Young Ladyas Lola
1941Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1as Self
1941Time Out for Rhythmas Kitty Brown
1940Hit Parade of 1941as Anabelle Potter
1940Too Many Girlsas Pepe
1940Melody Ranchas Julie Shelton
1938Tarnished Angelas Violet McMaster
1938Room Serviceas Hilda Manny
1938You Can't Take It with Youas Essie Carmichael
1938Having Wonderful Timeas Vivian (uncredited)
1938Radio City Revelsas Billie
1937Stage Dooras Annie
1937The Life of the Partyas Betty
1937New Faces of 1937as Ann Miller
1936The Devil on Horsebackas Dancer (uncredited)
1935The Good Fairyas Girl in Orphanage (uncredited)

Production