Mark Steyn: Shakin' the Blues Away – Ann Miller, 1922-2004

SteynOnline ^ | January 22, 2004 | Mark Steyn

[quidnunc]

Ann Miller was 81 when she died, but for most of the last several decades she was usually described as “ageless”, which she was — ageless, that is, in the sense that nobody of any age looks like that. I saw her on stage thrice and met her a couple of times, and I liked the way she existed in a kind of self-created fantasy world. No point comparing her with anyone. She was a good-natured broad, who had an agreeable dollop of self-parody about her, as if she figured the best thing she could do was stick as close to her Hirschfield caricature as possible: Her eyes were barely visible beneath their huge lashes and the gleaming teeth framed by dazzling high-gloss lips took up most of the lower half of the face. On the top of her head was her trademark lacquered wig, subject of many bad jokes — “There was a hurricane in New York today.” “How do you know?” “A hair on Ann Miller’s head just moved.”  And underneath, of course, were the million-dollar pins, machine-gunning the stage as mercilessly as ever until well into her seventies.

Her film career stretches from Stage Door, where she’s a game 17-year old trying to hold her own among savvier, sassier types like Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Katharine Hepburn, to David Lynch’sMulholland Drive a year or two back, where she’s a game octogenarian holding her own among younger, hipper types. Good old Ann. Nothing ever fazed her, and nothing Lynch pulls could be as weird as some of the numbers in Hit The Deck.

On stage she was terrific in Sugar Babies, despite a co-star who couldn’t always keep up (Mickey Rooney) and a script assembled from painstakingly exhumed gags: 'He had a freak accident. A freak fell on him.' In the courtroom sketch, Rooney’s judge would hammer his — um — equipment with his gavel and assert that Miss Miller's vicious husband should have been 'bloody well hung'. 'Oh, he was,' she’d say, fluttering those famous lashes.

-snip-

[T Lady]

Such sad news. I really enjoyed watching her interviews with Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osbourne. She was always a class act. Another great Golden-Age Hollywood loss. One of her best roles: The femme fatale in "Kiss Me Kate" (1952 or 1953), co-starring Katherine Grayson and Howard Keel. The "Too Darn Hot" song and dance number--awesome!

-Regards, T.

[annyokie]

I love her tap-dancing audition with Ginger Rogers in "Stage Door".

RIP Ann

[speedy]

Always entertaining. Didn't she also dance on a giant Campbell's soup can for a commercial? A wonderful dancer.

[T Lady]

"Easter Parade" (1948), co-starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland; "On The Town" (1949), co-starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, and Jules Munshin.

-Regards, T.

[katykelly]

I always thought she lit up the screen, if even briefly.

[T Lady]

I'm not too sure about that. I think the best place to go would be either her autobiography ('Ann Miller-Taps'), or the Movie Guide.com website. I just like watching TCM alot as opposed to spending money on today's anti-war, anti-Bush poser-set.

-Regards, T.

[annyokie]

That was "American Soups". If I remember correctly. She still had the legs even at 60+.

[Citizen Soldier]

I was in Sedona, AZ a few years ago and she came into the restaurant we were eating in. She was dressed to the nines, hair and makeup, accessorized perfectly. She was still very elegant, even if a bit outdated in he attire, but never tacky. I was told she lived there in Sedona.

[Chi-townChief]

[T Lady]

A great picture. She always had a radiant smile. And good manners.

...Contrast that with Susan Sarandon, Madonna, Julia Roberts, and Gwynneth Paltrow...Like night and day.

-Regards, T.

[annyokie]

When I lived and worked in Santa Barbara (late 70's) Jane Russell used to lunch at the restaurant where I worked once a week. She was also quite lovely.

[Desdemona]

RIP to one of the all time greats.

[Citizen Soldier]

wouldn't it be nice to see stars instead of sluts again?

[annyokie]

It surely would. I miss the glamour of old time Hollywood even though I am "only" 45.

Where are the Clark Gable, Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart's of today? Not present in my opinion. Man, I'd love to see a movie with ACTORS and no special effects.

[annyokie]

She and Ginger Rogers were great (and I mean GREAT!) dancers.

I wish they made movies like the old ones. Have you seen "The Women" Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford? Man, that was a terrific movie!

[RightWingAtheist]

The lovely Ms. Russell is not only still with us, she is one of US:

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1057117/posts

[annyokie]

[zarf]

Her Shakin the Blues Away in "Easter Parade" and her tapping on the table performance in "Kiss Me Kate" are etched in my mind forever.

May God bless this HOT, Hollywood honey!!