ANN MILLER: The ultimate movie musical star.
I never appreciated Ann Miller as a dancer until I began teaching about dance in the movies. During the years I grew up her name was everywhere. She appeared in many movies and even had a late career on Broadway when she stared with Mickey Rooney in the musical Sugar Babies (1979).
Even though Miller was a truly accomplished dancer and singer, she played only supporting roles in her movies with a few notable exceptions. Kiss Me Kate (1953) featured her in the best role of her career, where she appeared alongside some of the most accomplished dance professionals of the period including a young Bob Fosse, Tommy Rall and Carol Haney.
Miller was a tap dancer par excellence. Eleanor Powell, another incredible tap dancer, was trained in other dance forms as well and was noted for her graceful flexibility. Ann Miller in contrast was simply an electric tapper. Her personality and charisma transformed anything she participated in.
Other movie appearances of hers include You Can't Take It With You (1938) (she was 15 at the time), Room Service with the Marx Brothers (1938), Easter Parade with Fred Astaire (1948), On the Town directed by Gene Kelly (1949) and Hit the Deck (1955). She made 39 movies from 1934 to 1956.
Even though Miller was a truly accomplished dancer and singer, she played only supporting roles in her movies with a few notable exceptions. Kiss Me Kate (1953) featured her in the best role of her career, where she appeared alongside some of the most accomplished dance professionals of the period including a young Bob Fosse, Tommy Rall and Carol Haney.
Miller was a tap dancer par excellence. Eleanor Powell, another incredible tap dancer, was trained in other dance forms as well and was noted for her graceful flexibility. Ann Miller in contrast was simply an electric tapper. Her personality and charisma transformed anything she participated in.
Other movie appearances of hers include You Can't Take It With You (1938) (she was 15 at the time), Room Service with the Marx Brothers (1938), Easter Parade with Fred Astaire (1948), On the Town directed by Gene Kelly (1949) and Hit the Deck (1955). She made 39 movies from 1934 to 1956.
Kiss Me Kate: A clever and accomplished musical from the 1950s.
What follows are 3 of the dances from Kiss Me Kate that highlight Miller's abilities. The movie is a modern day tale about the theatre, within which is a musical version of Taming of the Shrew. The first 2 clips highlighted here are from that play within the movie. The 3rd is Miller's character's audition for that play within the movie.
This first clip, Tom, Dick or Harry is one of my favorite all time movie dances. It shows off a young Bob Fosse and the under appreciated Tommy Rall along with a vivacious Ann Miller. Fosse is standing in the middle, dressed in red and white. A mustached Rall is on the left in pink and red. The 3rd fellow is Bobby Van, a hoofer popular in Hollywood.
A note about Bob Fosse: As you can see, he was a great dancer, but he arrived late in Hollywood musical scene. Musicals predominated in Hollywood in the 30s, 40s and 50s but faded from American moviegoer's interests soon after. Fosse had big plans for himself. He thought of himself as the next Fred Astaire but the times were not right for him. He made several musicals in Hollywood but achieved real fame on Broadway as director and choreographer of the great New York musicals The Pajama Game (1954), Damn Yankees (1955), Redhead (1960), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), Sweet Charity (1965), Pippin (1973) and Chicago (1975). Many of these starred his wife, the great Gwen Verdon. He also choreographed and directed the fabulous film Cabaret in 1972. His choreography was so distinct that it created a whole new dance style that is still extensively taught today.
This first clip, Tom, Dick or Harry is one of my favorite all time movie dances. It shows off a young Bob Fosse and the under appreciated Tommy Rall along with a vivacious Ann Miller. Fosse is standing in the middle, dressed in red and white. A mustached Rall is on the left in pink and red. The 3rd fellow is Bobby Van, a hoofer popular in Hollywood.
A note about Bob Fosse: As you can see, he was a great dancer, but he arrived late in Hollywood musical scene. Musicals predominated in Hollywood in the 30s, 40s and 50s but faded from American moviegoer's interests soon after. Fosse had big plans for himself. He thought of himself as the next Fred Astaire but the times were not right for him. He made several musicals in Hollywood but achieved real fame on Broadway as director and choreographer of the great New York musicals The Pajama Game (1954), Damn Yankees (1955), Redhead (1960), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), Sweet Charity (1965), Pippin (1973) and Chicago (1975). Many of these starred his wife, the great Gwen Verdon. He also choreographed and directed the fabulous film Cabaret in 1972. His choreography was so distinct that it created a whole new dance style that is still extensively taught today.
Cole Porter's music is highlighted throughout this very watchable movie. At about the 2:20 mark you will notice a big mood change as Carol Haney and Bob Fosse enter. The choreography is classic Fosse and features what will become his inimitable dance style.
From the same movie, Miller knocks everyone's socks off.
Miller was also an accomplished comedienne showcased in this delightful number from On The Town filmed at New York's Museum of Natural History. On The Town is one of the great Hollywood musicals, entertaining from start to finish. It was the first movie musical to be filmed on location, Manhattan.