The epitome of class and grace. I wish I'd had the opportunity to meet the wonderfully talented and hard-working performers that were under contract with MGM during the heydays of the studio system. We will never see talent like this on the big screen ever again and Ms. Miller is definitely missed. Thank you for posting this.
My Mom was a native HOUSTONIAN and when she was born in 1930, there were only 220,000 living there.....one of them was ANN MILLER....my Mom was always so PROUD of Ann Miller and her talent and beauty....it's wonderful to see someone so totally thrilled with their opportunity to be so talented....
Ann Miller's resilience is very inspiring, how can she come back from an abusive husband who broke her back as a result she lost her only child. She was strong and came back on top. She never got addicted to drugs or alcohol, she never pitty herself for what she went thru to the contrary she took all that heartbreak and kept on going. I respect lady Miller a lot for her strong will and resilience, she was the best always a professional, rest in peace, lady Ann Miller.
Thanks a million for tuning in and writing such a kind comment! We shot this at her home on Alta Drive in Beverly Hills- her boxwood hedges must have been worth tens of thousands of dollars- she had a life size full portrait of herself at the head of her royal staircase... and this was right after a major quake in LA- she had Fabergé eggs crazy glued to the marble top tables! When we were done, she thanked me, and I said to her, "Miss Miller- If not for talent like yours, I wouldn't have a job." She was so pleased, she kissed me! :)
+soapbxprod wonderful!! I can see it was a very pleasant and memorable experience. Were you working for a TV station, maybe making a documentary on classic Hollywood? :)
Yes, we were working on my "auntie" Janet Leigh's biography for Lifetime TV, and shooting interviews with all of her friends (like Annie) for a program that was never green lighted- based on Janet's book, "There Really Was a Hollywood". If you look on our uploads page, there are lots more interviews there, with stars like Lizabeth Scott, Jackie Cooper, Robert Stack, and Margaret O'Brien.
It's terrific to hear someone's personal experiences with movies that you might've seen repeatedly, but didn't know about behind the scenes. I remember reading Chita Riviera's description of meeting Ann Miller in the '50s, and when she complimented Ann on her amazing dancing abilities on so many difficult multi-level sets, Ann laughingly cursed and said something like, she never wanted to see another bunch of different platforms again.
Look at those Pearls! :) And her boxwood hedges were spectacular too. I shot this at her home on Alta Drive in Beverly Hills- her boxwood hedges must have been worth tens of thousands of dollars- she had a life size full portrait of herself at the head of her royal staircase... and this was right after a major quake in LA- she had Fabergé eggs crazy glued to the marble top tables! When we were done, she thanked me, and I said to her, "Miss Miller- If not for talent like yours, I wouldn't have a job." She was so pleased, she kissed me! :)
Still photos of her at this age didn't do her justice - when she starts talking, & is animated she is SO charming & delightful! Thank you for sharing this.
Most welcome- Thanks for watching! She was so sweet and gracious to us... after the interview, she said thanks, and I said "without you, I wouldn't have a job." She kissed me on the cheek. I thought I was gonna faint... :) MGM, baby! "More Stars than there are are in Heaven"...
Being a “ star “ at mgm was a full time job , lol. Ann loved it and we loved her. What a life. She lived to the fullest and I’m so happy Ann felt her fans love toward last third of her career, with sugar babies. She so well deserved the success.
I only got to know her through Mulholland Drive in which she plays a sweet but odd-looking mysterious elderly landlord. She still picked my interest, hence my watching this video. Great interview by the way! She was a very good friend of Rita Hayworth.
Ann Miller was marvelous and extremely talented. My wife and friends went to see her in a great production of Sondheim's Follies at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey around the time that this interview was filmed. Seated behind us was Stanley Donen, the iconic director of Funny Face, Charade and co-director of Singin In The Rain. He was gracious and signed a program. Miller had worked with Donen in On The Town. Her work in Easter Parade and Kiss Me Kate was outstanding.
To die for!!! :-D There is a winsome, honest quality about Ann Miller that shines from every pore of her enthusiastic self! They just don't make gals like this one any more ;-)
So gracious and unpretentious. So many of the MGM stars were so into themselves and were always "playing the star," like Joan Crawford and Lana Turner. With them, everything seemed rehearsed and shallow. With Ann, you felt you got the real-deal. And just look how fabulous Ann looks!
Look at those Pearls... :) And her boxwood hedges were spectacular too. I shot this at her home on Alta Drive in Beverly Hills- her boxwood hedges must have been worth tens of thousands of dollars- she had a life size full portrait of herself at the head of her royal staircase... and this was right after a major quake in LA- she had Fabergé eggs crazy glued to the marble top tables! When we were done, she thanked me, and I said to her, "Miss Miller- If not for talent like yours, I wouldn't have a job." She was so pleased, she kissed me! :)
Hard to believe this is just 7 years before her passing. I know she died of lung cancer. Did she smoke? I'm sure if she did, she would have never shown it in interviews. I spent about a half hour with the delightful June Allyson and was stunned to discover she was a chain smoker...which didn't fit her "girl next door" image.
It is astounding that Donen, who was a significant part of the Golden Age of MGM and directed Astaire, Kelly, Grant, Hepburn, Finney, Keel, Powell and Sinatra, hasn't received the American Film Institute life achievement award, or the Kennedy Center Honor. He did receive an honorary Oscar about ten years ago. Interestingly Miller relates Sinatra's willingness to learn dance routines under Kelly's supervision in On The Town; when he worked with Hayworth, Novak and Hermes Pan in Pal Joey, not so.
Upon reading Ms. Miller's imdb fan page I came across 3 interesting facts that made me feel like this was a lady I would've loved to share a bottle of wine with while listening to her stories, haha... check these out~~~ (she seems like a blast!) :) On her tax returns, listed her occupation as "Star Lady".... She sang and danced "Too Darn Hot" in 120-degree heat, entertaining 5000 soldiers.... She dabbles in psychic phenomena and astrology & believes she was once Queen Hathshepsut of Egypt!
