Ann Miller Stories?- Page 2

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/28/20 at 11:17pm

joevitus said: "daisy hilton said: "*gasp* Ginger wasn't stupid!!!!"

It sounds odd to me. She was a notorious queen bee whom Betty Grable silently dissed at Mame the last night Rogers was playing the role before Gable took over. A loaded curtainspeech about "my dear, dear friend," thoughshe'd treated Grable horribly in their RKO days. So Grable walked out before the speech was over, andwhen Rogers named her, and the spotlight went to her seat--no one was there.

But I never heard about her being stupid."

Joe, I had an extended discussion with Miss Grable because she wanted an apron extension built for her one-woman show in the summer of 1977. She was only playing 8 performances (in a 3,000-seat theater) and our union contract required any such construction be built by union labor in "golden time". For that year, I had been promoted to "Production Coordinator" which was a fancy way of saying it was my job to say "no" to anything that meant spending more money.

Miss Grable threw no tantrum, was perfectly polite, but explained to me at considerable length how being able to move out into the house--no matter now big it was--would allow her to establish a relationship with an individual in the audience, and now everyone in that barn of a theater would feel as if they themselves had the same personal relationship with her during the show.

She was not stupid. She got her apron extension.

[joevitus]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 5:33am

Highland Guy said: "joevitus said: "daisy hilton said: "*gasp* Ginger wasn't stupid!!!!"

It sounds odd to me. She was a notorious queen bee whom Betty Grable silently dissed at Mame the last night Rogers was playing the role before Gable took over. A loaded curtainspeech about "my dear, dear friend," thoughshe'd treated Grable horribly in their RKO days. So Grable walked out before the speech was over, andwhen Rogers named her, and the spotlight went to her seat--no one was there.

But I never heard about her being stupid."
 


NEVERhappened.

I saw the London production of "Mame" with Miss Rogers. She was replaced by Juliet Prowse.

"

Wow, I heard that story (and it took place on Broadway in the telling) from a usually very trustworthy source. Am I getting my Jerry Herman shows mixed up? Could Grable have replaced Rogers on Broadway in Hello, Dolly! at some point?

[joevitus]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 5:37am

morosco said: "Here is some star power at 75 years of age.

I'm Still Here"

See, I think she's just wrong here, and wrong on the CD, too. They filmed the first day when the stars did their numbers in rehearsal (you can see some of it on a TCM salute to Ann Miller called I'm Still Here), and she really nails it there. THAT's Carlotta. But this video or the cast recording? Nope. Misses the darkness of the number completely and becomes an "up" number. Which is a pretty facile rendering of the song.

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 12:05pm

joevitus said: "Highland Guy said: "joevitus said: "daisy hilton said: "*gasp* Ginger wasn't stupid!!!!"

It sounds odd to me. She was a notorious queen bee whom Betty Grable silently dissed at Mame the last night Rogers was playing the role before Gable took over. A loaded curtainspeech about "my dear, dear friend," thoughshe'd treated Grable horribly in their RKO days. So Grable walked out before the speech was over, andwhen Rogers named her, and the spotlight went to her seat--no one was there.

But I never heard about her being stupid."



NEVERhappened.

I saw the London production of "Mame" with Miss Rogers. She was replaced by Juliet Prowse.

"

Wow, I heardthat story (

and it took place on Broadway in the telling) from a usually very trustworthy source. Am I getting my Jerry Herman shows mixed up? Could Grable have replaced Rogers on Broadway in Hello, Dolly! at some point?"

 

No.  For "Dolly":   Channing, then ROGERS, then Raye, then GRABLE, then Bailey, and on into infinity.

Such a nasty "story" about Rogers.  Perhaps you can prove it to be true?

 

Updated On: 6/29/20 at 12:05 PM

[joevitus]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 12:17pm

Chill, girl. Your heart won't stand the strain.

I heard it from a very trusted source. Been working in New York theater since the mid-60's and knows/works with lots of celebrities. Guess this story got passed to him and he mistakenly trusted it and passed it on to me. If this that anecdote is "nasty," you have led a sheltered life.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 12:38pm

She was certainly thrifty.

 

While Sugar Babies was running, I was managing the shoe department of large NY department store. She wold buy an Aigner belt of pair of Ferragamo shoes, wear them on Merv or Mike (or whomever), then return them and order a different belt or pair of shoes.  We would, of course, have a courier deliver and pick up from her.  The shoes would have to be 'written off' by the store

This went on for several weeks until one of our delivery guys finally made a crack about being there so often maybe he could do the next exchange at the Hellinger, which was closer than her apartment.  she must have through he was asking for tickets and we never heard from her again.

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 12:45pm

joevitus said: "Chill, girl. Your heart won't stand the strain.

I heard it from a very trusted source. Been working in New York theater since the mid-60's and knows/works withlots of celebrities. Guess this story got passed to him and he mistakenly trusted it and passed it on to me. If this that anecdote is"nasty," you have led a sheltered life."

 

You were caught in a lie, and now you're insulting me.  Gotcha.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 1:27pm

Back in the late sixties, my partner appeared on the cover of TV Guide advertising a musical TV special he was appearing in that week. Ann Miller must have seen it because his manager received a call from her inviting him to her home for dinner. He had never met Ms.Miller but decided to attend and was told to arrive at 8 pm sharp. When he arrived, there were other people waiting in the foyer. Interestingly, not one of the guests had ever met Annie before.

At exactly 8:15 pm, Ms. Miller appeared at the top of the staircase and continued to tap her way down every step until she landed at the bottom holding her pose for a second before greeting her guests. He said she was extremely pleasant but her entrance was a bit unexpected yet unforgettable. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 4:37pm

Highland Guy said: "joevitus said: "Chill, girl. Your heart won't stand the strain.

I heard it from a very trusted source. Been working in New York theater since the mid-60's and knows/works withlots of celebrities. Guess this story got passed to him and he mistakenly trusted it and passed it on to me. If this that anecdote is"nasty," you have led a sheltered life."



You were caught in a lie, and now you're insulting me. Gotcha."

No lie on my part. I repeated what I was told, and I'm sure the guy who told it to me believed it to be true. 

[noradesmond]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 7:40pm

 

Updated On: 6/29/20 at 07:40 PM

[greensgreens]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 8:39pm

My local BBQ joint has a signed photo from Ann on their celebrity wall and I always request to be seated by her. It’s good luck! I’ve asked about the photo, but no one remembers. But it’s all good, I just imagine her arriving like Dolly and tapping all over with the waiters.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/29/20 at 9:43pm

A very funny Ann Miller interview