Annie (film)

Infobox Film
name = Annie


caption = DVD cover for "Annie"
director = John Huston
producer = Joe Layton
Ray Stark
writer = Carol Sobieski (screenplay)
starring = Albert Finney
Carol Burnett
Ann Reinking
Tim Curry
Bernadette Peters
Aileen Quinn
music = Charles Strouse
choreography = Arlene Phillips
cinematography = Richard Moore
editing = Michael A. Stevenson
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = May 17, 1982
runtime = 127 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget = $50,000,000 (estimated)
followed_by = "Annie: A Royal Adventure!" (1995)
amg_id = 1:2545
imdb_id = 0083564

"Annie" is a 1982 musical film based upon the popular 1977 stage musical of the same name, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. It was released in 1982 by Columbia Pictures.

The film version was directed by John Huston, and starred Carol Burnett and Albert Finney. This was Huston's first and only film musical.

Background/Production

Ray Stark wanted both John Huston as director and Joe Layton as choreographer and executive producer to work on the film, because it was too large an enterprise for one person. Carol Sobieski (the screenwriter) said: "Hiring John [Huston] is an outsider risk, and Ray's [Stark] a major gambler. He loves this kind of high risk situation."Turan, Kenneth. "Annie", "The New York Times", p. SM 40, May 2, 1982.]

It was planned that the staging for the song "Easy Street", with Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, and Bernadette Peters, would be the biggest number in the film. A special outdoor street set, costing $1 million, was built, and it took over one week to shoot the scene. However, the final number was thought to be "overstuffed" and "sour". Nearly two months after the film had finished shooting, a new, indoor more intimate number was shot.

The producton filmed for 6 weeks at Monmouth University in New Jersey, which had two mansions that were used in the film.

tage to screen differences

There were major differences between the stage musical and the film. The film featured four new songs, "Dumb Dog", "Let's Go to the Movies" (which replaced "N.Y.C."), "Sign" and "We Got Annie", and cut "Hooverville", "N.Y.C" (replaced by "Let's Go To The Movies"), "You Won't Be an Orphan for Long", "Something Was Missing", "Annie" and "New Deal for Christmas". In addition, the song "Maybe" has 2 reprises while "Little Girls" and "Easy Street" do not.

In the stage musical, Hannigan, Rooster and Lily are caught at the Warbucks estate, thus not kidnapping Annie. In the movie, she is kidnapped, leading to Warbucks organizing a city-wide search and while escaping, Rooster chases her up the B&O Bridge. Eventually, Punjab rescues Annie by autocopter and returns her safely at the end. Miss Hannigan's heart softens and she also attempts to rescue Annie from being killed by Rooster, and is shown joining in the celebration at the end of the movie.

The scene used for the "Maybe" song was actually the last scene filmed for the movie, because the original opening was too long. Although the "Maybe" song was still used, Annie and Molly are sitting at the window; however, this scene was still inserted into the film, only the last part with the rest of the orphans singing, after the "Little Girls" scene and the scene with Rooster and Lily's entry, during Annie's first night at the Warbucks estate.

Punjab and The Asp, Warbucks' servants/bodyguards from the comic strip, are brought back for this film as supporting roles.

The time was changed from Christmas to 4th of July.

Cast

*Albert Finney as Daddy Oliver Warbucks
*Carol Burnett as Ms Aggie Hannigan
*Ann Reinking as Grace Farrell
*Tim Curry as Rooster Hannigan
*Bernadette Peters as Lily St. Regis
*Aileen Quinn as Annie
*Geoffrey Holder as Punjab
*Roger Minami as Asp
*Edward Hermann as FDR
*Lois De Banzie as Eleanor Roosevelt
*Peter Marshall as Bert Healy
*Toni Ann Gisondi as Molly
*Rosanne Sorrentino as Pepper
*Lara Berk as Tessie
*April Lerman as Kate
*Robin Ignico as Duffy
*Lucie Stewart as July

Several singer-actresses made their debuts in this movie, as Annie's fellow orphans:
*April Lerman would later portray "Lila Pembroke" on the first season of "Charles In Charge".
*Martika (born Marta Marrero II) graduated to the hit TV series "Kids Incorporated," and moved on from there to a successful solo career.
*Amanda Peterson, later of "Explorers" and "Can't Buy Me Love" fame, is a principal singer/dancer for the number "Sandy".
*Shawnee Smith has since appeared in such films as "Not My Kid," "Summer School", the original "Iron Eagle," "The Blob," "Who's Harry Crumb?," "Desperate Hours," "Becker" and - most recently - the "Saw" series. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083564/fullcredits#cast Complete cast of 1982's Annie] ]

According to Robert Osbourne of Turner Classic Movies, Drew Barrymore had auditioned for the role of Annie, while Bette Midler was an early choice for Miss Hannigan, and Jack Nicholson had been considered for the role of Daddy Warbucks.

ongs

#"Tomorrow" - Annie
#"Maybe" - Annie
#"It's the Hard-Knock Life" - Annie and Orphans
#"Dumb Dog" - Annie
#"Sandy" - Annie and Orphans
#"I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" - Annie, Grace, and Servants
#"Little Girls" - Ms Hannigan
#"Maybe" - Pepper, July, Duffy, Tessie and Kate
#"Let's go to the Movies" - Annie,Mr Oliver Warbucks, Grace, and chorus
#"We Got Annie" - Grace, Mrs. Pugh, Punjab, and Asp
#"Sign" - Ms Hannigan and Mr Oliver Warbucks
#"You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" - Bert, Boylan Sisters,Orphans join in later
#"Easy Street" - Rooster, Lily, and Ms Hannigan
#"Tomorrow (White House Version)" - Annie, Oliver, Mrs. Roosevelt, and FDR
#"Maybe (Reprise)" - Mr Oliver Warbucks
#"Finale (I Don't Need Anything But You / We Got Annie / Tomorrow)" - Annie, Mr Oliver Warbucks, Chorus, and Orphans

Critical reception

The film's reviews ranged from positive to extremely hostile, and in spite of a $57 million US box office take (making it 10th highest grossing film of the year), the film still did not turn a profit on its theatrical release. Currently, the film has a 54% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com. The film was nominated for five Razzies for "Worst Picture" and "Worst Screenplay", and "Worst New Star", and John Huston as "Worst Director", but won for "Worst Supporting Actress" for Aileen Quinn.

The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score. Additionally, Carol Burnett and Aileen Quinn received Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical (both) and New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female (Quinn). Quinn won the Young Artist Award, Best Young Motion Picture Actress.

Adaptations

Television movies

;"Annie: A Royal Adventure!" (1995)A sequel, "Annie: A Royal Adventure!" was made for television in 1995. The sequel starred Ashley Johnson, Joan Collins, George Hearn and Ian McDiarmid. Aside from a reprise of "Tomorrow," there are no songs in the film.

In the film, Warbucks (Hearn), Annie (Johnson), an eccentric scientist (McDiarmid) and one of the orphans travel to England, where Warbucks is to be knighted by the King. However, the kids get mixed up in the scheme of an evil noblewoman (Collins) to blow up Buckingham Palace while all the heirs to the throne are present for Warbucks' knighting, thus making her queen.

;"Annie" (1999):"See main article: Annie (1999 film)

A made-for-TV movie version was broadcast on ABC on November 7, 1999. It starred Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan, Victor Garber as Daddy Warbucks, Alan Cumming as Rooster, Audra McDonald as Grace Farrell, Kristin Chenoweth as Lily, and newcomer Alicia Morton as Annie. Produced by The Walt Disney Company in association with Columbia TriStar Television, the movie received generally positive reviews and high ratings. It also earned 2 Emmy Awards and a 1999 George Foster Peabody Award. Although truer to the original stage musical than the 1982 movie, it condensed much of the full story in an attempt to make it more viewable for children. It featured a special appearance by Andrea McArdle, star of the original Broadway production.

The film has aired on cable on Hallmark Channel, ABC Family and Starz after its premiere on ABC. Disney Channel, which had aired the original 1982 version of "Annie", has not aired the 1999 version as of 2007, but will do so sometime this year.

Recordings and video

The CD of the 1982 movie soundtrack was released by Columbia Records in May 1982; the CD of the 1999 television movie was released on November 2, 1999 by Sony. The 1982 film was released on VHS on December 7, 1982 by Sony Pictures and also on DVD on December 12, 2000. A "Special Anniversary Edition" DVD was released on January 13, 2004 and contains these Special Features: Age of Annie Trivia Game; Sing Along with Annie; Act Along with Annie; My Hollywood Adventure with Aileen Quinn; "It's the Hard-Knock Life" music video by Play.

The two television movies were also released on DVD by Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Video.

Trivia

In the scene where Oliver Warbucks is broadcasting on radio, there are three women singing a cappella as an introduction. They are imitating the Boswell Sisters who in reality were famous in the 1930s and 40's for similarly harmonizing on radio broadcasts and TV.

Awards

Won

*Young Artist Award 1981-1982
**Best Young Motion Picture Actress - Aileen Quinncite web
url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms4.htm
title=4th Annual Awards
work=Young Artist Awards
publisher=Young Artist Foundation
accessdate=2008-03-26
quote=Toni Ann Gisondi, Annie]
*Razzie Award
**Worst Supporting Actress - Aileen Quinncite web
url=http://www.razzies.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=332
title=1982 RAZZIE® Nominees & "Winners"
publisher=Golden Raspberry Award Foundation and John Wilson
date=1983-04-11
accessdate=2008-03-26]

Nominated

*Academy Awards
**Best Art Direction-Set Decoration - Dale Hennesy and Marvin March
**Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score - Ralph Burns
*Young Artist Award 1981-1982
**Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture—Toni Ann Gisondi
*Hollywood Foreign Press Association
**Best Actress, Musical/Comedy - Carol Burnett
**Best Actress, Musical/Comedy - Aileen Quinn
**Best New Artist of the Year, Female - Aileen Quinn
*Razzie Awards for 1982
**Worst Picture
**Worst Screenplay
**Worst Director - John Huston
**Worst New Star - Aileen Quinn

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0083564|title=Annie (1982)
*imdb title|id=0112374|title=Annie: A Royal Adventure! (1995) (TV)
*imdb title|id=0207972|title=Annie (1999) (TV)
*rotten-tomatoes|id=1001077-annie|title=Annie
* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9C07E5D71038F932A15756C0A964948260&oref=slogin "New York Times" review, May 21, 1982]