• Rating:
• Genre: Musical
• Movie Type: Period Film, Musical Comedy
• Themes: Rags To Riches, Orphans, Bodyguards
• Director: John Huston
• Main Cast: Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Aileen Quinn, Ann Reinking, Bernadette Peters
• Release Year: 1981
• Country: US
• Run Time: 127 minutes
• MPAA Rating: PG

Plot

This family classic is adapted from the Broadway musical, which was based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. During the Great Depression in New York City, a plucky red-haired scrapper named Annie (Aileen Quinn) is the voice of hope for her fellow orphans who live under the supervision of drunken floozy Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett). Annie's spirit is fueled by the belief that her real parents dropped her off at the orphanage with a half of a locket, promising to return for her with the other half. One day, the dingy orphanage is visited by the sophisticated Grace Farrell (Ann Reinking), personal secretary to conservative politician Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney). In order to improve his image, Grace brings Annie to the Warbucks estate for a weeklong visit. Annie quickly wins the hearts of servants and politicians alike, eventually even bringing her song of hope, "Tomorrow," to President Roosevelt in Washington. Warbucks and Grace even go so far as to perform a public search for Annie's parents, creating an opportunity for Miss Hannigan, Rooster (Tim Curry), and Lily (Bernadette Peters) to scam their way to the reward money. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Review

John Huston's Annie is a contemporary classic that embodies a timeless quality that few films of the 1980s have been able to accomplish. The dream casting may be its best asset, especially with Albert Finney throwing his weight around as Daddy Warbucks. Comedienne Carol Burnett is a perfect choice for the skinny, shaky Miss Hannigan, offering a complementary combination of drunken pratfalls and spinster cynicism. Even in the smaller roles that don't show up until Act III, Tim Curry's Rooster and Bernadette Peters' Lily St. Regis are dastardly comic villains. They bring a fun-filled badness into the picture when it looks like things are getting a little too sentimental. The climactic scene is a cinematic feast, employing a vertical train-bridge set piece complete with Punjab's (Geoffrey Holder) philosophical helicopter rescue. The Oscar-nominated art direction effectively re-creates Depression-era New York, of which a rascally orphan with immeasurable faith is an excellent symbol. Especially entertaining is the Bert Healy (Peter Marshall) radio show program and the orphans' gymnastic make-believe emulation of the broadcast. The wish-fulfillment theme culminates in the glorious trip to Radio City Music Hall with the actual Rockettes opening number "Let's Go to the Movies." Throughout the film, the songs are ridiculously catchy, danceable, and soaring with emotion, making Annie a well-rounded musical and ageless family favorite. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Albert Finney - Daddy Warbucks
• Carol Burnett - Miss Hannigan
• Aileen Quinn - Annie
• Ann Reinking - Grace Farrell
• Bernadette Peters - Lily

Tim Curry - Rooster Hannigan; Geoffrey Holder - Punjab; Roger Minami - Asp; Edward Herrmann - Franklin D. Roosevelt; Toni Ann Gisondi - Molly; Rosanne Sorrentino - Pepper; Lara Berk - Tessie; April Lerman - Kate; Lucie Stewart - Duffy; Robin Ignico - July; Lois de Banzie - Eleanor Roosevelt; Loni Ackerman - Boylan Sister; Larry Hankin - Pound Man; I.M. Hobson - Drake; Lu Leonard - Mrs. Pugh; Peter Marshall - Bert Healy; Irving Metzman - Bundles; Cherie Michan - Dancer; Amanda Peterson - Dancer; Sandy - Himself; Shawnee Smith - Dancer; Ken Swofford - Weasel; Robert Guerra; Murphy Cross - Boylan Sister; Jerome Collamore - Frick; Jon Richards - Frack; Kurtis Epper Sanders - Spike; Victor Griffin

Credit

Jerry Ziesmer - First Assistant Director; Theoni V. Aldredge - Costume Designer; Margaret Booth - Editor; Ralph Burns - Composer (Music Score); Martin Chamin - Songwriter; Martin Charnin - From Musical by; Robert Guerra - Art Director; Dale Hennesy - Production Designer; John Huston - Director; Joe Layton - Executive Producer; Thomas Meehan - Book Author; Arlene Phillips - Choreography; Carol Sobieski - Associate Producer; Carol Sobieski - Screenwriter; Raymond Stark - Producer; Michael A. Stevenson - Editor; Charles Strouse - Composer (Music Score); Charles Strouse - Songwriter; Dianne I. Wager - Art Director; Gene S. Cantamessa - Sound/Sound Designer; Richard Moore - Cinematographer; Peter Howard - Choreography

Similar Movies

Bright Eyes; Heidi; Mary Poppins; Newsies; Oliver!; Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; A Little Princess; Matilda; Madeline; Little Lord Fauntleroy

annie	annie broadway
Annie Proulx	annie brocoli