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Annie is a 1982 American musical film produced by Rastar and distributed by Columbia Pictures based on the musical musical of the same name, which in turn was based on the 1924 Little Orphan Annie comic strip by Harold Gray.

The film is directed by John Huston, written by Carol Sobieski, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, and features an ensemble cast consisting of Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking, Geoffrey Holder, Edward Herrmann, and Aileen Quinn in her feature film debut. The film tells the story of Annie, an orphan living in New York City who desires to have a good family. When she is taken in by billionaire Oliver Warbucks, she must avoid capture by her alcoholic caretaker and her brother.

Filming took place for six weeks on Monmouth University in New Jersey. Annie was released on May 17, 1982, and received mixed reviews from film critics. The sequel, Annie: A Royal Adventure!, aired on the ABC in 1995. A television film adaptation of Annie was also broadcast in 1999. A remake of the film produced by Will Smith is under development.

Plot[link]

Annie, a young orphan living in the Hudson Street Orphanage in New York City during the Great Depression, thinks that her parents simply left her there ("Maybe"). Annie attempts to flee to find her parents, but the orphanage's cruel and alcoholic supervisor Miss Agatha Hannigan catches her and orders the orphans to clean up the orphanage ("It's a Hard Knock Life"). Later, while trying to flee in a laundry truck run by Mr. Bundles, Annie befriends a dog ("Dumb Dog"), and later names him Sandy after convincing the dogcatcher that he is hers. Escorted back to the orphanage by a policeman along with Sandy, Annie is to be penalized and Sandy is to be sent to the sausage factory ("Sandy"). However, Grace Farrell, a secretary to billionaire Oliver Warbucks, arrives, saying that he wants an orphan stay at his mansion for a week to help his image. Despite Miss Hannigan's objections, Grace picks Annie and rescues Sandy.

Upon arrival, Annie, Sandy, and Grace meet Warbucks' bodyguards Punjab and The Asp among the other butlers, maids and servants including Cecile, Drake, Mrs. Pugh, Mrs. Greer, Annette, and Saunders. During her stay there, she quickly endears herself to everyone there ("I Think I'm Going to Like It Here"). However, Warbucks disapproves, as he originally desired a boy orphan. Meanwhile, Miss Hannigan is frustrated with the orphans' behavior ("Little Girls"). She is visited by her brother Rooster and his girlfriend Lily.

Annie eventually gains Warbucks' trust. When Sandy detects an assassin who tries to kill Warbucks with a bomb, it is thwarted by Sandy, Punjab, and The Asp. Grace explains to her that the Bolsheviks are displeased that he is living proof that the American system actually works. After visiting a movie theater ("Let's Go to the Movies"), Warbucks and Grace puts the orphan to sleep. Convinced by Grace to adopt her, Warbucks goes to the orphanage to get the adoption papers signed. Despite Miss Hannigan's attempt to seduce him, Warbucks blackmails her into signing ("Sign"). He goes back to the mansion to tell Annie and is about to give a Tiffany's locket to her, but the orphan says she wants to find her real parents. Deciding to help, he makes an announcement on a radio show hosted by Bert Healy offering a $50,000 reward to her parents.

Several couples arrive at Warbucks' mansion. Warbucks and Punjab take Annie in the autocopter to visit President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington DC, where she performs for him and his wife Eleanor ("Tomorrow (White House Version)"). When she realizes that the couples are fake, Warbucks convinces her not to give up. Meanwhile, the Hannigans and Lily plot a scheme using their disguises to collect the reward, drown her and split the money three ways ("Easy Street"). Hearing what has happened, the other orphans attempt to go to Warbucks' mansion but are locked up by the Hannigans and Lily. The orphans flee and find out that the Hannigans has captured Annie and the money. Hearing the orphans' warning, Warbucks puts out an APB on the felons, and he and Grace search for them while Punjab and another servant search from the autocopter, ending at a railway drawbridge that is in the upright position. Annie destroys the check and Rooster pursues her to the bridge despite his sister's objections. As the police, firefighters, and ambulance arrive with Warbucks, Punjab kicks Rooster into a firefighter's net and rescues Annie. Rooster and Lily are arrested and Annie gets her wish of a good family at a party where President and Mrs. Roosevelt, her orphan friends, and the servants are enjoying themselves ("I Don't Need Anything But You"). Hannigan is reformed and Grace and Warbucks further develop their relationship.

Cast[link]

• Aileen Quinn as Annie, the title character.
• Albert Finney as Oliver Warbucks, a billionaire who is a businessman and later becomes Annie's adoptive dad.
• Carol Burnett as Miss Agatha Hannigan, Annie's cruel and alcoholic caretaker who runs the orphanage.
• Tim Curry as Daniel "Rooster" Hannigan, her con-artist brother.
• Bernadette Peters as Lily St. Regis, Rooster's petty-thieving girlfriend.
• Ann Reinking as Grace Farrell, Warbucks' secretary and love interest.
• Edward Herrmann as President Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Geoffrey Holder as Punjab, one of Warbucks' personal bodyguards.
• Roger Minami as The Asp, Warbucks' personal chauffeur and another personal bodyguard.

Orphans

• 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

Supporting characters

• Lois de Banzie as Eleanor Roosevelt
• Peter Marshall as Bert Healy, a radio show host.
• Irving Metzman as Mr. Bundles, a laundry man whose truck Annie stows away in.
• I. M. Hobson as Drake, Warbucks' butler.
• Colleen Zenk Pinter as Cecile, one of Warbucks' maids.
• Mavis Ray as Mrs. Greer, one of Warbucks' maids.
• Pamela Blair as Annette, one of Warbucks' maids.
• Lu Leonard as Mrs. Pugh, one of Warbucks' maids.
• Victor Griffin as Saunders, one of Warbucks' servants.
• Jerome Collamore as Frick
• Jon Richards as Frack

Several singer-actresses made their debuts in this film, as Annie's fellow orphans and principal dancers:

• 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.
• Meredith Salenger, later of The Journey of Natty Gunn, had an uncredited cameo as a dancing orphan.

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.

Musical numbers[link]

1. "Tomorrow" - Annie
2. "Maybe" - Annie
3. "It's a Hard Knock Life" - Annie, Orphans
4. "Dumb Dog" - Annie
5. "Sandy" - Annie, Orphans
6. "I Think I'm Going to Like It Here" - Grace, Annie, Staff
7. "Little Girls" - Miss Hannigan
8. "Maybe" - Pepper, July, Duffy, Tessie, Kate
9. "Let's Go to the Movies" - Annie, Warbucks, Grace, Chorus
10. "We Got Annie" - Grace, Mrs. Pugh, Punjab, Asp, Servants
11. "Sign" - Warbucks, Miss Hannigan
12. "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" - Bert, Boylan Sisters
13. "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (Reprise)" - Orphans
14. "Easy Street" - Rooster, Lily, Miss Hannigan
15. "Tomorrow (White House Version)" - Annie, Warbucks, Eleanor, FDR
16. "Maybe (Reprise)" - Warbucks
17. "Finale (I Don't Need Anything But You/We Got Annie/Tomorrow)" - Annie, Warbucks, Company

Production[link]

The NX Bridge over the Passaic River is sometimes colloquially known as The Annie Bridge

Wilson Hall, the centerpiece of the Monmouth University campus, where most of the film was shot

The producer of the film, Ray Stark, wanted both John Huston and Joe Layton while working as the director and choreographer respectively, to also be executive producer on the film, because it was too large an enterprise for one person. Regarding Huston being given the job of directing the first (and what would be the only) musical in his 40-year directing career, screenwriter Carol Sobieski said: "Hiring John [Huston] is an outsider risk, and Ray's [Stark] a major gambler. He loves this kind of high risk situation."^[2]

For reasons yet explained, it was planned that the staging for the intimate, secretive song "Easy Street" 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, an indoor, more intimate number was shot that mimicked the ambience portrayed in the original 1977 musical.^[2]

The production filmed for six weeks at Monmouth University in New Jersey, which has two mansions that were used in the film, one of which is the Shadow Lawn Mansion (now known as Woodrow Wilson Hall).^[2] An abandoned railroad bridge over the Passaic River in Newark was used for location shooting of one of the climatic scenes^[3][4]

Stage to screen differences[link]

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", "Sign", and "We Got Annie", and cut "We'd like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover", "N.Y.C", "You Won't Be an Orphan for Long", "Something Was Missing", "Annie", and "New Deal for Christmas". In addition, the song "Maybe" has two reprises while "Little Girls" and "Easy Street" do not.

In the stage musical, Miss Hannigan, Rooster, and Lily are caught at the Warbucks mansion, thus their plan to kidnap Annie fails as they are arrested by the President's Secret Service. In the movie, Annie is kidnapped, leading to Warbucks organizing a citywide search and while escaping, Rooster chases her up the B&O Bridge. Miss Hannigan's heart softens and she also attempts to rescue her from being killed by him, but he knocks her out and continues the chase. Eventually, Punjab rescues her by autocopter and returns her safely at the end. Miss Hannigan is then shown joining in the celebration at the end of the movie and showing a possible romantic interest in Punjab.

The scene used for the song "Maybe" was the last scene filmed for the movie, because the original opening was too long. Although it 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 mansion.

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

The setting was moved from Christmas to the Fourth of July.

Charnin said of the movie, "Terrible, terrible. It distorted everything..."^[5]

Reception[link]

The film received generally mixed reviews from critics, and despite grossing $57 million in the United States^[6] (making it the 10th highest grossing film of 1982), the film still did not turn a profit on its theatrical release.^{[citation needed]} Annie 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 each received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical and New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female (Quinn). Quinn won the Young Artist Award, Best Young Motion Picture Actress.

Accolades[link]

• Young Artist Award 1981–1982
  • Best Young Motion Picture Actress - Aileen Quinn^[7]
• Razzie Award
  • Worst Supporting Actress - Aileen Quinn^[8]

Nominated

• Academy Awards^[9]
  • 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^[7]
  • 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

Home media[link]

This film was released on VHS and CED Videodisc on April 5, 1983 by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video. It was re-issued in 1985, 1994, and 1997 (in a "Broadway Tribute Edition" to coincide with the original play's Broadway revival that year). There were two widescreen laserdiscs, one in 1989 and another in 1994. The film was released in a widescreen DVD on December 12, 2000.

A "Special Anniversary Edition" DVD was released on January 13, 2004 (four days before producer Stark's death). Despite the fact that the first DVD was widescreen, the DVD was in pan and scan (but with DTS sound). Reviewing the disc for DVD Talk, Glenn Erickson, while praising the film overall, called the pan and scan transfer an "abomination that's grainy and lacking in color." He also noted that the short retrospective featurette with Ms. Quinn contained clips from the film in the correct aspect ratio. Erickson also called the music video of "It's the Hard-Knock Life" by Play "pretty dreary" and attacked the other, child-oriented extras by saying "Musicals and kids' films aren't just for tots ... and this disc is little more than a headache." ^[10] However, several countries in Region 2 received widescreen versions of this edition including the United Kingdom.

Adaptations[link]

Television films[link]

Annie: A Royal Adventure! (1995)

A sequel, Annie: A Royal Adventure! was made for television and aired on ABC on November 18, 1995. It starred Ashley Johnson, Joan Collins, George Hearn, and Ian McDiarmid. Aside from a reprise of "Tomorrow," there are no songs in it.

In the film, Warbucks (Hearn), Annie (Johnson), an eccentric scientist (McDonalds) 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)

A made-for-TV movie version was broadcast on ABC on November 7, 1999, starring Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan, Victor Garber as Daddy Warbucks, Alan Cumming as Rooster, Audra McDonald as Grace, Kristin Chenoweth as Lily, and newcomer Alicia Morton as Annie. Produced by The Walt Disney Company in association with Columbia TriStar Television, it 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 version, it condensed much of the full story in an attempt to make it more viewable for children. The film also 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.

The 1999 version is more comical than the 1982 version's slightly darker tone.

Other versions[link]

The Hindi film, King Uncle, starring Jackie Shroff, Shahrukh Khan, Anu Agarwal, and Naghma, is loosely based on this film, especially the storyline of the orphan who melts the heart of a rich man.

On January 20, 2011 it was announced that Will Smith was planning to produce a remake of Annie and it would star his daughter, Willow, in the title role. On May 25, 2012 it was announced that Jay-Z is writing new songs for the movie.^[11]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Annie at the Internet Movie Database
• Annie at AllRovi
• Annie at Box Office Mojo
• Annie at Rotten Tomatoes
• Annie at Metacritic