Annie (1982)

 

Annie - 1982

Coming up next we have 1982's "Annie", a high-spirited musical that follows a forgotten orphan named Annie as she finds a family with one of the wealthiest men in America.  Leapin' lizards!

The film's cast includes Aileen Quinn, Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, Geoffrey Holder, Roger Minami, and Edward Herrmann.

Meet Annie.  She's an orphan that wonders who her parents are and what they are like.  "Betcha they're good, why shouldn't they be?  Their one mistake was givin' up me!" she sings.

Annie and the other orphans live in a run-down orphanage operated by a constantly drunk Miss Hannigan, who basically enslaves the girls in her charge by "making this dump shine like the top of the Chrysler Building!"

While the girls do the chores Miss Hannigan has assigned to them, the sing about how "It's A Hard-Knock Life".

While out of the orphanage one day, Annie saves a dog from the dogcatcher.  She comes home with him and she and the girls decide on what to name him.  They eventually call him "Sandy".

One day, Miss Hannigan gets a visit from Grace Farrell, the secretary to Oliver Warbucks, the billionaire.  Mr. Warbucks wants to invite an orphan to share his home with him for one week.

Grace chooses Annie, who is eager to go and see what Mr. Warbucks is like.

Miss Hannigan is not prepared to let Annie go without a fight.  She lets Annie go once Grace threatens her job.

So, off Annie (along with Sandy) go to the huge Warbucks mansion.  Annie is so excited to be there.

It takes Mr. Warbucks a bit of getting used to, that's for sure, but he soon warms up to Annie.

He also starts to fall for his secretary, Grace.  Annie is delighted when Mr. Warbucks takes them both out to see "Camille" with Greta Garbo at a special showing at Radio City Music Hall.

Eventually, Mr. Warbucks decides to adopt Annie, and he has a terrible time trying to convince Miss Hannigan to sign the adoption papers.

When Annie is told of the plan to adopt her, she is very hesitant.  She's grateful that Mr. Warbucks wants to adopt her, but she would still like to find her birth parents most of all.

Mr. Warbucks is galvanized into action.  He gets as many people as he can on the case: J. Edgar Hoover, William Randolph Hearst, Walter Winchell, just to name a few.

Mr. Warbucks even goes on the radio offering a reward of $50,000 if Annie's birth parents will come forward to claim her.  Miss Hannigan hears this and is suddenly struck with an idea.

To escape all the craziness that his announcement has caused, Mr. Warbucks takes Annie on a trip to Washington D.C. to visit President and Mrs. Roosevelt.  Annie tells them all that the sun will come out "Tomorrow".

Back in New York, Miss Hannigan has convinced her criminal brother and his floozy girlfriend to pose as Annie's birth parents in an effort to claim the reward.  Miss Hannigan knows that Annie's parents are really dead, and she is the only one in possession of this information.  Her brother kidnaps Annie and nearly kills her.

After Annie comes back safe and sound and the adoption is finalized, Annie proclaims, "I love you Daddy Warbucks".  An adoption party is hosted by Mr. Warbucks, and Annie gathers with her new family (including Grace) to watch a dazzling fireworks display.

Cast rundown:

   Aileen Quinn...................................Annie

   Albert Finney...................................Oliver Warbucks

   Carol Burnett..................................Miss Hannigan

   Ann Reinking..................................Grace Farrell

   Tim Curry.......................................Rooster Hannigan

   Bernadette Peters............................Lily St. Regis

   Geoffrey Holder...............................Punjab

   Roger Minami..................................The Asp

   Edward Herrmann...........................Franklin D. Roosevelt

And that's all for Annie.  Albert Finney shaved his head for the role of Mr. Warbucks.  When it came time for the premier, his hair had regrown, and young Aileen Quinn didn't recognize him.  Young actresses who auditioned for the role of Annie included Drew Barrymore and Kristin Chenoweth.  Shadow Lawn stood in for the Warbucks mansion.  Originally owned by the president of F.W. Woolworth Company, it was later sold for $100 at the end of the Great Depression.

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