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This post is part of the IT'S IN THE NAME OF THE TITLE BLOGATHON, hosted by Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews & Rebecca from Taking Up Room.
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🎵Annie…Annie’s her name, if you please. If you don’t believe me, ask any one of the fleas…🎵 Oh wait, this song is about Sandy the dog. We’re here to talk about Annie.
What do you think when you hear the name Annie? Curly ginger haired orphan? Freaky pupil-less comic strip eyes? Fashion icon? Ovaltine? Depression era feminist? A secret decoder ring? A somewhat bloated big-screen adaption of a Broadway hit? All of the above?
Annie is a sweet, rough and tumble orphan living under the inebriated reign of Miss Hannigan. All she dreams of is her parents returning with the other half of a locket she was left with. After escaping the tyranny of Miss Hannigan, saving a dog from street urchins and then being returned to the orphanage, Annie’s life is about to change. Grace Farrell is there to temporarily bring an orphan to her employer’s mansion for the sake of his public image. Annie jumps at the opportunity and is soon singing and dancing into the heart of business-minded Daddy Warbucks.
Adoption seems immanent, but Annie wants to find her parents, so Daddy Warbucks offers up big bucks to find them. Meanwhile, back at the orphanage, Miss Hannigan, her brother Rooster and his girlfriend Lily are plotting to get Daddy’s big bucks. Rooster and Lily are going to pretend to be Annie’s parents by using the other half of her locket that Miss Hannigan had the whole time. What happen’s next? You’re gonna have to watch to find out!
How in the name of John Waters and Andy Milligan can I love ANNIE?!?! Is it the endearingly charming performance of Aileen Quinn in the title role? Is it Albert Finney as he transforms Daddy Warbucks from a hard-nosed businessman to a hard-nosed businessman with a heart? Could it be Carol Burnett’s scene-stealing turn as the drunkenly hilarious Miss Hannigan? What about the dynamic singing duo of Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters as Rooster and Lily? Maybe it’s all of the above, and the other orphans, along with some seriously catchy tunes!
I watched ANNIE a lot as a kid. I think I enjoyed the idea of being swept away from the monotony of day to day life into a very different world. I probably also enjoyed the adult humor sprinkled throughout. My love of this film continues to baffle me, but perhaps i should be proud. ANNIE stands as a testament to my eclectic cinematic taste. Whether this taste is good or bad, I’ll leave it for you to decide.
SIDE NOTE: As a kid, I didn’t know who John Huston was, but I now appreciate his direction of ANNIE and I believe he would’ve made a great Daddy Warbucks.
This post is part of the IT'S IN THE NAME OF THE TITLE BLOGATHON, hosted by Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews & Rebecca from Taking Up Room.
🎵Annie…Annie’s her name, if you please. If you don’t believe me, ask any one of the fleas…🎵 Oh wait, this song is about Sandy the dog. We’re here to talk about Annie.
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| Yes, I own this! |
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| Little Orphan Social Climber! |
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| Fire my hairstylist! |
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| Miss Hannigan knows how to make an entrance! |
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| Villain fashionistas! |
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| Daddy Warbucks is judging me! |
In conclusion…
What’s in the name Annie? A little song…a little dance…a little drama…a little comedy…a little suspense…and a whole lot of heart! If that didn’t make you throw up a little in your mouth, then grab a glass of Ovaltine and enjoy ANNIE!
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| You know you want to! |
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. In S1E5 of HATERS BACK OFF, Miranda is excited to play “Annie” in a disturbingly funny backyard production! Don’t know about HATERS BACK OFF? Click the pic ⬇️ to learn more about my favorite Netflix series…
My books… viewAuthor.at/JohnLHarmon
Hi John, I really really love that you love Annie - and I do want to watch this one with you one day soon. You are still in the wrong job as I know writing trailer scripts for retro movies is definitely the job for you and this is more proof... Thanks so much for this wonderful fun read. Added you to day 1... thanks for joining, Gill xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gill!!!!
DeleteIt would be a blast and a half to watch Annie with you!! I really do love Annie and sing along to all of the songs when I watch it!
I'm not sure if there's a big demand for writing script trailers to retrofilms, but I would totally enjoy doing so!
Hi John, loved your fun and entertaining article on this film! Though not one of my favorites--maybe because I saw the Broadway show when I was a kid and missed Andrea McArdle (by then too old)--there are many bright spots, best of all Carol Burnett who steals the whole movie. And i agree, John Huston would have been perfect as Daddy Warbucks--he was a great actor as well as director, as evidenced in Chinatown and as the Lawgiver in the Planet of the Apes films...
ReplyDelete-C
Hi Chris!
DeleteThank you for stopping by and you're right, Carol Burnett steals the show!
I couldn't help but smile when you mentioned John Huston as the law giver in the planet of the apes film because I often think of that brief appearance first when I think of him, followed quickly by his turn as Uncle Buck loner in Myra Breckenridge!
Wait, John Huston directed this?! I've gotta be honest, Annie is not high on the must-see list, but the cast is an intriguing, fun mix, and it might just be worth seeing for Carol Burnett alone. Anyway, your review has planted an image in my brain of a little red-haired moppet belting out Tomorrow like there was no tomorrow. Thanks a lot! 😉
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Brian and I confess I'm always shocked when I'm reminded that John Houston directed Annie! Shows his talents word diverse!
DeletePlus, you're welcome for that image I planted! Watching Carol Burnett as Miss hannigan will remove that image! Lol
Fun short and sweet review, John! I have to admit this movie scared me off when it came out, and my bias wasn't improved when I saw Serial Mom. Nevertheless, based on your enthusiastic appraisal, I feel compelled to give this one a shot (I'm sure Nancy would approve).
ReplyDeleteP.S., Regarding the pupil-less eyes of the original comic book characters... What if "Annie" fell into the public domain, and some warped filmmaker decided to turn it into a horror film, not unlike the Winnie the Pooh movie (which I haven't seen, btw). Hmm...
Thank you, Barry!
DeleteAnnie is truly worth watching for Carol Burnett, but be warned, there is schmaltzy cheese a plenty!!
I was going to try to work in Serial Mom, but I couldn't squeeze it in, which means I should just review that movie sometime!
As for your Annie horror movie idea! That would be truly unsettling with real people! 😱😂 I would probably have to watch, unlike the Winnie the Pooh movie. I just can't bring myself to do it.
I've never seen this version of Annie, but your terrific review makes me think I'm missing out on something special. I'll see if I can find it on a streaming channel. Thanks for sharing this review!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome and good luck! Surely it is streaming somewhere! I guess I forgot to check since I own the dvd!
DeletePure nostalgia for me. I showed this film to my daughter and she loves it just as much as I do. Its the best version out there. The cast is just perfection! xox
ReplyDeleteNow that you mention that, nostalgia is probably a big part of it for me too! Happy you're passing along this wonderful movie to your kid!
DeleteDon't worry, you have a great taste! Annie is a very funny movie, and Carol Burnett steals the spotlight from the cute orphan. I had a lot of fun watching this and reading your review.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! My goal is to entertain with my film reviews!
DeleteLoved your review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteGreat review! I loved this movie as a kid, too--even had the Annie fashion doll, although I think Andrea McArdle is the better singer. Thanks again for joining the blogathon, John. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Rebecca and thank you!!
DeleteHi John, hope you can join....
ReplyDeletehttps://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2024/06/18/news-announcing-the-aaron-spellingverse-blogathon/
Thank you, Gill, but I think I'll have to pass on this one
DeleteI heard of a Annie, but still haven't seen it! I must admit I was never really attracted by it, but your review convinced me to maybe give it a try. It doesn't sound boring anyway! Thank you for a great article, John :)
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome and Carol Burnett makes the film worth your time!
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