Ann Miller - Bobbie Wygant Archive

okay well Ann Miller I have been looking forward to seeing you of course and talking with you and and of course tomorrow night looking forward to this show because I have seen it but I haven't seen you in it so in a sense then I guess I haven't really seen it but you saw it couch standing out that didn't yes I know she came to Dallas with it yes but I think I shows different than the one that Carol did I mean where it's a different type of show I know it was supposed to be based on our show in New York but it was entirely different because I think Carol took over Mickey Rooney's part as well as my part and then rubbed OLS you have to have one top banana which is usually the man and in this case it's Mickey and of course I do all the songs and dances and and I'm a straight woman for him but it's I'm told it's it just didn't there were like two different separate shows but both entertaining but just different and you created the role it's never right right yes I first heard about it when you were doing I guess previews in Los Angeles yes oh well we were six months on the road before we ever brought it into New York so that actually we're going into our sixth year Mickey and myself is that incredible and I've not seen my home in Beverly Hills I I go home for Christmas and come back but I haven't been in that house that house just been sitting there all that time I have people staying there my mother was there up until two years ago and she passed away and had my aunt there Mabel Roberts from San Angelo Texas she came out and looked after everything for me and now she's gone so now I just have a dear friend looking after it and these have to be absolutely wonderful years for you it is was thrilling for both Mickey and myself I think it it really rejuvenated our careers and I think it's an annuity for both of us we've made a lot of money in sugar babies and it's been such a wonderful experience because everywhere you go you get these fabulous receptions and people have just been so wonderful to us and it's so great you know particularly coming at a late age in life and all it's just really exciting how much longer do you see the show going on well we're contracted through April they do want the show in in Australia and in Japan and in London but it just depends on whether Micky and myself want to stay with it we really have set some sort of a record because we have stuck with the show a lot of stars don't stick with the show they'll play it for a year on Broadway and get bored with it and throw it away but I just think we're so blessed to have such a big hit and I think Mick and I appreciate that element and we've stuck with the show and I'm glad we have has it's been a thrilling experience and I had a know Mickey and I've watched him work and there's not a bigger scene stealer in the business is there oh he's a devil honest-to-goodness walking out on that stage with Mickey Rooney they say you never Rock on a stage with a child or a puppy dog because there's they're the same stealers but they forgot about Mickey Rooney he is a devil but we got along great because I'm a straight woman for him and if I can help him get a laugh I will because that's what it's all about so we complement each other and it just works out fine do you have a favorite number in the show that is your number well I think my favorite number really is the end of the show it's the military tap and I enjoyed doing that number because it's nostalgic for me because I did it and hit the deck at MGM which was a big musical and I liked that number and I also enjoy very much doing the medley with Mickey which is a group of songs that Jimmy McHugh wrote and one of them is sunny side of the street and shooting high and all that stuff and it's wonderful working with Mickey because he he's very musical I mean he plays a piano and he plays a couple of instruments and this he plays a piano for me and then of course I stand and listen to him sing sing while he plays a PA but it's kind of a lovely moment in this show and it's the only thing like it in the whole show so I always look forward to doing it with him and I think he enjoys doing it he really gets a kick out of that number because he's just loaded with rhythm and of course you are so famous for your beautiful legs and your legs are now in the whole life and my blood but I didn't know there was a legs Hall of Fame yes it was created by the round of round the-clock hosiery company which of the people that made chiffon shiho's and it's one of the biggest in the world and we were very thrilled Cyd Charisse got it I think the year before I did and and then I received it and it was very exciting you know but that's just one of many many awards I've gotten since I've been in this show is just that's another element in the show that's been exciting I got the Sarah Siddons award in Chicago which is the Chicago version of the Tony Awards and it's a very high honor and I received the George M Cohen award which was given to me by my fellow actors Adler as the best female performer of the year and oh I'd the dance teachers of America have given me two awards and then of course I got a Tony nomination it's just been I mean it's a whole lot of others would be hard I don't to bore you but there's been some wonderful things given to me if we can go back just a little bit and and reminisce about your film career when you think about that movie with the Marx Brothers what comes to mind Harpo when I first met Harpo I was only I think like 15 when I did that picture and I remember when I met him the first thing he did on his set he had that silly way got on that horn he dropped his pants and my mother was standing there with me course he had shorts on but I was so shocked because I had never seen anybody do that many chased me around the set with that horn and of course that scared me to death he just chased me but they loved to tease you you know I mean he was a big tease and Groucho was a big tease and you know Groucho was my friend up until he passed away just recently but he he was a remarkable man with a great sense of humor and a great wit and he left to write jokes he was think he spent half of his hours thinking up things do you have any momento of maybe a gift or something from from them that you chair no I just have all these wonderful photographs from that movie that wasn't one of my favorite movies because I didn't dance in it they wanted me to play a straight part and Lucy ball I think sang in it but she doesn't really say and I acted and they didn't I sing and I dance but they let's let me act it was just sort of wacky but it wasn't one of my favorite movies but they become so famous immerged brothers that now I sort of looked back on it as a treasure because just having worked with them was a great great honor you know thrill and I was so young I was just so fortunate to have done all these wonderful things at such a young age when you were working in the movie stage door with Ginger Rogers Lucy ball yeah Ginger Rogers and Katherine Hepburn I was 14 now was there any jealousy on the part of Ginger Rogers here you are you know no she is so precious that lady is one of the great ladies of show business she doesn't drink she doesn't smoke when I they were looking for a girl to dance with ginger and I was under contract to RKO and they suggested me and they said no she's too tall and I went up to grilling real akava the directors office and I said oh please please let me do this I said maybe I can wear a lower heel and maybe ginger could wear a higher heel and in that way our top hats cause we wore top hat and tails but just to be about right you know well he thought that was so funny and he told ginger about it and it amused her she said that she really want to do it that bad eyes yes she does so she met with me and it was just love at first sight I mean she was so kind and nice and I was just a young kid you know and she still talks about this to this day and how and I worked so hard we had to learn the dance number together or not and she was so gracious I mean this is such a great lady and we and the other day I had a birthday not long ago and the theater surprised me they had this huge cake on stage and a huge marching band that came down Isles and then from the wings came Ginger Rogers with her arms fulfilled roses to give to me I think it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life because I am still today a great fan of Ginger Rogers I mean when I was a little girl in school I used to trade to Marlene Dietrich pictures just to kill one of Ginger Rogers oh yes Fred Astaire what comes to mind well Fred Astaire is such a great gentleman and substyle --is-- and he was way ahead of his time there'll be never anybody again like Fred Astaire he was one of a kind never would be another one working with him and used to parade was a great thrill for me because I've once again I was a great fan and have been since I've been a little girl and working with Gene Kelly I felt the same way but he's a different type of dancer he's marvelous he's more acrobatic and ballet but Fred Astaire is the my idea of the epitome of the stylish gentleman and he has everything that I would expect a New Yorker to have he's actually Austrian did you know that his name is Fred osterlich and I saw Fred Astaire just before I left on this tour and had dinner with him up at the Hermes pans home my dance director for so many years who's his dearest friend and his dance director who even looks like Fred Astaire they're like brothers and I had dinner with Fred and his wife and it was delightful and he's he's he's along in years now he's like 82 years old but he's just remarkable did you feel intimidated having to dance with him yes I did first uh once again because I'm so tall Fred Astaire is only about five eight and I'm five six and a half without shoes so I had to wear ballet slippers working with him but it was okay I mean I would have chopped my feet off to work right now I mean he he's so great well and we thank you for your time and it's been lovely having this visit with you again and I look forward to the show and I know it's going to be great fun oh I'm looking forward to it too I hope you enjoy it thank you thank you that was a lovely interview thank you okay and you know it's wonderful to me to know young people who appreciate those pictures and just love to watch them she was just and of course she went on to be such a great dramatic ass yes yes isn't Mickey Rooney one of the great scenes dealers of all time what is it like working with Mickey Rooney do you have a favorite number in sugar babies and these must be the best years huh how do you look at this whole thing of sugar babies and what it's done for your life in your career I didn't know there was a legs Hall of Fame when you think of the Marx Brothers what comes to mind did Ginger Rogers feel threatened by you did Ginger Rogers feel threatened by you did you feel intimidated dancing with Fred Astaire let me think now alright let me just give you some reactions now [Music] [Laughter] that should do it Greg

Channel: The Bobbie Wygant Archive

Views: 2,419

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Id: Kkpba5XUFaQ

Length: 14min 25sec (865 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 10 2020