This article examines the cast of the musical drama film Annie. Continue reading the conclusion for additional information.
About Annie
Annie is a 1982 American musical comedy-drama film based on the 1977 Broadway musical of the same name by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan, which was in turn based on Harold Gray’s Little Orphan Annie comic strip.
The cast features Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, Geoffrey Holder, Edward Herrmann, and the title character, Aileen Quinn. The film was directed by John Huston and written by Carol Sobieski.
Plot of Annie
Annie, a little orphan, resides at the Hudson Street Orphanage in New York City in 1933, during the Great Depression. Agatha Hannigan, a vicious alcoholic, pushes the orphans to clean the facility every day.
With only half of a locket as her only possession, she remains hopeful that her parents, who abandoned her as an infant, will return for her. Annie sneaks out with the assistance of Mr. Bundles and adopts a stray puppy she calls Sandy. Annie is however returned to the orphanage.
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Annie persuades the criminals to stop over, before escaping and destroying Warbucks’ check. Rooster pursues Annie up a bridge in an attempt to kill her; when Hannigan understands his intentions, she tries hard to stop him, but Rooster knocks her unconscious and continues ascending.
Annie is rescued from Rooster and reunited with Warbucks and Grace by Punjab. Rooster and Lily are arrested, and Warbucks officially adopts Annie. During an embrace at a party attended by the orphans, a redeemed Hannigan, and the Roosevelts, Warbucks presents Annie with a new locket.
Cast of Annie
- Annie Bennett Warbucks, a 10-year-old orphan, is portrayed by Aileen Quinn.
- Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, a millionaire industrialist who adopts Annie as his daughter, is portrayed by Albert Finney.
- Miss Agatha “Aggy” Hannigan, played by Carol Burnett, is a vicious alcoholic and Rooster’s older sister.
- Ann Reinking portrays Grace Farrell, Mr. Warbucks’ personal secretary, who agrees to take Annie in.
- Daniel Francis “Rooster” Hannigan, Aggy’s younger con artist brother, is portrayed by Tim Curry.
- Bernadette Peters portrays Lily St. Regis, a petty crook and Rooster’s coconspirator girlfriend.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, was portrayed by Edward Herrmann.
- Lois de Banzie as First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt
- Geoffrey Holder portrays Punjab, the turban-wearing bodyguard for Warbucks.
- Roger Minami portrays The Asp, the Japanese chauffeur, and bodyguard for Warbucks.
- Molly, a fellow orphan who serves as Annie’s substitute younger sister, is portrayed by Toni Ann Gisondi.
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- Pepper, played by Rosanne Sorrentino, is a 14-year-old orphan who controls others.
- Throughout the film, Lara Berk as Tessie, a fellow orphan, screams “Oh my goodness!”
- April Lerman portrays Kate, as a caring orphan who looks after her younger siblings.
- Pepper’s best friend is Duffy, a fellow orphan portrayed by Robin Ignico.
- July, portrayed by Lucie Stewart, is an orphan who rarely communicates.
- Peter Marshall as radio show host Bert Healy
- As the pound man, Larry Hankin is referred to as the pound man.
- Mr. Bundles is portrayed by Irving Metzman, who works for a Chinese washing company.
- Ken Swofford portrays Weasel, a filthy uniformed police officer who pursues Annie as she flees.
- I. M. Hobson portrays Drake, the head butler of Warbucks who conceals his sensitivity to dogs.
- Colleen Zenk, Mavis Ray, and Pamela Blair as Warbucks’ maids Cecile, Mrs. Greer, and Annette
- Lu Leonard portrays Mrs. Pugh, Warbucks’ maid and cooks, in Annie.
- Victor Griffin as one of Warbucks’ servants, Saunders
- Angela Lee, Martika, Amanda Peterson, and Shawnee Smith perform as orphans and backup dancers.
- Martha in Her Own Right
- Meg as Herself
- The Rockettes in Their Own Right
Release Date of Annie
Annie premiered in 14 theatres on May 21, 1982, including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Toronto. On June 18, 1982, it was increased to 1,102 theatres.
Production of Annie
Columbia acquired the rights to the Broadway musical for $9.5 million after outbidding Paramount Pictures in a bidding battle. Ray Stark, the film’s producer, wanted both John Huston and Joe Layton to also serve as executive producers, as the project was too vast for one person to handle.
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Regarding Huston’s assignment to direct his first and only musical during his 40-year directorial career, screenwriter Carol Sobieski remarked: “Hiring John [Huston] is a bet, and Ray [Stark] is a high-stakes gambler. He like this type of dangerous circumstance.”
After marketing and distribution, the film may have cost as much as $59 million, making it one of the most costly films of the time and the most expensive movie Columbia Pictures had financed up to that point.
Music
Annie is an album of music from the 1982 film of the same name.
All words were written by Martin Charnin, while Charles Strouse provided all music.
Reception of Annie
The film Annie earned mixed reviews upon its initial release. The film has a 49% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10.
The website’s critical consensus reads, “John Huston is an odd choice to direct Annie, which results in a plodding, stagebound production, but the children are adorable and the songs are memorable.” A weighted average score of 39 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 10 critics indicates “generally negative reviews.”