Trivia of Ann Miller

Trivia of Ann Miller (12 April 1923 - 22 January 2004)

*Miller began dance classes at the age of 5 (a condition that results in weak or soft bones in children) in an attempt to strengthen her legs after suffering from rickets.She came to be considered a child dance prodigy.She said that Eleanor Powell was an early inspiration.

*At age 13 in 1934, Miller became a showgirl at the Bal Tabarin. Due to laws regarding employment at establishments that sold liquor, Miller lied about her age and said she was 18. While working at Bal Tarbin, Miller was discovered by Lucille Ball and talent scout/comic Benny Rubin there.This led to a contract with RKO, who were under the belief that Miller was 18. When they discovered her true age later, her father provided a fake birth certificate with the name Lucy Ann Collier, made herself four years older, when she began working in Hollywood.

*Miller made her film debut in 1934 with a minor role in the musical comedy “The Devil on Horseback.” Throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, she appeared in a series of films, often cast as the energetic and glamorous dancer. Some of her notable early films include “Stage Door” (1937), “You Can’t Take It with You” (1938), and “Too Many Girls” (1940).

*Miller was credited with helping to develop tights during the 1940s to help solve the issue of tearing stockings during filming her dance routines. Instead of sewing stockings into her costume (meaning the garment had to be resewn every time they tore) her hosiery was made as tights instead.

*She was famed for her super-fast tap-dancing, and press at the time claimed she could tap an astonishing 500 taps per minute.

*In film Eastern Parade (1948), Ann Miller was up for the role of Nadine, replaced injury Cyd Charisse .She had to perform her biggest numbers in a back brace. In an interview with Robert Osborne, she revealed that she had been thrown down the stairs by her then husband Reese Milner. She was also pregnant at the time and was in a lot of pain.

*Her favorite role was Bianca/Lois Lane in Kiss Me Kate (1953).This film originally was shown in 3-D, so several moments are designed to show off that special effect. In "Too Darn Hot", Ann Miller dances with a fan between herself and the camera. This would have appeared to be the fan coming out of the screen.