Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1980s
    Movies - 1980s Movies - A 3 Mins Read

    Annie (1982)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, it’s only a day away!”

    Famed cartoon strip character, star of radio and Broadway, Little Orphan Annie came to the big screen with an adaptation of the musical Annie.

    The eternally sunshiney and incurably mischievous girl had been in movies as early as 1918, and her 1930’s – 40’s radio show was the biggest thing to hit kidsville in ages, but the moppet had been off the pop culture radar for a while before this lavish feature.

    Curly redhead Annie lives in a Depression-era orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan.

    Annie escapes, is returned, and thanks to a local promotion, gets to be temporarily adopted by billionaire Daddy Warbucks.

    The young girl warms his heart, but Miss Hannigan recruits two partners-in-crime who pretend to be Annie’s real parents.

    It’s up to Warbucks, his mystical valet Punjab, dog pal Sandy and the plucky young heroine to foil Hannigan’s plot and make the world safe for orphans everywhere.

    In true Broadway tradition, the action, the drama and the comedy are interwoven with frequent song and dance routines, including the orphanage ditty Hard-Knock Life and the a cappella theme, Tomorrow.

    Costing over $40 million, this lavish screen version of the Broadway blockbuster had nothing going for it, and as a result, it went nowhere.

    An inflated, over-produced behemoth of a show, it substituted production values for entertainment.

    Furthermore, it employed a director (John Huston) whose work on the film indicated that he had never directed a musical before, and also that he had no feeling for the genre whatsoever.

    A catalogue of squandered opportunities, it wasted the considerable talents of the unmusical Albert Finney (miscast as Daddy Warbucks), Carol Burnett (as Miss Hannigan), Bernadette Peters (as Lily), Tim Curry (as Rooster), and especially Ann Reinking as Grace.

    Newcomer Aileen Quinn played the coveted central role with a commendable lack of precocity, and it was hardly her fault that the production surrounding her just sat there like a piece of very expensive upholstered furniture.

    The producer of this wasted opportunity was Ray Stark, and despite box office grosses of $60 million, Annie barely earned enough to cover its expensive budget.

    The studio bet its bottom dollar (figuratively) that the sun would come out for a 1995 direct-to-video sequel, Annie: A Royal Adventure!

    Annie
    Aileen Quinn
    Daddy Warbucks

    Albert Finney
    Miss Hannigan

    Carol Burnett
    Grace Farrell

    Ann Reinking
    Rooster Hannigan

    Tim Curry
    Lilly

    Bernadette Peters
    Punjab

    Geoffrey Holder
    Asp

    Roger Minami
    Molly

    Toni Ann Gisondi
    Pepper

    Rosanne Sorrentino
    Tessie

    Lara Berk
    Kate

    April Lerman
    Duffy

    Robin Ignico
    July

    Lucie Stewart
    FDR

    Edward Herrmann

    Related Posts

    • Witchery (1988)
      Witchery (1988)
      This Italian horror movie has Baywatch and Knight Rider TV star David Hasselhoff as Gary, a photographer staying in an abandoned…
    • Running On Empty (1988)
      Running On Empty (1988)
      River Phoenix stars as Danny - the musically gifted child of two former student radicals (Judd Hirsch and Christine Lahti)…
    • Annie Hall (1977)
      Annie Hall (1977)
      Woody Allen sub-titled Annie Hall "A Nervous Romance", and it is certainly that. It's a very touching, sweet and funny exploration of…
    • Freedom (1982)
      Freedom (1982)
      Ron (Jon Blake) is an unemployed young man in 1980s Australia, with poor prospects but rich fantasies. On a whim,…
    • Careful, He Might Hear You (1983)
      Careful, He Might Hear You (1983)
      Set in Sydney (Australia) during the turbulent years of the Great Depression, an orphaned boy becomes a pawn in a…
    • Field Of Dreams (1989)
      Field Of Dreams (1989)
      Kevin Costner, as Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella, is the epitome of dignified determination as he accedes to a ghostly voice…
    • Pretty In Pink (1986)
      Pretty In Pink (1986)
      Screenwriter John Hughes, whose speciality is teens in turmoil, scores with the screenplay for this latter-day Cinderella story played out…
    • Foxes (1980)
      Foxes (1980)
      Ex-TV commercial director Adrian (Flashdance, 9½ Weeks) Lyne made his feature film debut with this slick movie about four 16-year-old…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleAmityville II: The Possession (1982)
    Next Article Another Country (1984)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Third Man, The
      1 9 5 9 – 1 9 6 4 (UK/USA) 77 x 30 minute episodes The […]
    • And The Big Men Fly
      1 9 7 4 (Australia) 6 x 30 minute episodes And The Big Men Fly […]
    • Swiss Family Robinson
      1 9 7 4 (Canada) 26 x 30 minute episodes The Swiss Family […]
    • In The Heat Of The Night (1967)
      While travelling in the Deep South, Virgil Tibbs (Sidney […]
    • Bronco Billy (1980)
      Clint Eastwood directed this light and pleasing adventure comedy […]
    • Laverne and Shirley with The Fonz
      1 9 8 2 (USA) 8 x 30 minute episodes Hanna Barbera produced this […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.