Ann Miller danced her way to viewers’ hearts

In “That’s Entertainment,” a compilation of production numbers from memorable musicals, Debbie Reynolds declared that Ann Miller was “the best tapper on the MGM lot” – and she was right.

No one had performed with such élan since Eleanor Powell retired from show biz. Miller possessed an incredible set of legs that excited male viewers. In fact, MGM’s head honcho, Louis B. Meyer, attempted suicide when she turned down his marriage proposal! But, the vibrant performer accepted Meyer’s offer to become his studio’s Ambassador of Goodwill, which enabled her to travel around the world.

Miller was admired by Hollywood “playgirls,” because she could party all night and yet perform afresh the next morning. It is said that she almost became the mother-in-law of Elizabeth Taylor, because Conrad Hilton, Liz’s father-in-law, courted Tinseltown’s fastest tapper.

Career

Miller was contracted by RKO when she was only 13 years old (she pretended to be 18). In her 20-year career, she appeared in over 40 films.

In the ’50s, she appeared in “Hit the Deck” and “Kiss Me Kate” alongside other MGM luminaries like Kathryn Grayson, Marge and Gower Champion, Jane Powell, Howard Keel, Tony Martin and Reynolds.

Miller likewise performed with the likes of Cyd Charisse, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Her dance sequences were always memorable and full of élan, but “It’s Too Darn Hot” was arguably her most memorable number.