http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swDzAPvj6k8
The fabulous Ann “Tappy Toes” Miller in this 1970 commercial for Great American Soups. Miller once had her passport application held up for several weeks because she had selected her occupation as “Star,” and this could not pass muster with the State Department–although Hollywood had no problem. Author of her memoir “Miller’s High Life,” a true survivor (her wig saved her from brain death when a curtain fell on her head in a stage production), a trouper, and a funny dame.
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Allee Willis
Ann Miller is the reason I came to Hollywood. I flew here from NYC with Bruce Roberts, my writing partner, in 1975 in search of Ann so we could get her to tap dance on a Disco version of “42nd Street” I had recorded. How dumb and naive to think that we would just bump into her on the street! But literally our first day here we ended up sitting at the table next to her at CC Brown’s, a famous ice cream parlor on Hollywood Boulevard. She invited us to her house which was as trippy and extravagant as she was, including a perfect toy poodle named FiFi, the exact name you would want for any dog owned by Ann Miller. Her house, on Alta Drive in Beverly Hills, was filled with giant oil portraits of her, none so large as the one of her in the Great American Soups Commercial. I know I have photos somewhere that we secretly snapped of me standing in front of one of them.
Ann was totally into tapping on my record but wanted 90% of the royalties so it all eventually derailed. But I got an autographed book and photo out of it with the inscription “Allee – What a talent! Wow!! Love, Ann “Tippy Taps” Miller.” So all worth it and all sooo Ann!
windupkitty
Wow, thanks for this commercial! I’m SUCH a fan of Ann Miller and Allee, what a great story! this totally made my day….
marty shaw
Wow, I remember this commercial.
T.V. guide at the time said this was the most expensive commercial ever made (up till then)
I only saw it a few times, was it a short lived run ?
gotta love them legs