Their particular father try an unlawful lawyer, and her mother, Clara Birdwell, a Cherokee

In the age around three, in the event the Colliers gone to live in Houston, Colorado, she are signed up her into the dance college, partially to produce their feet, that has been influenced by rickets. Ballet was not her niche, and you will once enjoying Costs Robinson for the your own appearance during the Houston in the age 7, she put her views on tap dance. Robinson provided their unique a first faucet example, and you can she in the near future is performing into the clubs and you may regional theaters. At the age nine, she gone along with her mother so you’re able to La, in which she subscribed to the Fanchon and you will Marco dancing school. Contacting by herself Annie and you can adopting the phase name away from Ann Miller, she performed dance routines at the meetings away from local civic communities, generating $5 every night, also information. Just after watching Eleanor Powell from inside the Broadway Beat of 1936 she turned into their particular attention to improving their unique tap dance enjoy. Looks from inside the vaudeville theaters led to club reservations and you can a beneficial sixteen-month wedding during the Bal Tabarin inside Bay area, in which she was noticed because of the an enthusiastic RKO skill lookout. The guy establish a motion picture audition, and therefore led to their unique earliest movie, a low-speaking part for the The new Face out-of 1937. With her vibrant identification, higher feet, and spectacular brand of tap-dancing, RKO awarded their own an excellent eight-seasons deal whenever she was just thirteen (she advertised is you are); and you can carry out after guarantee their own legs for one billion bucks.

Miller was a remarkable, self-powered more youthful skill. From the ages fourteen, she played Ginger Rogers’s moving mate in the movie Phase Home (1937). A year later, she are borrowed by Columbia Pictures to appear as the Essie Carmichael, the newest fudge-making dancing-dancing daughter, on Academy Award-effective You simply cannot Carry it Along with you (1938), brought from the Frank Capra. Back in the RKO, she played Hilda on Marx Brothers’ Room Solution (1938). Inside the 1939, she generated a smashing Broadway first in the George White’s Scandals, undertaking a phenomenon moving “The Mexiconga.” She upcoming closed a different seven year contract that have Columbia and you will are starred in a succession out of wartime B-ranked musicals, such as for instance True toward Armed forces (1944), in which her solamente behavior have been brand new highpoint. Their unique personal rat-a-tat, mile-a-minute, tap style justified one to she choreograph all her own unicamente habits.

Ann Miller, the fresh raven-haired, long-legged, sexy dancer towards server-weapon taps, came to be Johnnie Lucille Collier into the Chireno, Tx, sivustoni when you look at the 1923

Their particular notoriety since “King of your B’s” came from their own musical versatility in dealing with loads of Larger Band, Move and you will Latin orchestras. It provided Rudy Vallee and you can Edwardo Durant with time Out to own Beat (1941); Freddie Martin and you will Orchestra from inside the What is Buzzin’ Cousin? (1943); the latest orchestras out of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Alvin Rey, Charlie Barnet, Glen Grey, and you will Teddy Powell in the Jam Example (1944); the fresh Kay Kaiser Orchestra into the Carolina Blues (1944); along with the newest music Reveille With Beverly, with the orchestras out-of Duke Ellington, Number Basie, Bob Crosby, and you will Freddie Heap, with singing because of the Honest Sinatra and Mills Brothers.

When you look at the 1948 Miller leftover Columbia and is actually finalized from the MGM so you’re able to superstar when you look at the Easter Procession (1948), to relax and play the fresh new part from Nadine Hale-the previous dance companion and another exactly who likes Wear Hewes, played by Fred Astaire, who enjoys Judy Garland, just who wants Peter Lawford, just who enjoys Judy Garland

She danced which have an effective dreamlike sophistication having Astaire from inside the “It Only Happens when I Dancing to you,” inspite of the 5′ eight” dancer being required to wear ballet slippers. But it is given that a great soloist in a single scene-regarding the film, featuring Nadine Hale regarding “Ziegfeld Follies regarding 1912” number-she sang “Trembling the fresh Organization Out,” taking the fresh new snazziest song-and-dancing in 1940s music movie.