THE MOVIE OF “TOMORROW”.
New York City, 1933; the orphan Annie (Aileen Quinn) is selected to stay with a billionaire (Albert Finney) for a week to bolster his public image. A huge Broadway hit gets its elaborate Hollywood adaptation where the lion’s share of the budget seems to have gone to decorating the opulent Warbucks mansion. A lot of heart and goodwill for Roosevelt’s New Deal in the original musical, but the film is a bit heavy-handed and lacks sincerity. Still, Finney and Carol Burnett are fun as the boisterous billionaire and drunken orphanage manager.
1982-U.S. 128 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by John Huston. Book: Thomas Meehan. Comic Strip: Harold Gray (“Little Orphan Annie”). Songs: Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin (“Tomorrow”, “It’s the Hard-Knock Life”). Cast: Albert Finney (“Daddy” Oliver Warbucks), Carol Burnett (Agatha Hannigan), Aileen Quinn (Annie), Bernadette Peters, Tim Curry, Ann Reinking… Edward Herrmann.
Trivia: Steve Martin, Bette Midler and Drew Barrymore were allegedly considered for parts. Followed by a TV movie, Annie: A Royal Adventure! (1995) and remade as Annie (1999) and Annie (2014).
Razzie: Worst Supporting Actress (Quinn).
