Halfway through the sixth viewing of the film Annie with a couple of spellbound kids, something struck me beyond the great score, brilliant casting and choreography: Miss Hannigan.
Spectacularly played by the great Carol Burnett, Miss Hannigan goes down as the single greatest movie drunk I’ve ever seen. Well, Lee Marvin runs a close second in his role in Cat Ballou, but Burnett plays the role with such gusto, joy and credibility that you can’t help but fall in love with her. Again and again.
From the scenes where she passionately kisses her radio, bumps into swinging light bulbs and grasps her head in pain as the orphans shout, to the decreasing sigh tones as she swallows one glass after the next of cheap booze, this is an acting feast that you want one serving of after the next.
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| Bathtub gin...the breakfast of champions The hair, the make-up and costumes and her ability to imitate the voices of her little “pig-droppings” is unparalleled. |
Who the hell else could pull off the following punch-line?
Grace: What about this child?
Miss Hannigan: Annie?… Oh, you don’t want Annie.
Grace: Why not?
Miss Hannigan: Because… Because she’s a drunk!
Brilliant. And I’ve attached a clip below for your viewing pleasure.
That. That right there is made me want to be an actress. Not because I'm a drunk in real life and art imitates reality, but because she's my dream role. So lovable despite her downfalls. However....
Ms. Hannigan was seriously misunderstood.
I get that now. She was no evil villain! What the story neglects to tell you is how Ms. Hannigan had to spend YEARS dealing with TEEN girls. They don't SHOW that part in the movie. They don't SHOW how HORRIFIC Annie would have been during puberty! I mean, she was a REDHEAD! Can you even imagine the torture she would have endured when Annie turned, say, 19!?
OF COURSE she hated little girls because she KNEW that they grow up to be money sucking, time sucking, blood sucking black holes in the universe. NO WONDER they love vampire stuff so much! It's in their NATURE.
Seriously someone needs to do the untold Ms. Hannigan story. I gotta say I am MORE than ready to take a bath of cheap imitation gin too! I totally GET HER !
Ms. Hannigan was seriously misunderstood.
I get that now. She was no evil villain! What the story neglects to tell you is how Ms. Hannigan had to spend YEARS dealing with TEEN girls. They don't SHOW that part in the movie. They don't SHOW how HORRIFIC Annie would have been during puberty! I mean, she was a REDHEAD! Can you even imagine the torture she would have endured when Annie turned, say, 19!?
OF COURSE she hated little girls because she KNEW that they grow up to be money sucking, time sucking, blood sucking black holes in the universe. NO WONDER they love vampire stuff so much! It's in their NATURE.
Seriously someone needs to do the untold Ms. Hannigan story. I gotta say I am MORE than ready to take a bath of cheap imitation gin too! I totally GET HER !
i am ms. hannigan i our school play. and it is REALLY hard to be drunk. my mum made my a EPIC and DRUNK-LIKE hairstyle and make up. the play turned out as a comedy. if you need and tips contact me on: katyKT@hotmail.co.uk
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