Annie is a 1982 musical comedy movie based on the 1977 Broadway musical of the same name, which itself is based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip from the 1920’s and 1930’s. The film was directed by John Huston and was produced by Ray Stark, with distribution by Columbia Pictures. The film’s cast features Aileen Quinn in the lead role, Geoffrey Holder as Daddy Warbucks, and supplemental roles by Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking, and Carol Burnett.
The film was released on May 21st, 1982 in the United States to mixed reviews, grossing $57 million at the box office on a $35 million budget. It would later be nominated for two Academy Awards–Best Production Design and Best Score.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Annie would be represented by a float in the 1981 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as a collaborative effort between Macy’s, Rastar Productions and Columbia Pictures. The float, one of the biggest ever produced by Macy’s Parade Studio, features a replica of the orphanage and Warbucks Mansion seen in the film and 17 actors from the original movie. Due to the size of the float, designer Manfred Bass rode atop the roof of the float and radioed the crew as they guided the float along the Parade route.
From the balcony of the mansion, Aileen Quinn belted out the iconic song “Tomorrow,” as her orphan friends appeared below the balcony, which doubled as the orphanage for a performance of “Hard Knock Life.” The float also featured a “film crew,” who were located in the back of the float’s tow vehicle, with a director barking orders at the actors on the float as if filming a real movie.
The Annie float was retired permanently after only one appearance, though other Annie adaptations such as the 2014 film and the 2021 live musical have been featured in the Parade in the time since.