Ann Miller--Streamlined Sheik, 1944

Ann Miller sings and dances to "Streamlined Sheik" in this rare performance from 1944. Comic Joe Besser is the love interest.

[@slywlf]

OMG! This was new to me! I nearly choked when I recognized Joe Besser LOL. Ann could do anything!! Never saw anyone fling fringe that hard - helicoptered it! 🥰😮😁

[@celestialskye1]

Never seen this! Ann Miller what a dancer! 💜

[@FFKemble]

This is new to me - I thought I'd seen all of Ann's appearances! Gorgeous.

[@triplex2912]

Ann was such a beautiful and talented lady!

[@seanohare5488]

I agree underrated

[@mayaa5048]

Wow, that was amazing! Bravo, lady Miller, bravo!

[@janetflier6192]

Where did Ann Miller get the energy to perform her routines? This was before, "energy drinks".

[@saritamendez4935]

A new clip for me. thank you very much for sharing, she was GREAT !

[@varadero1839]

Thanks so much Mr. Eichler! Every post is astounding, amazing and very welcome. Each, and every one a winner! Best wishes, varadero

[@POLITIMICOST]

That's hysterical! How did they think tap dance was Middle Eastern? Anyway, I'm impressed that she learned to play sagat (finger cymbals) that well, and being able to do those repeated fast chene turns, WOW!!!

[@nathanjamesdance]

Really great to see the full version in good quality. My DVD of Hey Rookie cuts the dance break strangely.

[@dolphinschild62]

Wow

[@jimp4170]

I never saw anything like this in Morocco.

[@maya8443]

Ha, good one!

[@BADRUBULDURA]

💝💝

[@snoopyhoney]

AMAZING! I was looking for that one...what's the name of that movie again? Biggest Ann Miller fan here...thank you for posting all of these wonderful videos!

[@bestfriends6596]

This is from “Hey, Rookie” 1944

[@alisonjohnson287]

snoopyhoney w

[@user-jo9uq9vi6m]

彼女の容姿、歌声、ダンス全て魅力的。

[@hebneh]

The split-second opening shot establishes that this is supposed to be some kind of show for the boys in a military training camp - yeah, right. With a ceiling of huge overhead drapes, men juggling lit torches, and a bevy of harem-clad babes.

[@esmeephillips5888]

Preparing to meet Rommel?

[@gdmoore]

Interesting, a few of those steps were reused wholesale in the 'Shaking the Blues Away' choreography. Specifically around the 2:40 mark.

[@jackanthony976]

Ann Miller is one of the few dancers who can actually get away with recycling her steps from movie to movie. If you watch the very last musical she tapped in "Hit the Deck" she pretty much uses every tap combination she ever used and put it all together in the finale number "Hallelujah."

[@mca1218]

Is this from a feature film, or is it one of those 'soundies' music videos that were popular in the day? At any rate, love when Ann grandly slips off the veil at 2:15, before bulldozing into her machine-gun taps.

[@aeichler]

Hey Rookie.

[@mca1218]

Oh. Thanks much!! Very snazzy!!

[@jackanthony976]

This is from a feature film starring Ann Miller called "Hey Rookie."

[@nathanjamesdance]

Do you have the full movie??? Mine is sadly an edited version (missing the dance to this song) and not of this quality.

[@esmeephillips5888]

Still imitating Eleanor Powell, with particular reference to 'Hula Tap' and 'I'll Take Tallulah' and minus the athleticism, but spirited as always. This was from 'Hey Rookie': one of the patriotic programmers Harry Cohn put her in at Columbia, before he got jealous of her for being romanced by Mayer and killed her contract. The young Stanley Donen may have had a hand in choreographing this scene. He was working under Val Raset, as on bigger projects such as 'Cover Girl'. Donen also helped out on Miller's 'Jam Session' from the same year as this, 1944.

[@jackanthony976]

What I read was that Ann unintentionally killed her own contract at Columbia. In fact, Cohn summoned Ann to a meeting when he heard that she was going to marry Reese Milner. He also had two women attend the meeting to testify to Ann that Reese had a propensity for violence. Cohn begged Ann not to marry Reese. Well, Ann did marry Reese. Not surprisingly shortly after they married, Reese threw Ann down the stairs and she was laid up for two years unable to dance or even walk. She lost her baby as well because of this act of violence. Cohn later sued Reese for Ann's breach of contract. Cohn held Reese responsible for Ann's inability to report to the studio for work. Reese had even tried to keep Ann from the studio before he pushed her down the stairs. I never read anything that stated that Cohn killed Ann's contract over romantic jealousy. If Cohn did cancel Ann's contract when might that have happened?

[@esmeephillips5888]

@Maxwell Smart No, on rereading 'Miller's High Life' I think Jack has it right. Cohn did not treat her that badly, apart from using her as a pawn in a deal with Mayer, and at least that got her away from being stuck as Queen of the Bs at Columbia. In general Cohn handled performing talent well; his bark was worse than his bite. Many wound up with grudging respect for the old monster as he battled for his oufit to crash the Big Five. His big crush on his protegee, Rita Hayworth, stopped Ann getting the breaks as an actress-dancer. He did feud with Rita later, but Heaven knows she gave him cause for annoyance.