Skip to main content

An Oscar Mystery Solved

It's Oscar night...the perfect time to remember Annette's appearance at the 33rd Academy Awards, where she accepted a Juvenile Oscar on behalf of fellow Disney star, Hayley Mills for her role in "Pollyanna".

Many have wondered over the years why it was that Mills herself was not in attendance at the ceremony that night and what ever became of the roughly seven-inch-tall trophy - the last of twelve ever awarded in the Academy's history.

Mills recently put these questions to rest in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.  "I was actually at boarding school in England" the actress reveals on why she didn't attend the show.  "I didn't know anything about it (the award) until it turned up."

When asked if winning an Oscar affected the way she viewed her career at the time, Mills responded: "It didn't change the way I viewed my career, and maybe that was one of the reasons why my parents decided A, not to tell me about it, and B, therefore, not to send me or let me go to the ceremony, because I was very young...It's part of their attitude towards me when I was a child, [that] I should be kept as unaffected by the world that I was now moving in as possible.  So, I went off to my boarding school, and when I came back from making a movie in Hollywood, I went back to boarding school."

As to the Oscars whereabouts, the actress has no idea.  "I'm terribly embarrassed to say this, because it looks so careless, but it has disappeared.  In the late '80's, I came to California to do a television series ["Good Morning, Miss Bliss", later retitled "Saved by the Bell"].  When I came back from that first year, my little statuette had disappeared, and I never found it.  And you know, it's something you can't replace.  They've broken the mold. ...But I'd say for 25 years it was on the mantelpiece in my drawing room, and I was always very proud of it." 

You can read Hayley Mills' full interview and watch an accompanying video interview HERE.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Annette Funicello: Tributes from Fans and Friends

It's simply not often enough that I have the opportunity to alert our readers of a brand new Annette related product, but finally, the long dry spell between such releases has come to an end with the book, Annette Funicello: Tributes from Fans and Friends . Rita Rose, former president of Annette's international fan club, has compiled the personal memories and reflections of over forty individuals who are related to, have met, worked with or befriended this most likable star.  While Annette is famously remembered for being the same person in her daily life as she appears on screen, this book takes you deeper and reveals some of the lesser known dimensions of her character and personality.  Find out what it was like to encounter Annette as a fan, to be a guest in her home, to collaborate with her in the recording studio and attend to her on-set or on one of her early promotional tours in the '60s.  Some share how they first learned and reacted to the news of Annette...

In Remembrance: Glen Dale Holt 1930 - 2018

In Remembrance GLEN DALE HOLT December 19, 1930 – February 12, 2018 We are saddened to report the passing of Glen Holt from complications resulting from a recent respiratory illness. Mr. Holt died on Monday evening, February 12 at a local hospital with his family at his side. As Chairman of The Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases, Glen faithfully led the work begun in 1993 by he and his late wife, Annette Funicello Holt, who died in April 2013. On behalf of our Board of Directors we extend our deepest sympathies to Glen’s family and to a lifetime of friends in the cities of Shafter, Bakersfield and the surrounding communities of California’s Central Valley. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.

NEWS: Bikini Beach and Pajama Party Debut on Blu Ray

Just in time for Christmas, MGM is releasing two of Annette's classic AIP films on Blu ray - a  wonderful gift to fans this Holiday season! BIKINI BEACH (1964) and PAJAMA PARTY (1964) are both currently available to order at major retailers online and are scheduled to ship by December 5th.   Those familiar with the MUSCLE BEACH PARTY, BEACH BLANKET BINGO and HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI Blu Rays can attest to the beautifully enhanced image and sound quality revealed in those releases. It is assumed we can expect the same level of improvement over the old DVD's for these latest titles as well!