Actress annette funicello biography filmography

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Actress annette funicello biography filmography

Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine 5. See all. Sign In. Annette Joanne Funicello. Annette Joanne Funicello achieved teenage popularity starting in October after she debuted as a Mouseketeer. Born on October 22, in Utica, New York, the family had moved to California when she was still young. Walt Disney himself saw her performing the lead role in "Swan Lake" at her ballet school's year-end recital in Burbank and decided to have her audition along with two hundred other children.

Annette became the last Mouseketeer of the twenty-four that was picked. By the run-through in of The Mickey Mouse Club in which she appeared in her own multi-segmented series entitled "Annette", she had become the most popular Mousketeer of them all and the only one kept under contract by Walt Disney after he canceled the show. Her popularity was such that by the late s, she was simply known as "Annette" -- America's sweetheart and the first "crush" for many a teenage baby boomer.

Whenever anyone spoke of Annette, no last name was ever needed as everyone knew who you were talking about. The popular teenager became synonymous with wholesome entertainment and was borrowed by Danny Thomas in to play Gina, a foreign exchange student, on The Danny Thomas Show aka "The Danny Thomas Show" and also that actress annette funicello biography filmography year had a recurring role on the Disney television series Zorro During this time, the modest young singer had a couple of hit singles on the "Hot " charts, notably, "Tall Paul", and as a result, traveled with Dick Clark 's caravan on singing tours around the country.

Their busy careers led to them parting ways. During the early s, American International Films wanted to use her in a fun-on-the-beach movie. They presented the idea to "Mr. Disney ultimately replaced this film project with a new adaptation of Babes in Toylandwhich starred Funicello as Mary Contrary. She had a role on the Disney television series Zorroplaying Anita Cabrillo in a three-episode storyline about a teen-aged actress annette funicello biography filmography arriving in Los Angeles to visit a father who does not seem to exist to the citizens there.

This role was reportedly a 16th birthday present from Walt Disney, and it was the first of two different characters she played opposite Guy Williams as Zorro, whom Funicello had developed a crush on. The film was a success at the box-office. They were released by Disney's Buena Vista label. In an episode of the Disney anthology television series titled " Disneyland After Dark ", Funicello can be seen singing live at Disneyland.

Walt Disney was reportedly a fan of s pop star Teresa Brewer and tried to pattern Funicello's singing on the same style. However, Funicello credits "the Annette sound" to her record producer, Tutti Camaratawho worked for Disney in that era. Camarata had her double-track her vocals, matching her first track as closely as possible on the second recording to achieve a fuller sound than her voice would otherwise produce.

In DecemberFunicello attempted to have her contract with Disney set aside, claiming that it was unequitable and that she was without an agent or legal counsel when she signed it. The court refused. InFunicello returned to Zorro playing a different role. Funicello moved on from Disney to become a " teen idol ", starring in a series of " Beach Party " movies with Frankie Avalon for American International Pictures.

These started with Beach Party when Funicello was 21 years old. The movie was so successful American International Pictures signed Funicello to a seven-year contract and starred her in a series of beach party movies. This was released to cinemas in the US and became a surprise box office hit. When she was cast in her first beach movie, Walt Disney requested that she wear only modest bathing suits and keep her navel covered.

However, she wore a pink two-piece in Beach Partya white two-piece fishnet suit in the second film Muscle Beach Partyand a blue and white bikini in the third Bikini Beach. All three swimsuits bared her navel, particularly in Bikini Beachwhere it is visible extensively during close up shots in a sequence early in the film when she meets Frankie Avalon's "Potato Bug" character outside his tent.

Box office receipts for the series were in decline, and neither Avalon nor Funicello appeared in the final installment, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini The movie was popular enough for them to try another stock car movie, Thunder Alley with Funicello and Fabian. It would be her last lead in a feature film for two decades. Funicello guest starred on Hondo and had a short role in Headopposite The Monkees.

During the s, Funicello focused on raising her family. InFunicello began starring in a series of television commercials for Skippy peanut butter. The two also performed together live. The title was taken from a song from the Disney movie Cinderella. In the final scene, the actress portraying Funicello Eva LaRueusing a wheelchair, turns away from the camera and when turning back, Funicello herself appears to deliver a message to a group of children.

She also had her own fragrance called "Cello, by Annette". Everyone says, 'God bless you and I'm praying for you. Funicello's best friend was actress and singer Shelley Fabareswhom she had met in a catechism class when they were teens. Fabares was a bridesmaid at Funicello's first wedding. Funicello was married to Jack L. Gilardi — from until They had three children: Gina Portman bornJack Jr.

Holt — In MarchFunicello's longtime Encino, Californiahome caught fire. She suffered smoke inhalation, but was otherwise unharmed. In earlyat around 45 years old, Funicello reunited with Frankie Avalon for a series of promotional concerts to promote their film Back to the Beach. She began to experience dizziness, headaches, and balance issues and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

InFunicello again teamed up with Frankie Avalon to co-produce and star as parents of a pair of troublesome teenagers in Paramount's Back to the Beach. Then, in andAvalon and Funicello staged a nostalgic concert tour, performing the beach party music and hit singles they made famous in the s. InFunicello announced that she had been battling multiple sclerosis, a degenerative neurological disease, since To assist in fundraising to fight neurological disorders, the actress founded the Annette Funicello Teddy Bear Company, which markets a line of collectible bears.

She also developed her own perfume line, Cello by Annette. A portion of the proceeds from these products goes to the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Disorders, an organization founded by the actress in She was survived by second husband Glen Holt, whom she married inand three children from her earlier marriage to Jack Gilardi We strive for accuracy and fairness.