1977
As a dancer, it makes sense that she could hold her body in a fascinating pose. She is also making me wish I could wear this around my house and just stop on a dime and hit it. Walking into the bathroom to clean the tub and BOOM! Fosse! Clambering up the basement stairs with an armload of laundry and ZAM! Fosse! Pulling in the trash cans down the steep driveway and KAPPW! Fosse, and then also an injury! But still.
1978: Movie Movie
Yes, that's Harry Hamlin with her in Movie Movie, which is a satirical movie parodying boxing flicks (man boxes to fund the sister who is going blind, man gets hoodwinked by a crooked manager, man becomes a lawyer to get revenge). I just need you to read the quotes on IMDB. Ahem: "When a man says what's right, what's good, what's real, and what's true, then his mouth is ten feet tall." And, "Hey, don't tell me my business. I've taped more hands than you've got in your whole head." And, "Fightin's for suckers. I'm goin' to night school to be a lawyer. These hands are for readin' books." AND FINALLY: "With the woman that you love at your side to stand behind you, a man can move mountains with his bare heart." THE WOMEN YOU LOVE AT YOUR SIDE TO STAND BEHIND YOU is some great quiet humor writing there.
1979
This is from "All That Jazz." I aspire to a tenth of this confidence. (And even a twelfth of her legs.)
1981
Did Ann Reinking ever make a video entitled "Ann Reinking Teaches You How To Get Your Leg Up Higher Than Mid-Thigh Level," because I need that very badly. And if not, can Kristen Wiig impersonate her and make one? Thanks.
1981
I would absolutely let this woman read my palm.
1981
This, of course, is the ethereal yellow Annie dress. I had some little figures from that movie and Grace's was wearing this. (I had three Annie's, I think: orphan, Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile, and the iconic dress. Oh shit, this was one of them! [Nobody buy this for me, please. I have too much clutter already and we didn't even bring that much to Canada.] Daddy Warbucks's face rubbed off eventually. I obviously had Punjab too.)
She wore the hell out of this suit.
I really wish we had more stills from this movie. I would have used ALL OF THEM. Sometimes I watch Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, and Carol Burnett do "Easy Street" just for fun.
1982
SIDEBAR: When did someone put Allison Janney's face on Carol Burnett?
1983
This is at the Oscars. I assume Annie was nominated for Best Picture. (I'm kidding, and indeed, it was not -- but Aileen Quinn was nominated for a Razzie for Best Supporting Actress, and truly there is no sicker burn than being the lead actress in a movie NAMED AFTER YOUR CHARACTER and you winning Worst Supporting Actress.)(Not that I think being a Supporting Actress is an insult, at all, but in this SPECIFIC case it feels like the Razzies adding one to injury.)
1984
I don't understand what is going on with that dress, but I do know that I wish I could see her finish whatever twirl this is. I am going to start entering rooms this way. I'm giving my entire life an Ann Reinking makeover.
2003
Jumping ahead! Still a total fox.
2006
She looks incredibly cool in this simple outfit. Jeans and untucked blouses and jackets hit differently on her.
2011
Per informative caption, these two reunited for the 6,138th Chicago performance, which leapfrogged "A Chorus Line" to become the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history. I would LOVE to have seen this.
2018
Vibrant until the end. She apparently went peacefully in her sleep while with family, and that's really all a person can want, in the end.