Annie Review

Huston's long career encompassed thrillers, dramas, westerns, comedies and war and adventure movies. But until this leaden version of a sentimental show hit the screen one would never have believed a musical would bear his name, if not signature. The story tells of little orphan Annie (Quinn) and how she wins over the stony heart of millionaire Warbucks (Finney). There's a comic turn from Burnett as the drunken orphanage owner to relieve the gloomy exteriors and lavish, costly interiors. Two mysteries remain: how did it cost (estimates vary) between $40 and $60 million? And however was this singularly tuneless show a hit in the first place?