With Eva LaRue, Len Cariou, Frank Crudele, Jack Gilardi. The family moved to Southern California after she had turned four years old. Annette became the last Mouseketeer of the twenty-four that was picked. “She’s on her toes dancing in heaven. Jackson was a longtime friend of Annette's parents Joe and Virginia, and wanted to do something special for their daughter in connection with his restaurant's opening. Annette Funicello was born on October 22, 1942, in Utica, US, to Italian–American parents, Virginia Jeanne and Joseph Edward Funicello. For several years after the diagnosis, only her immediate family knew of her illness, but when her equilibrium finally gave out in 1991, causing rumors of alcoholism, Funicello had no choice but to go public. In 1963, Funicello’s famous figure caught the shrewd eye of B-movie producer Samuel Z. Arkoff, who, with the cautious blessing of Walt – who ruled out her wearing a bikini – cast Annette opposite Avalon in Beach Party a low-budget hit that spawned a series of sandy sequels. People said to themselves, ‘I could date that girl if I ever met her.’ She wasn’t untouchable.”. “We’d laugh about it, and Frankie would say, ‘Look at you, you look like you’ve had too much to drink.’ And I’d say, ‘Frankie, this is just the weirdest thing.’ ”. "We are so sorry to lose Mother," they said. Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype. They presented the idea to "Mr. Disney", as Annette always called him and with whom she was still under contract. Who doesn’t remember Annette Funicello? Find out what your cat is trying to tell you with a new cat app, Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old, Engineer Creates App To Translate Your Cat, The Sweetest Photos of Princes Harry with Diana, Sean Connery's Cause of Death Revealed Weeks After He Dies at Age 90. NEW YORK — Annette Funicello, who became a child star as a perky, cute-as-a-button Mouseketeer on "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the 1950s, then teamed up with Frankie Avalon on It was during the filming of Back to the Beach that Funicello experienced the first disturbing symptoms of multiple sclerosis, a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. The first of the five official American-International "Beach Party" movies. “I remember being frightened every time I went into a recording studio,” she recalled in 1992. People reported that Funicello was in a coma, and had been on life support before she died. Coyote Ugly Turns 20: Where Is the Cast Now? Following her death, she was cremated and interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles, California. Her funeral was conducted in a private ceremony at Cherished Memories Memorial Chapel in Bakersfield, California. Her family moved to California when she was four years old, where she was later discovered at age 12 by Walt Disney as she performed in Swan Lake at a dance recital. Her home suffered major fire damage and wheelchair-bound Annette and her husband were hospitalized and treated for smoke inhalation. It has been claimed that she was the first crush for many boys of the baby boomer generation. Annette Joanne Funicello achieved teenage popularity starting in October 1955 after she debuted as a Mouseketeer. While appearing in a few other movies that did nothing to further her career, including Fireball 500 (1966), Thunder Alley (1967) and Head (1968), she appeared as a guest on shows and, most famously, became the spokesperson for Skippy Peanut Butter in a host of commercials. She spent her final years mostly confined to a wheelchair that was specially designed by her horse-trainer husband with a seat from a harness-racing sulky. A TV movie based on the story aired in October 1995, on Funicello’s 53rd birthday, with the former Mouseketeer appearing in a few scenes playing her contemporary self. It consisted of 19 episodes: 1. “Mr. When she made the various beach pictures for American International Pictures (AIP), she was still technically under contract to Disney, doing the AIP films on a loan-out basis, something of which. Annette Joanne Funicello achieved teenage popularity starting in October 1955 after she debuted as a Mouseketeer. Ron Wolfson/Landov. After battling multiple sclerosis for decades, Annette Funicello died today from complications of the disease.That doesn’t mean that MS actually … | Her home for the past 40 years was a smoky-blue ranch house in Encino, Calif., with frilly, white wrought iron fencing that she called “my good-luck house.”, In her autobiography, Funicello wrote, “It’s funny, but sometimes when I feel discouraged or have a problem I can’t work out, I find myself thinking, ‘If only Mr. Disney were here, he would know what to do.’ ”. She made her well as other Disney film vehicles for several years, including The Shaggy Dog (1959), Babes in Toyland (1961) and The Monkey's Uncle (1965). Directed by William Asher. Annette Joanne Funicello was born on 22nd October, 1942. Annette Funicello has been died on Apr 8, 2013 (age 70). Annette Funicello, long-time Disney and Beach Party star, passed away on Monday April 8 at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, Calif., at the … • Reporting by MEREDITH MURRAY and CHARLES WINECOFF, Mickey Mouse Club with Annette Funicello – Davy Crockett. Annette Joanne Funicello was an actress and a singer, born on 22nd October 1942 in Utica, New York State USA, and rose to stardom as one of the most popular Mouseketeers of the original ’’Mickey Mouse Club“, and continued her career as a successful singer with singles such as ’’Tall Paul“ and ’’Pineapple Princess“. The success of the movie led to a 35-city concert tour with her costar. Elfego Baca: Six-Gun Law. With her brunette curls and expressive brown eyes, “Annette,” as she was simply known, grew up on the nation’s TV screens in her unquestioned role as the princess of Walt Disney’s daily afternoon syndicated TV show. She was 17 years old at the time the Sweetheart of the Valley Mayors honor was given to her. Covering the event was the "Valley News and Green Sheet"--now "The Valley News"--and the Los Angeles Times. “She was a normal mom.” Gina and her brothers appeared with Funicello in commercials for Skippy peanut butter in the 1970s. Two years later Disney’s Hyperion published her autobiography, A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes, in which she detailed her battle against MS and her relentless search for a cure. She hid her condition for five years before making a formal announcement (in 1992) for fear that her uncontrollable movements might be characterized as drunkenness. Receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993, Annette was eventually wheelchair-ridden and went into complete seclusion.Following a tragic March 2011 incident in which their Los Angeles house burnt to the ground and both Annette and husband Glen were hospitalized with smoke inhalation, the couple moved to Bakersfield, California. | She kept her condition a secret and felt that this was necessary to go public in order to combat rumors that her impaired ability to walk was the result of alcoholism. Born on October 22, 1942 in Utica, New York, the family had moved to California when she was still young. Annette Funicello, the ultimate Girl Next Door to a generation of Baby Boomers who first fell in love with her on the original 1955-59 incarnation of … Sep 4, 2020 - Actress - Teen Idol. Annette Joanne Funicello achieved teenage popularity starting in October 1955 after she debuted as a Mouseketeer. During the run of the show, she had begun to "develop," which was famously noticeable in her Mousketeer sweater. It came about when "Television's Singing Troubadour, Jimmie Jackson" arranged for her to be given the designation of the "Sweetheart of the San Fernando Valley Mayors" at the May 2, 1957, grand opening of his new Tambour restaurant (tambour is African for "Drum") in Tarzana. Profession Actor, singer. Annette was escorted by film and television performer. Publicity Listings 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. When she began working for the Disney studio, she suggested to her employer that she change her Italian family name of Funicello to something more "American", as was often done in those days. Three years later, she married Glen Holt, a harness racing horse breeder/trainer. Annette Funicello, who won America’s heart as a 12-year-old in Mickey Mouse ears, captivated adolescent baby boomers in slightly spicy beach movies and … Anthropology Professor Robert Orwell Sutwell and his secretary Marianne are studying the sex habits of teenagers. Annette Funicello. The "teenage" couple (actually she was 20 and he 23) proved so popular in this that they were whisked into a number of sand-and-surf romps (Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)) that showcased the actors engaging in harmless fun while singing and dancing in the sand, and falling into silly slapstick.After the surfing craze died out in 1965, Annette married Jack Gilardi, Paul Anka's agent, and became the mother of his three children -- Gina, Jack Jr. and Jason. Her family told Extra that Funicello passed away from complications of her illness, and they were by her side when she was taken off life support. Annette Funicello, an icon to legions of baby boomers, first as a breakout star on “The Mickey Mouse Club” in the 1950s and then as a wholesome pinup opposite Frankie Avalon in a series of teen movies, died Monday at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield after … Her popularity was such that by the late 1950s, she was simply known as "Annette" -- America's sweetheart and the first "crush" for many a teenage baby boomer. Funicello died Monday at age 70 of complications from multiple sclerosis. She was recovering at home. “She was always there for carpools, Hot Dog Day and the PTA,” daughter Gina told InStyle in 1994. Her biggest hit single was "Tall Paul" (#7 US Pop 1959). If I'd encountered 62-year-old Annette Funicello on the street, I'd have never guessed. Trivia The serial "Annette" ran during the third and final year of "The Mickey Mouse Club" (1955-1958). 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. When asked in a 20/20 interview how she got the role as a mouseketeer on the Mickey Mouse Club program, she replied: "I was the ethnic one. Playing beach girl Didi in the film, Funicello was deflecting the attentions of a … Annette Funicello as an infant (courtesy Nick Strange) She was born Annette Joanne Funicello on October 22, 1942, in Utica, New York to Italian-American parents. Five decades ago, as a television Mouseketeer, she was the first crush for a generation of adolescent boys. Actor 38 Credits. During and even after leaving the Club, she starred for him on TV’s Zorro and in such movies as 1959’s The Shaggy Dog and 1961’s Babes in Toyland. 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 1959 to play Gina, a foreign exchange student, on The Danny Thomas Show (1953) (aka "The Danny Thomas Show") and also that same year had a recurring role on the Disney television series Zorro (1957). The movie starts with the move of her family from New York to California, where in 1955 shy Annette becomes one of the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. She grew up with two brothers, Joey and Michael. By the run-through in 1958 of The Mickey Mouse Club (1955) 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. Annette Funicello, beloved for her role on "The Mickey Mouse Club" more than half a century ago, has died at age 70 after experiencing complications from multiple sclerosis, according to news reports. Annette Joanne Funicello Wiki Biography. She had later success with "Pineapple Princess" which peaked at #11 US Pop, in the summer of 1960. She was 70. Born Oct. 22, 1942, in Utica, N.Y., to auto-repair-shop owner Joseph Funicello and his homemaker wife Virginia, Annette was 4 when she moved to Southern California with her family. The movie covers her child stardom, her teen idol … When she was cast in her first beach movie. At one point, she and teen idol Paul Anka became an item and he wrote both "Puppy Love" and "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" with her in mind. Get push notifications with news, features and more. She had a collectable bear business, a line of perfume and she started the Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders (2006). PHOTOS: Annette Funicello Through the Years, “You knew she was very attractive, very pretty and voluptuous, but Annette never flaunted it,” Avalon, now 75, told PEOPLE in 1998. No more MS,” Gina Gilardi, Funicello’s daughter, tells Extra. A little more than a year later, and over 25 years after she was diagnosed with this long and painful illness, Annette passed away on April 8, 2013 from complications at age 70. Annette Funicello, the most famous of Walt Disney's original Mouseketeers who died Monday at 70 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis, was … The Newcomer Feb 11, 1958 2. Mr. Disney cast … Funicello's ex-husband, Jack Gilardi, told the Associated Press that the 68-year-old actress was at home with her current husband and a nurse. Jackson called together some of his old friends and former guests from his Hollywood television show, "Memory Lane" who were now "Honorary" mayors of various small towns in the San Fernando Valley. Directed by Bill Corcoran. If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: Annette Funicello Dies at 70 After Long Battle with MS. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Annette Funicello, who first gained fame as a 12-year-old Mousekeeter on Disney’s “The Mickey Mouse Club” in the 1950s and then starred opposite Frankie Avalon in … When Annette Funicello passed away in April 2013 at the age of 70, her death was mourned by many across the world who remembered her for the unique person she was. Annette born under the Libra horoscope as Annette's birth date is October 22. “My brothers and I were there, holding her sweet hands when she left us.”. Within a year into her second marriage, Annette was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. And a star was born. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 14, 1993. Funicello had been in an MS coma for years. Birth Place: Utica, New York, United States. The family moved to California when Annette was 4 years old. Her devastated children released a statement, remembering the legendary actress (via CNN). Annette Funicello turned 16 in 1958, and for her birthday Walt had her guest star in a three episode story arc on “Zorro” that aired in early 1959: “The … The first movie, aptly titled Beach Party (1963) starred Robert Cummings and Dorothy Malone as the older generation who explore the younger set represented by Annette (as "Dee Dee") and her love interest Frankie Avalon (as "Frankie"). In 1987, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Official Sites, Underwent brain surgery to slow down the tremors which result from her multiple sclerosis. Bill Hafker thehuntzie@yahoo.com, Other Works Gilardi said they were exposed to … Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more. - IMDb Mini Biography By: After appearing in the 1968 rock ‘n’ roll movie Head with the band The Monkees, Funicello retired from the big screen to raise her family. “She underplayed everything. She embodied the image of wholesome Eisenhower Era youth both on screen and off, even when she graduated to the role of Frankie Avalon’s beach-blanket buddy in the early ’60s. Disney,” as she always called him, guided Funicello’s career for the next 10 years. Annette Joanne Funicello was born October 22, 1942 in Utica, NY. She was the oldest girl to be cast as a Mousketeer on the "Mickey Mouse Club" (1955). Born on October 22, 1942 in Utica, New York, the family had moved to California when she was still young. At Disney’s urging, she also recorded a number of pop songs, several of which, such as “Tall Paul” and “Puppy Love” (which Paul Anka wrote for her), became hit singles, though Funicello was shy about her singing. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story, View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Annette's life was filmed as a television movie with A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story (1995) co-starring her good friend, Shelley Fabares. The Disney studio wasn't like other studios. She partnered with talented teddy bear artists from around the world to make bears for her company. Annette Funicello produced a line of teddy bears for the Annette Funicello Collectible Bear Company from 1992 until the last collection was made in 2004. [November 1999]. “We’d be shooting a scene on the sand, and when I’d try to get up, I couldn’t balance,” she told PEOPLE in 1992. It was just like home - it always had a small-town, family atmosphere. She never tried to be sexy. With Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello. You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. No longer able to read or write and speaking only with great difficulty, she spent her final years mostly confined to a wheelchair, specially designed by her husband with a seat from a harness-racing sulky. The family faced poverty for many years. In 1965 she married her agent, Jack Gilardi, with whom she had three children: Gina, Jack Jr. and Jason. She became the most famous spokesperson for the disease. Their busy careers led to them parting ways.During the early 1960s, American International Films wanted to use her in a fun-on-the-beach movie. The legendary Disney Mouseketeer passed away in 2013 from complications due to multiple sclerosis, a disease she battled for more than 25 … Her marriage ended in divorce in 1982; three years later she married racehorse breeder Glen Holt. Birth Name: Annette Joanne Funicello. Credit: During this time, the modest young singer had a couple of hit singles on the "Hot 100" charts, notably, "Tall Paul", and as a result, traveled with Dick Clark's caravan on singing tours around the country. To everyone's surprise, he gave his consent, with the only condition being that she make sure her navel was completely covered by a one piece bathing suit. Annette Funicello, an iconic former child star from Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club" in the 1950s, has died at the age of 70 from complications of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, a disease she had been battling for over two decades.The Walt Disney Company reported that Funicello passed away peacefully at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, California, at the age of 70. Before Britney and Christina, Annette set the pattern for perky teens on TV. This highly-rated television film covers the life of American movie/TV/pop music idol Annette Funicello. She was the little 12 year old girl who was discovered by Walt Disney when she performed as the Swan Queen in the ballet Swan Lake and became one of the original “Mouseketeers”. Donations in her honor can be sent to the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Disorders. Annette Funicello, the ultimate Girl Next Door to a generation of Baby Boomers who first fell in love with her on the original 1955-59 incarnation of The Mickey Mouse Club, died Monday after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Everybody else looked like I wanted to look my entire life: blue eyed and freckle faced.". Funicello, who was 70, “died peacefully from complications due to multiple sclerosis, a disease she battled for over 25 years,” the Disney statement said. Survivors include her husband, daughter Gina, and sons Jack Jr., and Jason. But she phased out her career in favor of family.She and Gilardi divorced in 1983. Annette Funicello Net Worth According to Trend Celeb Now, Annette Funicello's estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & much more details has been updated below. In 1977, Annette played the Blue Fairy in Disneyland's "Main Street Electrical Parade". Annette still resided in her first house several miles from where she grew up. She also re-ignited her career, reuniting with Avalon for 1987’s retro romp Back to the Beach, her first film in nearly two decades. But Funicello neither lived happily ever after nor faded into the background. See more ideas about annette funicello, mouseketeer, mickey mouse club. "She's on her toes dancing in heaven. Had two brothers: Michael Funicello and Joey Funicello. One spring day in 1955, Walt Disney, casting his new kids’ TV program, happened to stop by the Burbank Starlite Bowl, where a dance school was giving its year-end recital of Swan Lake. [March 2011]. To the present, her foundation continues to raise money to help find cures for this and other debilitating disorders, including Lou Gehrig's disease. Born on October 22, 1942 in Utica, New York, the family had moved to California when she was still young.