I almost want to speak slowly so that you’ll understand. Isn’t that dumb? And I know it’s dumb, but should I take that as a compliment? You might have heard of Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, the dynamic duo who stole our hearts in many beach movies in the 60s. In the 80s, they even returned for a movie called Beach Party. But did you know that behind the scenes, Annette was hiding a secret from her best friend Frankie? Let’s take a closer look at their incredible careers and the surprising truth that remained hidden for years.
Annette’s Early Life
Annette Joanne Funicello, born in Utica, New York, didn’t always feel comfortable in the spotlight. But life took her family to the sunny shores of Southern California when she was just a little tot, and boy, did that move change her life. She took ballet lessons as a kid to help with her shyness, but fate had other plans for her. When she was just 12, her family moved to sunny Southern California, and guess what? That’s where her big break happened.
Walt Disney himself spotted her talent during a dance recital in Burbank. She was dancing her heart out as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. Disney was so impressed that he handpicked her from a bunch of other kids to join the first season of The Mickey Mouse Club. Can you imagine? Out of 200 hopefuls, she was the lucky one chosen by the big boss himself. From 1955 to 1957, she wowed audiences with her singing, dancing, and acting skills on the show.
And you know what’s cool? She got to wear those iconic Mickey Mouse ears while doing it. Annette quickly became a fan favorite. People couldn’t get enough of her. In fact, she was getting a whopping 6,000 letters every month by the end of the first season. That’s more than any other Mouseketeer. Plus, she even had a little romance going on with fellow Mouseketeer Lonnie Burr.
Annette’s Career
Back in 1955, Annette landed a pretty sweet deal with Disney. They signed her up for 7 years at $160 a week, with the promise of bumping it up to $500 if they decided to keep her around for the long haul. That’s a big leap, right? When it was time to say goodbye to her Mickey Mouse Club pals in 1958, Annette got emotional. She said she’d never cried so hard in her life.
But Annette’s talents didn’t stop at dancing and acting. She starred in several serials on the Mickey Mouse Club, like Adventure in Dairyland and The New Adventures of Spin and Marty. She also had her own show, Walt Disney Presents: Annette, where she shared the screen with Richard Deacon.
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