In 1994 I read Annette Funicello's autobiography that she wrote with Patricia Romanowski. It told the story of the little girl from Utica, New York, whose mother saw a singing and dancing talent and convinced her husband to take a chance and move to Hollywood to give her little Annette a shot at fame. After being discovered by Walt Disney for his new Mouseketeer Show -- Annette went on to a singing, dancing and acting career, before retiring to raise her children and then to battle Multiple Sclerosis.
Many had pitched her story when the book was reviewed in People magazine -- and all three of the broadcast networks had passed on the idea of producing it as a movie. Having been a very little boy with a very real crush on Annette when I was young, I was determined to try and option the book and sell it. I went to meet with Annette's ex-husband, legendary agent Jack Gilardi. He heard my pitch, saw my passion and agreed to set up a meeting for me to meet with Annette at her home in Encino. I was quite nervous, but excited to meet one of my childhood heroes.
Annette was everything you would hope she would be -- sweet, sincere, positive and caring. Even battling this insidious disease, which at that point had taken away her ability to walk -- or even hold a pen to sign autographs -- her smile never dimmed and her memory was razor sharp. She heard my pitch for how to adapt her book to film -- which would involve Annette appearing in the film herself -- telling her life story to a group of kids on the day of her daughter's wedding.
The darling Miss Funicello agreed to let me option her book.
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