Q&A: Long, Tall Susan

Kirk Baird

Sunday, Feb. 27, 2000 | 10:08 a.m.

Susan Anton made a name for herself in the late '70s after winning the Miss California crown and tying as first runner-up Miss America. It wasn't long before the leggy blonde with the radiant smile was everywhere in America: on TV, with a short-lived variety series on NBC in '79; in teenagers' rooms, via the ubiquitous bathing suit poster; and in the tabloids, due to a relationship to the considerably shorter comedian/actor Dudley Moore.

The 49-year-old from Yucaipa, Calif., moved on to other things in her career, especially musicals, with a stint on Broadway in the "Will Rogers Follies" and a lengthy tour with the Rockettes in the "Radio City Music Hall Spectacular." She can be seen with a nine-piece orchestra at the Starlight at the Desert Inn through March 5. In a recent interview with the Sun, Anton talked about her new show, what advice she's received from other performers and the last time she saw Moore:

Question: What was it like to appear on those posters in the late '70s and early '80s?

Answer: I run into more guys now who talk about that who had my poster on their dorm walls. I'm completely flattered. When I first started out in my career, that was the big craze. I think every blonde in Hollywood had a poster. It was fun, it was part of what was going on. I'm amazed that a lot of guys still have it tucked away somehwere.

Q: Was that all part of the Susan Anton image?

A: It was at that time. Look at television at that time. You had "Charlie's Angles," the big hair -- that's when I started my career. That's when television started getting into this sexy image of the female. Fortunately, women have come a long way since then. Now you can be sexy and smart.

Q: You've had a varied career -- from television to Broadway. Is this by design?

A: In a funny way it is. When I fell in love with the idea of going into show business, I was a really young girl in my little hometown and I watched a lot of movies on television. And the movies I loved were the musicals ... I loved the idea of being in show business where the entertainer did everything: you acted, you danced, you sang, you did comedy.

By the time I got around to doing that in my career, nobody was doing that anymore, it was all becoming much more specialized. You were an actor in film or television -- you had to get very specific with your career. I never wanted to; I wanted to have as many hyphens as I could. On one hand, it's been really great because it's given me a lot of flexibility. On the other hand, it's been difficult because I never fully established myself in one particular place where people would say, "she's an actress."

Q: When you look at it now, do you have any regrets?

A: Well, I hate to say I have any regrets, because it's really served me well. When the Screen Actors Guild was on strike, I could always work. So if I couldn't get a job acting, I could get a job singing, so I've been gainfully employed for over 25 years. So in that sense, it's been good. But looking back on it, I would have planned out a career better. And I probably would have been more specific and really established myself in one particular area, and then built out of that.

Q: Do you have a preference as to which one you do?

A: If I could only do one it would probably be live performance with musicians. It's been so long since I've had a chance to get up and have that wonderful, live spontaneity. Whether it's a big orchestra or just a trio, I love that.

Q: Talk about your leaving the Rockettes in "The Radio City Spectacular." Is this a permanent split?

A: It's not really a permanent thing; it's all up in the air right now. I have a wonderful relationship with the producer of the show. For the last few years we had an understanding where I would do three months, then would take three months off. So, when the Desert Inn opportunity came up, Richard Martini, the producer of the "Radio City" show, said "Absolutely, it sounds like a great thing for you. Go do it." I'm supposed to go back in another month or so, but we're all waiting to see how things turn out. ... It's kind of all in an experimental place right now, but I've got four weeks at the Desert Inn and I'm having a great time.

Q: What about your new show with the nine-piece orchestra at the Desert Inn? You say it's going well?

A: Yeah, it is. The only thing that's been really frustrating is nobody knows that we are really there. Because it all came about so fast, we didn't get a chance to really get a lot of advance promotion out there. The crowds are starting to pick up and it's really growing in a short period of time. It's so much fun and the crowds that come seem to enjoy it. We're hoping that it builds; it's something I would love to do on a longer basis.

Q: Is this something you would want to do permanently?

A: I would love to. It's an incredible schedule. I love the room, I don't feel like you've got a ton of pressure on yourself where you're out there having to fill a giant showroom. It's more of a causal situation, yet it's a high-end show. It's not casual where you can throw out a request, the show has some structure to it. But I would love to have a chance for it to have a longer run.

Q: You've worked with Bob Hope, Sammy Davis Jr., Don Rickles and David Copperfield among others. What kind of advice did they give you?

A: I recall the story with Sammy. It was my first big job, opening for Sammy at Harrah's in Tahoe. He was such a hero of mine, and he came to rehearsal to say hello. I said I was really nervous and he gave me this advice. He said three things: First of all, go out there and do the best you can; secondly, give them everything you've got; and in the third place, they didn't come to see you anyway (she laughs). I've always loved that story. You just know that Frank probably told him that at one point.

Q: Did you take it?

A: It loosened me up completely. It was one of those V-8 moments where you hit yourself on your head and say "Of course!" You do have to keep your perspective on it. When I'm about to go on stage, I have to remind myself this is one of the greatest jobs that we ever come up with in the world -- you can be creative, have some fun ... this is truly a work of choice.

Q: With Dudley Moore's illness (Moore is battling an obscure form of Parkinson's disease, which has affected his mobility and speech), and given your past relationship, have you been in touch with him?

A: Two or three weeks ago Dudley's agent, Lou Pitt, he handled Dudley when I was with Dudley, called me to say Dudley and his wife were going to be in L.A., and they were going to be having an impromptu gathering of his freinds. I saw him then. Given the situation he's in he's doing remarkably well. He recognized everyone. ... He truly is one of the most gifted people I've ever known.

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