Jack Nicholson had been signed to play Daddy Warbucks originally, but he had to drop out. The next choice to portray the bald-headed billionaire was Sean Connery, but he didn't want to appear bald. Stage actor Albert Finney was fine with it, shaving his head for the role, and he was paid a princely sum of $1 million.

"The reason I agreed to Annie was because I thought I still looked cute enough, and my charm was not totally chipped away," he told People.

Finney wasn't much of a dancer: He put bottle caps under his loafers to practice his tap routine. He modeled Warbucks' voice after director John Huston.