And so somebody did. And from that came a play, this movie, eventually a musical comedy and finally the movie version of that musical comedy. Why nobody has tried to sitcom her is beyond me. Yet, for some reason, neither the play nor the musical have had major revivals, perhaps because no star today could top not only the original performers but those who replaced them on Broadway. With the exception of the star of the movie musical, it has been a triumph for everyone.
Everybody should have an Auntie Mame. I bet Patrick Dennis wishes he did, even though a relative of his claims to have been the model for her. Many people I know claim to have had an older female relative (or older gay male relative) whom they say came close, but the original is the one to watch. As played by Rosalind Russell, Mame Dennis Burnside is a role-model for those who clamor for life, even if they can't afford the wardrobe or travel destinations of this Beekman Place socialite.
Mame is a free spirit whose seemingly estranged brother dies suddenly, giving her custody of his young son. Jan Handzlik is the adorable little boy who immediately takes to his wacky aunt, in the midst of "affair" when he arrives with the stern Norah (veteran character actress Connie Gilchrist). Little Patrick is taken with the many wacky characters she either hangs around with or employs, most notably the effeminate butler Ito (Yuki Shimoda) and drunken stage star Vera Charles (Coral Browne) who "just loves little boys". But his father's trustee (Fred Clark) has his own suspicions about Mame's intentions for the boy's upbringing, and upon discovering the truth about the education he is receiving, threatens to take Patrick away from her for good.
In the meantime, Mame tries to have a career after the stock market crashes, hysterically destroying a play that Vera is starring in, cross-wiring the city of San Francisco with the wrong party and finally destroying a sales book in Macy's while trying to sell skates to the wealthy Jackson Pickett Burnside (Forrest Tucker). Romance with the wealthy southerner follows yet true romantic happiness is not to last. Content with what she's left with, Mame fixes up the life of her frantic secretary (the delightful Peggy Cass) and turns the older Patrick's (Roger Smith) life upside down when he becomes engaged to the wrong woman.
You could practically write a whole book of just the quotes from this wonderful comedy, consistently funny and sometimes heart warming and even briefly heart breaking. You could also write a book describing each and every character who pops in and out of the extremely long comedy that doesn't seem as long as it is. The opening credits, shown through a gloved hand turning a kaleidoscope, are a visual gem, as is the musical theme. Each act of Mame's life ends with the camera darkening as if a curtain was going down and cleverly adds to the delightful theatrical feel of the film.
The role of Norah Muldoon and secretary Agnes Gooch were combined for the musical, but here, each of them has an important task to fulfill. Gilchrist's Norah is stern but lovable, acerbic in her declaration of why a party didn't happen. "The bootlegger couldn't make it that night". Gooch comes on and when asked to describe what horrific thing she is wearing on her foot raspy voiced declares "Orthopedic Oxfords!". Many of the clever lines, simply spoke dramatically, were later utilized for Jerry Herman's delightful musical score, and while the film sometimes seems like it is screaming for those songs (particularly "Boosom Buddies", the acerbic duet between Mame and Vera, as well as the delightful title tune), but it manages to do even better on its own without them.
I have to give kudos to the delightful Joanna Barnes who brings her "top drawer" attitude hysterically to the role of the pretentious Gloria Upson, dramatically describing the horrific events of a ping pong tournament. Veteran Warner Brothers character actress Lee Patrick adds Billie Burke like silliness to her role of Gloria's mother, and Brook Byron is Southern hospitality with an imperious quality as Sally Cato. "Hot damn! My sister's gonna bust a gut!" her brother declares after Mame makes a showing while down south. "Goodbye Yankee Gal!" the enormous Carol Veazie saunters while Mame makes an attempt to ride a not-so-tame horse side saddle. More moments like this should be left for the viewer to discover on their own and truly enjoy with repeat viewings. You have to look fast in the party scene on the balcony where two obvious lesbians gather together with a society matron, obviously an unbilled Margaret Dumont, although she is credited here as being in Vera's play.
Director Morton Da Costa repeated his Broadway job and with the success of this film, brought the same kind of theatrical editing to his movie version of "The Music Man" which ironically starred the movie musical Beaugard, Robert Preston.
Everybody should have an Auntie Mame. I bet Patrick Dennis wishes he did, even though a relative of his claims to have been the model for her. Many people I know claim to have had an older female relative (or older gay male relative) whom they say came close, but the original is the one to watch. As played by Rosalind Russell, Mame Dennis Burnside is a role-model for those who clamor for life, even if they can't afford the wardrobe or travel destinations of this Beekman Place socialite.
Mame is a free spirit whose seemingly estranged brother dies suddenly, giving her custody of his young son. Jan Handzlik is the adorable little boy who immediately takes to his wacky aunt, in the midst of "affair" when he arrives with the stern Norah (veteran character actress Connie Gilchrist). Little Patrick is taken with the many wacky characters she either hangs around with or employs, most notably the effeminate butler Ito (Yuki Shimoda) and drunken stage star Vera Charles (Coral Browne) who "just loves little boys". But his father's trustee (Fred Clark) has his own suspicions about Mame's intentions for the boy's upbringing, and upon discovering the truth about the education he is receiving, threatens to take Patrick away from her for good.
In the meantime, Mame tries to have a career after the stock market crashes, hysterically destroying a play that Vera is starring in, cross-wiring the city of San Francisco with the wrong party and finally destroying a sales book in Macy's while trying to sell skates to the wealthy Jackson Pickett Burnside (Forrest Tucker). Romance with the wealthy southerner follows yet true romantic happiness is not to last. Content with what she's left with, Mame fixes up the life of her frantic secretary (the delightful Peggy Cass) and turns the older Patrick's (Roger Smith) life upside down when he becomes engaged to the wrong woman.
You could practically write a whole book of just the quotes from this wonderful comedy, consistently funny and sometimes heart warming and even briefly heart breaking. You could also write a book describing each and every character who pops in and out of the extremely long comedy that doesn't seem as long as it is. The opening credits, shown through a gloved hand turning a kaleidoscope, are a visual gem, as is the musical theme. Each act of Mame's life ends with the camera darkening as if a curtain was going down and cleverly adds to the delightful theatrical feel of the film.
The role of Norah Muldoon and secretary Agnes Gooch were combined for the musical, but here, each of them has an important task to fulfill. Gilchrist's Norah is stern but lovable, acerbic in her declaration of why a party didn't happen. "The bootlegger couldn't make it that night". Gooch comes on and when asked to describe what horrific thing she is wearing on her foot raspy voiced declares "Orthopedic Oxfords!". Many of the clever lines, simply spoke dramatically, were later utilized for Jerry Herman's delightful musical score, and while the film sometimes seems like it is screaming for those songs (particularly "Boosom Buddies", the acerbic duet between Mame and Vera, as well as the delightful title tune), but it manages to do even better on its own without them.
I have to give kudos to the delightful Joanna Barnes who brings her "top drawer" attitude hysterically to the role of the pretentious Gloria Upson, dramatically describing the horrific events of a ping pong tournament. Veteran Warner Brothers character actress Lee Patrick adds Billie Burke like silliness to her role of Gloria's mother, and Brook Byron is Southern hospitality with an imperious quality as Sally Cato. "Hot damn! My sister's gonna bust a gut!" her brother declares after Mame makes a showing while down south. "Goodbye Yankee Gal!" the enormous Carol Veazie saunters while Mame makes an attempt to ride a not-so-tame horse side saddle. More moments like this should be left for the viewer to discover on their own and truly enjoy with repeat viewings. You have to look fast in the party scene on the balcony where two obvious lesbians gather together with a society matron, obviously an unbilled Margaret Dumont, although she is credited here as being in Vera's play.
Director Morton Da Costa repeated his Broadway job and with the success of this film, brought the same kind of theatrical editing to his movie version of "The Music Man" which ironically starred the movie musical Beaugard, Robert Preston.