Mame (1974)

It's the late 1920s. Upon the death of wealthy Chicagoan Edward Dennis, his nine-year old son Patrick Dennis becomes the ward of their only living relative, Edward's equally wealthy New ... See full summary »

Director:

Gene Saks

Writers:

Jerome Lawrence (Broadway musical), Robert E. Lee (Broadway musical)

Stars:

Lucille Ball, Robert Preston, Bea Arthur

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lucille Ball	...	Mame Dennis
Bea Arthur	...	Vera Charles
Robert Preston	...	Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside
Bruce Davison	...	Older Patrick
Kirby Furlong	...	Young Patrick
Jane Connell	...	Agnes Gooch
George Chiang	...	Ito
Joyce Van Patten	...	Sally Cato
Doria Cook-Nelson	...	Gloria Upson (as Doria Cook)
Don Porter	...	Mr. Upson
Audrey Christie	...	Mrs. Upson
John McGiver	...	Mr. Babcock
Bobbi Jordan	...	Pegeen
Patrick Labyorteaux	...	Peter
Lucille Benson	...	Mother Burnside

Storyline

It's the late 1920s. Upon the death of wealthy Chicagoan Edward Dennis, his nine-year old son Patrick Dennis becomes the ward of their only living relative, Edward's equally wealthy New York residing sister, Mame Dennis. Edward's will states that Patrick is to be raised Protestant in a "traditional" manner and that the trustee, Mr. Babcock with the Knickerbocker Bank, will pay Mame for expenses incurred in raising Patrick, he having the right of refusal to pay if he deems that the spirit of Edward's will is not honored. Mr. Babcock and Patrick's longtime nanny, the timid Agnes Gooch, are to ensure that Patrick is raised correctly. Edward included these stipulations in his will as he knows his sister is a flamboyant, free wheeling and eccentric woman who can be considered anything but traditional or conventional. Despite the disruption each provides in the other's life, Mame and Patrick form a loving, supportive relationship. Mame wants to provide her sense of guidance to Patrick, ...

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Plot Keywords:

taxi | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | reference to rhett butler | 

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Taglines:

She'll coax the blues right out of your heart!

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Genres:

Musical

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese French Russian

Release Date:

27 March 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ante todo, mujer

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The large oil portrait of Mame is based on the painting "Emile Floge 1902" by Gustav Klimt, but with Lucille Ball's face substituted, and a slightly different color scheme.

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Goofs

As the opening credits end, when we see the large portrait of Mame in her hallway in a wide shot, Mame's hair is flaming red's to match Lucille Ball's famous hair color. But when we see it again a minute or two later, from a closer view, the same portrait now has brown hair which matches the brunette wig Lucy is wearing in that scene.

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Quotes

Young Patrick: Can I slide down the banister?
Mame: Well, why not.
Young Patrick: My father would never let me.
Mame: That's too bad. You must come from a dreadful family.
Young Patrick: I only have one relative in the whole world.
Mame: Oh, really, dear? And who is that?
Young Patrick: You.
Agnes: That's right.
Mame: Who are you?
Agnes: Agnes Gooch.
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)

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Soundtracks

The Letter
Written by Jerry Herman (uncredited)
Performed by Kirby Furlong and Bruce DavisonWritten by Jerry Herman (uncredited)

User Reviews

A Grand Old-style Movie Musical

It has been a puzzlement to me ever since seeing Mame in it's premiere run way back in 1974, that so many people have so many different views of this movie. It is either absolutely loved or positively hated by the people who see it. I believe Lucille Ball is, and always will be Mame. She plays the character exactly the way she should be played, hard, tender, funny, bitchy, loving, sophisticated and free-spirited.

This film has a bright cheery look and feel with big splashy production numbers which lovingly look back at the grand old Hollywood Musicals of the past. The production values are stunning, with beautiful sets and costumes that are truer to the period than the ones in Auntie Mame. The supporting cast is great, with Bea Arthur as Vera Charles and Jane Connell as Gooch. And concerning the complaints about the filming of Lucy through gauze, just go back to the MGM Musicals of the 40's and 50's and you'll see almost every major female star, young and old, filmed through heavy gauze.

I've come to the conclusion that this movie has been labeled a bomb for so long that some people already have their minds made up not to like it before the opening credits have ended. And the ones who see it for the first time without any idea of it's troubled history, end up loving it!