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 (as Beatrice Arthur)
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:

Mame

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:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is Lucille Ball's final theatrical feature film.

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Goofs

When Mr. Babcock and Mame argue, she has her hands protectively on Patrick's shoulders. Shot cuts to Babcock saying "That's not a school, it's the Garden of Eden," and when it cuts back to the longer shot, her hands are covering Patrick's ears. This odd bit of continuity is due to cut dialogue, in which she declares "What could be more wholesome and natural?" and he responds "It is not wholesome and natural for boys and girls to run around half nude." Mame is shown covering Patrick's ears while responding "Mr. Babcock! Not in front of the B-O-Y!"

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Quotes

Peter: [after Patrick and Pegeen say he can't go to Siberia with Mame] You know what your problem is mom? You don't Live Live LIVE! Life is a Banquet and most sons of bitches are starving to death!

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Connections

Featured in The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1986)

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Soundtracks

Open a New Window
Written by Jerry Herman (uncredited)
Performed by Lucille Ball and Company

User Reviews

Just enough good elements to take it seriously...

...for example, Bea Arthur as Vera Charles has one solo and parts of three duets--she steals the film easily, no contest. Robert Preston has one solo & is part of two other numbers, in limited screen time--he does his best to make Lucy look good in the title song and dance and succeeds. The instrumental music is so loud during Lucy's numbers it almost drowns her out, along with other cast members who can't sing.

Now for the bad - Lucy didn't have the range to sing the title part and shouldn't have been cast. She ruins her first two songs, then she and the kid cast ruin song number three. From then on she alternates between a very limited tenor range and talk-singing her songs, like Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady (1964). Also, all of the choreography seems slowed down--there is so much blurring of the camera lens one can barely see the pearls Lucy is wearing--they look to be dots. In the end the film just barely avoids disaster and today is considered a bit of a camp classic.