Auntie Mame

Auntie Mame

First edition cover
Author	Patrick Dennis
Country	United States
Language	English
Publisher	Vanguard Press
Publication date	1955
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	280
Followed by	Around the World with Auntie Mame

Auntie Mame is a 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of the sister of his dead father. The book is often described as having been inspired by Dennis' real-life eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook mirrored those of Mame, but Dennis himself denied the connection. The novel was a runaway best seller, setting records on the New York Times bestseller list, with more than two million copies in print during its initial publication. It became the basis of a stage play, a film, a stage musical, and a film musical.

In 1958, Dennis wrote a sequel, Around the World with Auntie Mame.

The novel was adapted for the stage by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Running from October 31, 1956, to June 28, 1958, at the Broadhurst Theatre, the original Broadway production starred Rosalind Russell in the title role. The original Broadway cast also included Robert Allen as Mr. Babcock, Yuki Shimoda as Ito, Robert Smith as Beau, Polly Rowles as Vera Charles, and Peggy Cass as Agnes Gooch. In 1957, both Russell and Cass were nominated for Tony Awards with Cass winning.

In December 1958, a film of the same title based on the play was released by Warner Brothers with Russell, Shimoda, and Cass reprising their roles. Russell was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for her portrayal. The film was the highest grossing U.S. film of the following year.