Mame (film)
| Mame | |
|---|---|
Original film poster by Bob Peak
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| Directed by | Gene Saks |
| Produced by | James Cresson Robert Fryer |
| Written by |
Paul Zindel Patrick Dennis |
| Based on |
Mame by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee |
| Starring |
Lucille Ball Bea Arthur Robert Preston Bruce Davison Jane Connell Joyce Van Patten |
| Music by | Jerry Herman |
| Cinematography | Philip H. Lathrop |
| Edited by | Maury Winetrobe |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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March 27, 1974 |
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Running time
|
132 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million |
| Box office | $6.5 million |
Mame is a 1974 Technicolor musical film in Panavision based on the 1966 Broadway musical of the same name (itself based on the 1958 film Auntie Mame) and the 1955 novel Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis.
It was directed by Gene Saks, and adapted by Paul Zindel, and starred Lucille Ball in her final theatrical film performance. The cast also stars Bea Arthur, Bruce Davison and Robert Preston.
The story focuses on the madcap life of Mame Dennis (Ball), which is disrupted when she becomes the guardian of her deceased brother's son. She marries a wealthy Southern plantation owner (Preston), is widowed, yet through it all, with the help of her dearest friend, Vera Charles (Arthur), manages to keep things under control.
At the reading of the will of young Patrick Dennis's (Kirby Furlong) father, a trustee, Mr. Babcock (John McGiver), reveals that Patrick is to be left in the care of his aunt, Mame Dennis (Lucille Ball), as well as his nanny, Agnes Gooch (Jane Connell). Taking a train to New York City (Main Title Including St. Bridget), Agnes and the boy arrive at Mame's home, where they walk into a wild party that Mame is giving for a holiday she herself created (It's Today). Patrick asks if he may slide down her banister, then reveals his true identity. Mame introduces the boy to her friends, including a renowned stage actress (and famous lush), Vera Charles (Beatrice Arthur).
Mame decides that she wants to fill the child's life with adventure (Open a New Window). She enrolls him in "the School of Life," a very non-traditional school. But when Vera inadvertently leads Babcock to the school, Patrick is taken from Mame's custody. Simultaneously, the stock market crash leaves Mame penniless. Vera offers her a small role as The Man in the Moon in her newest operetta about a lady astronomer. Mame flubs her one line and causes the play to be a disaster, which puts a major rift in their friendship. Patrick, who was in the audience, reassures Mame that he still loves her (My Best Girl).
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