Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
#1Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 1:09pmI was watching the movie on DVD last night, and noticed something I hadn't heard before. In the scene leading up to "Bosom Buddies", a waiter approaches Arthur's character Vera and offers his condolences. But isn't he speaking with Bea Arthur's voice?
PJC
Swing Joined: 5/23/08
#2re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 4:40pmIt might be Jerry Herman - he has Bea Arthur's voice.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#2re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 7:56pmBea truly looked like a drag queen in that movie.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#3re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 8:33pmI always thought she looked like a Kabuki Linebacker in that film. Her padding and make-up are bizarre.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#4re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 8:54pmAnd speaking of Kabuki, I've always felt that the actor who played the Shogun's Mother in the original castof Pacific Overtures sounds exactly like Bea Arthur. Listen to the song "Crysanthemum Tea".
#5re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 9:08pmI read somewhere years ago that the wig she wore had elastic around the edge so that when she wore it it pulled her face "up".
#6re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 9:16pmWas the waiter offering his condolences for the passing of Estelle Getty?
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#7re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 10:12pmNo, he was offering her condolences for being part of that dreadful film.
#8re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/23/08 at 11:09pmHis voice was really much higher, but filtered through all the gauze on the set for filming Lucille Ball through, it deepened his voice.
#9re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/24/08 at 12:39pm
"No, he was offering her condolences for being part of that dreadful film."
And you would know this how, you bed-hopping relic? (props to Estelle Getty) Aren't you the one who for years has insisted he'd never seen a movie?
philcrosby
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/04
#10re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/24/08 at 12:48pmThey way she was made to look in that movie is probably why Bea Arthur divorced Gene Saks.
#11re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/24/08 at 12:49pmThe waiter's voice was dubbed by Rosalind Russell.
#14re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/25/08 at 12:39amWorst thread in a long time. I still haven't got an answer. I'll just have to assume I'm correct, and post it on IMDB as a fact, then.
#15re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/25/08 at 1:02amYes, that's always safe...posting an assumption as fact.
#16re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/25/08 at 3:05am
FOAnatic: Too bad you couldn't see that my tongue was placed firmly in my cheek.
Anyway, that's what databases like IMDB and Wikipedia are based on. Assumptions.
#17re: Bea Arthur's voice in 'Mame' the movie
Posted: 7/25/08 at 2:36pm
Love that picture of Bea Arthur. I've been a fan of the Rosalind Russel version of the Mame and don't really remember much from Lucille Ball's turn in the role? I'll have to see if I can find it when I get out to rent another movie.
Though no rush if they made Bea and Lucille look like they might already be embalmed? Sounds frightening. I have enjoyed both of these women's work over the years.
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