Mame-the movie: Is it really that bad? Is Lucy that bad?- Page 2

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/4/04 at 10:21pm

You mean .... Was that YOU!?!?!!?

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/4/04 at 10:25pm

That settles it. We are all just a bunch of WHORES.

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/4/04 at 10:58pm

LMAO @ Matt_G!

i agree the movie version of "mame" is terrible. "i love lucy" but not in this. lansbury was superior in every way shape and form. it's telling that rhino handmade pressed a limited edition of 2500 copies of the original soundtrack recording to "mame" on cd last year...and in less than a year it was sold out and is now again out of print. i wonder how many of reaaally think the singing is that bad...LOL
Mame - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Updated On: 10/4/04 at 10:58 PM

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/4/04 at 11:07pm

oops my bad! for those with a morbid sense of curiosity (and stronger than steel ear drums) the Mame soundtrack has been re-issued as a "budget re-issue". This CD contains the same music as the Rhino Handmade limited edition release, but with less elaborate packaging. Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman, performed by Lucille Ball, Robert Preston and Beatrice Arthur. 13 Tracks total.




Mame- Original Soundtrack (Budget Re-issue)

[sndtrklvr]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 8:56am

Many of the folks have mentioned the wonderful book about all the productions of (Auntie)Mame, and I just want to add in my two cents to say it is much fun. Now to the movie. I remember going into see it in Boston in 1974, back when movies opened in Boston rather than throughout the burbs. I loved Lucy and had the Lansbury cast recording. Even at my young age I knew I was seeing a real stinker. There were so many things wrong. Beyond that Lucy was about 25 years too old. The only scene that she was remotely effective in was the montage of silly jobs Mame had. Preston and Arthur got out with their dignity, but the rest of the production was awful. Would have been fun to see Madeline Kahn as Gooch.
I can't think of anyone today who could bring what Angela Lansbury brought to the role.

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 9:37am

well, call me kooky, but my friend Adam and I had a "it's still MAME" viewing party a few months back...

(it was a party of four...Adam, myself, Ben & Jerry)

if you can get over the Vaselined lens and the croaking, it is still a GLORIOUS musical, and fantastically orchestrated

Jane Connell is fab, and Bea Arthur's performance should be in a time capsule for comedy...

I guess when it comes to MAME, for me the glass is always half full! Updated On: 10/5/04 at 09:37 AM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 10:06am

Nice to see you posting again, darling. You have been missed.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 5:09pm

I guess most people know that Madeleine Kahn was originally cast as the movie's GOOCH. Lucy had her fired because she was too pretty in close-ups.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 5:29pm

Lucy was miscast, in my opinion, because she lacks class. Mame is a LADY and I never thought of Lucille Ball as having too much class. Oh, and it wasn't the smoking that ruined her singing voice, because she really could never sing to begin with.

We were talking about the revival/film and I thought, although she would never do it, that Meryl Streep would make a fantastic Vera. Anyone else want to see that?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 5:40pm

I've missed this one, but I loved Pauline Kael's comment about Bea Arthur: "She's like a coquettish tank."

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 6:13pm

I agree with Sueleen, I would love to see La Streep as Vera. It has been far too long since we got to see her ham it up in a comedy. Two of my favorite Streep perfs. are "She-Devil" and "Death Becomes Her." And if Cher is still attached as Mame, it could re-team the former "Silkwood" stars.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 6:28pm

And after all this, and though I haven't seen the movie, I somehow feel like I'm on Lucy's side.

[LouW95]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 7:24pm

The posting which says Lucille Ball was not classy is totally inaccurate. It is one thing to pan a performance but to speak as if you knew someone personally and use character assassination is totally out of line. I had the pleasure of knowing Lucy and she was always a tough but first class lady. Offstage, she was a model of how a star should behave in public. Today, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Lucy worked hard to keep her image on the highest level despite some tough going in her personal life.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 12:03am

I liked the Rosalind Russell version much better. She is one of my favorite actresses of all time.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 1:31am

Lou, I did not mean to bash Lucy's true self, but her onscreen persona lacked a certain "class" that I think is required of Mame. I truly love her, but this was a case of miscasting that doomed this picture. I'm sorry you misunderstood or that I was not clear. Lucille Ball is a goddess, she is just not Mame Dennis.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 4:39pm

First of all, Mame was hardly a Broadway classic to begin with. It's run was "forced" by the constant changing of leading ladies (Janis Paige, Ann Miller, etc.) to continue interest in show similar to what Merrick did with HELLO, DOLLY!

Title song is a ripoff of "Hello, Dolly". Pure and simple.

In order to play Mame, one must 1) be able to sing; 2) act comedy and drama and 3) support other cast members in their "big moments." [Like Gooch's Song.]

Lucille Ball 1) cannot sing; 2) does situation comedy; and 3) hams every scene she's in.

Lucy as MAME? That makes about as much sense as a remake of THE WIZARD OF OZ with Britney as Dorothy.

Trivial Pursuit: The original choice for Broadway Mame was Judy Garland, but management soon got concerned regarding her reliability issues.