All things considered, this should have been an outstanding movie musical, as both the Broadway musical, and the non musical film were already great successes by the time this came out. Unfortunately, it fails to deliver, and while highly entertaining, it isn't on a par with either the musical or the movie that came before.
The story is the same as "Auntie Mame." Patrick Dennis (Kirby Furlong) unexpectedly arrives to live with his Aunt Mame (Lucille Ball). While he loves her, as she loves him, and he certainly enjoys her circle of friends, including actress Vera Charles (Bea Arthur), he is put in boarding school by disapproving Dwight Babcock (John McGiver). Mame marries Beauregard Burnside (Robert Preston), but is widowed after an unfortunately short time when he falls off the Matterhorn. Mame arrives back in New York to find a grown up Patrick (Bruce Davison) engaged to the objectionable Gloria Upson (Doria Cook). Even more objectionable than Gloria are her parents (Don Porter and Audrey Christie), so Mame decides that the engagement must be broken. Can she do so without losing Patrick in the process.
The writing is just as clever as the movie, depicting Mame as a woman who is a lot sharper than her actions might suggest, as well as a woman who is determined to do right by her nephew.
The main problem is the casting. Ball was just not right for Mame. She exhibits none of Russell's charm or ingenuousness, and charges through the part like a bull in a china shop. There are scenes where this works - many of them, in fact. But where subtlety and skill are called for, Ball can't produce them, and the movie as a whole suffers as a result of this. The rest of the cast does quite well. Arthur is a formidable comic talent, and plays Vera to perfection. Preston is charming. Both Furlong and Davison do a nice job with Patrick. Cook, Porter, and Christie do an excellent job of playing the snobbish Upsons. And Peggy Cass gives a scene stealing performance as Agnes Gooch.
In spite of a large casting mistake, this movie is still funny and touching, and quite enjoyable. It's just sad that it could have been so much better...
The story is the same as "Auntie Mame." Patrick Dennis (Kirby Furlong) unexpectedly arrives to live with his Aunt Mame (Lucille Ball). While he loves her, as she loves him, and he certainly enjoys her circle of friends, including actress Vera Charles (Bea Arthur), he is put in boarding school by disapproving Dwight Babcock (John McGiver). Mame marries Beauregard Burnside (Robert Preston), but is widowed after an unfortunately short time when he falls off the Matterhorn. Mame arrives back in New York to find a grown up Patrick (Bruce Davison) engaged to the objectionable Gloria Upson (Doria Cook). Even more objectionable than Gloria are her parents (Don Porter and Audrey Christie), so Mame decides that the engagement must be broken. Can she do so without losing Patrick in the process.
The writing is just as clever as the movie, depicting Mame as a woman who is a lot sharper than her actions might suggest, as well as a woman who is determined to do right by her nephew.
The main problem is the casting. Ball was just not right for Mame. She exhibits none of Russell's charm or ingenuousness, and charges through the part like a bull in a china shop. There are scenes where this works - many of them, in fact. But where subtlety and skill are called for, Ball can't produce them, and the movie as a whole suffers as a result of this. The rest of the cast does quite well. Arthur is a formidable comic talent, and plays Vera to perfection. Preston is charming. Both Furlong and Davison do a nice job with Patrick. Cook, Porter, and Christie do an excellent job of playing the snobbish Upsons. And Peggy Cass gives a scene stealing performance as Agnes Gooch.
In spite of a large casting mistake, this movie is still funny and touching, and quite enjoyable. It's just sad that it could have been so much better...