Product Description

Lucille Ball plays Auntie mame, loving life and living it to the hilt with her nephew and assorted eccentrics in tow. Robert Preston, Beatrice Arthur and Jerry Herman's smashing Broadway score add pizazz. Year: 1974 Director: Gene Saks Starring: Lucille Ball. Robert Preston, Bea Arthur

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3546 in DVD
• Brand: BALL,LUCILLE
• Released on: 2007-06-19
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Dolby, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 132 minutes

Features

• Lucille Ball plays Auntie mame, loving life and living it to the hilt with her nephew and assorted eccentrics in tow. Robert Preston, Beatrice Arthur and Jerry Herman's smashing Broadway score add pizazz. Year: 1974 Director: Gene Saks Starring: Lucille Ball. Robert Preston, Bea ArthurRunning Time: 131 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSICALS Rating: PG Age: 085391134145 UP

Amazon.com
The 1974 film version of Mame stars legendary Lucille Ball and is based on the 1966 hit Broadway musical, not the 1958 movie. When 10-year-old Patrick Dennis's father dies, he is sent to live with his eccentric Auntie Mame. Mame may know nothing about being a parent, but she's got love and spontaneity in spades, and Patrick blooms in the time spent with her. Though Miss Ball seems sadly miscast when Mame begins (she's too old and can't sing), by the time the movie reaches the famous foxhunt scene when Mame accidentally wins the hunt, and in turn the heart of gallant Beauregard Burnside, you start to believe Lucy is Mame.

Reprising her Broadway role (for which she won a Tony), Bea Arthur plays Mame's boozy pal Vera Charles. Songs include the now-classic "We Need a Little Christmas" and "Bosom Buddies" plus "Loving You," sung by Robert Preston's Beau and written for this movie. --Dana Van Nest

Customer Reviews

I don't see what the problem is--
This film has been considered a critical failure since the day it was released, and very unjustly so. I happen to find MAME quite charming and a lot of fun. The casting is super. I do not think Lucy was miscast, although I can understand how one might arrive at that opinion... Lucy was 62 years old during filming, but was playing a character 15-20 years her junior. Furthermore, one thing Lucy was NOT known for was being a singer, even though Mame is a musical role. But that's just what I find all the more appealing about this film... context is the key word here. Mame is not supposed to be Julie Andrews or Kathryn Grayson (although there are any number of musical actresses who would have made a fine Mame); a lower more raspy voice is more suited to the character. While no one will ever be able to top Rosalind Russell from the earlier nonmusical play and its 1958 film adaptation AUNTIE MAME, or Angela Lansbury from the Broadway cast of the musical, Lucy is in there trying her darndest and in my opinion pulls it off rather well. Playing Mame at 62 years old was no easy task I'm sure. Lucy really seems to be enjoying herself--just watch her during the "Mame" number...she almost seems to glow.

The supporting cast are outstanding. Bea Arthur is THE best Vera Charles, hands down. Seeing her and Lucy in "Bosom Buddies" is classic--whether or not they got along off camera is totally irrelavent. Robert Preston was born to play Beau, and Jane Connell reprises her role of Agnes Gooch, which she had played on Broadway. (Did you know she was nearly 50 in this film?)

MAME has been available on VHS for years, though it is now out of print, but still not really that hard to track down if you play your cards right. Unfortunately the VHS, while acceptable, is full frame (aka "pan-n-scan") and we really miss a lot by not having it in widescreen. The AUNTIE MAME DVD features the trailer for this film, in widescreen, and even that is fabulous.

COMING TO DVD IN JUNE 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lucy MAME dvd - beware incorrect info here!
Let's correct some erroneous info that's been posted here:

1. This dvd IS Anamorphic Widescreen, not Letterboxed, as has been reported. It is also a progressive transfer.

2. The film of MAME was never in stereo, not even in the theatres. It was always a mono film. George Feltenstein of Warner Home Video has said they spent quite a while trying to remix the tracks to stereo for dvd release, but were unable to because, among other reasons, of the tracks being pieced together so piecemeal to accomodate Lucy's vocals. Even the IMDB incorrectly states it was in Stereo, but it was indeed a Mono release theatrically.

So rest assured, if you are fan of the film or of Lucy, you are NOT missing anything with this dvd. The sound is the original mono, as heard in the theatres in 1974, and is quite satisfactory. And the picture is a very nice anamorphic transfer with few blemishes.

Hilarious, Great Music, and very entertaining
This 1974 movie opened to generally negative reviews. Probably because most discerning movie-goers thought Angela Lansbury should've gotten the role, having been such a hit in the stage version.

Lucy was also about 15-20 years older than the role called for, which rubbed many traditionalists the wrong way. In the context of today, when the range of appropriate and respectable behavior for women in their 50's and 60's has expanded considerably, we are probably much more forgiving of her audacity in tackling the role of a middle-aged woman(she was 62 during filming). Unfortunately, she is filmed in such an extremely soft focus, you want to rub your eyes or squeegee your tv screen every other scene.

Otherwise, Lucy's beauty still shows - in 4 very different colored hair-dos, no less. Still tall, fit, broad-shouldered and leggy, Lucy carries her many sylish outfits terrifically, befitting the one-time fashion model from the 20's and 30's.

Another weakness is Lucy's singing voice, which is so low and lacking in vibrato, that in the more maudlin numbers, the effect can be pretty painful. However, those numbers are very few, and more than overshadowed by the many upbeat sequences, including some really wonderful classics, for which her limited singing voice is perfectly well suited. And, even at 62, and in recovery from a recently broken leg (during a skiing trip to Snowmass, Co in 1972), her dancing is remarkable skillful and agile (during her glamour days in the 1940's, practically every other role of hers entailed dancing.)

The comedy acting from just about everyone in the cast is first rate. Lucy's deep, gravelly voice, so ill-equipped for singing, is perfectly suited to the dead-pan one liners and humorous dialogue that she delivers with the skill and aplomb of an old pro. And, the physical comedy skills and timing for which she is legendary is on ample display. In addition, many of the comedic performances in the supporting cast are hilarious, particularly Bea Arthur, Jane Connell, Robert Preston, Joyce Van Patten, and Audrey Christie. It's the small role of Gloria Upson, played by Doria Cook, though, that never fails to crack me up.

Despite this movie's abysmal reputation, or maybe because of it, the quality and entertainment value will far exceed your expectations. What seemed in 1974 an old-fashioned and dated vanity piece for a fading star, seems today like a musical and comedy extravaganza starring a timeless legend.