Auntie Mame

1958 "Tops the Best-Seller! Tops the Play! The One and Only!"
7.9| 2h23m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 04 December 1958 Released
Producted By: Warner Bros. Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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Mame Dennis, a progressive and independent woman of the 1920s, is left to care for her nephew Patrick after his wealthy father dies. Conflict ensues when the executor of the father's estate objects to the aunt's lifestyle and tries to force her to send Patrick to prep school.

Genre

Drama, Comedy

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Director

Morton DaCosta

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

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Auntie Mame Audience Reviews

Chatverock Takes itself way too seriously
Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
capone666 Auntie MameEccentric family members are usually less so once they've taken their meds.However, no pill could quell the verve of the outlandish aunt in this comedy.Sent to live with his free-spirited Auntie Mame (Rosalind Russell) in Manhattan when his father dies, Patrick (Jan Handzlik, Roger Smith) is exposed to her lavish parties and eclectic friends.But the trustee to Patrick's inheritance (Fred Clark) insists he go to boarding school, only visiting on holidays.One Christmas Mame meets a millionaire at Macy's and is whisked off around the world, when she returns she's troubled to find a fully-grown Patrick is engaged to a vapid debutante.The 1958 film adaptation of the book that also inspired the musical Mame, this somewhat seasonal gem forgoes the Broadway ditties in lieu of a life-affirming performance from the voguish Russell. Incidentally, boarding school will turn you gay faster than any flamboyant aunt ever could.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca
mmallon4 It's hard for me not to be complete enamoured by a movie and a character like Auntie Mame. Two and half hours of zany histrionics with a central character who is a fee thinking, non conformist and constantly has a joyous, optimistic outlook on life; oh, and did I mention she is a total screwball. Few other fictional characters seem to led such an exciting life that I as the viewer am actually is jealous off ("Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are just starving to death!"). If I ever amass a huge fortune then perhaps I can try to emulate the lifestyle of Mame. OK even with a huge fortune that probably wouldn't be possible in this mundane realm that is reality but I can at least try. Auntie Mame is one of the most liberal movies to come out of the 1950's. Mame's carefree, flamboyant, free thinking and non conformist lifestyle clashes with a decade which is thought of as being the most conformist of the 20th century. It should come as no surprise this movie has a huge gay following as the title character is essentially a drag queen. At the beginning of the movie we see Mame throwing a party full of bohemians, intellectuals and champagne socialists ("Karl Marx, is he one of the Marx Brothers?"), essentially the predecessors to the modern day hipster. During the first 50 minutes of Auntie Mame the liberals are the one's having fun while the stuffy, puritan conservative Mr Babbock is being driven mad by Mame's antics and instance that her nephew be sent to a be sent to a progressive school over a conservative prep school, a school with ancient Greek principles, has no uniforms and as the movie's implies, teaches sex education in a very odd manner. However Auntie Mame isn't a total demonisation of conservatives. In the middle portion of the movie she does end up getting married to a southern gentleman and an oil tycoon of whom lives lives on a plantation and goes fox hunting, which does show you that love can overcome ideology. Likewise when Mame returns to her apartment after the death of her husband, the next few incarnations of her constantly redesigned apartment as well as her outfits are not as camp, possibly suggesting her husband's influence on her. Well at least until the second last incarnation of her apartment which is very avant-garde.With the movie's references to sex and homosexuality among other things, Auntie Mame falls into the category of "how did they get away with that?". Yet as liberal as the movie is for its time (and in many respects still is), the liberal of today is the conservative of tomorrow. Some of Mame's actions wouldn't rub with the modern left such as her desire to settle down with a man and her motherly instincts.The Kaleidoscope opening credits set the stage for a film which is a feast for the eyes and ears. They really put effort into these early widescreen era title sequences in one of many attempts for film to compete against television. Likewise Mame's lavish apartment is a masterpiece of set design as it evolves throughout the movie, with each incarnation being as impressive as the last. The movie doesn't lose its stage roots which each act ending with the dimming of the lights with the spotlight on Mame before completely going to dark.I am a huge Rosalind Russell fan and I know it's a cliché expression but it usage couldn't be any more adapt here: this is the role she was born to play! How is it possible of a human being to talk at such a voracious rate? I do wonder how long the script for Auntie Mame must have been. There are probably more words in this movie than the Encyclopedia Britannica. Whenever there is a moment free of any dialogue I have little think to myself, "oh yes, silence, I forgot what that feels like". When Roz's motor mouth isn't running, she's pulling at my heart strings; there are times when I wish I could just go into the screen and hug her. I can't stress enough my love for the actress, the performance and the fictional character. Auntie Mame is an encapsulation of pure unmitigated joy. When I'm feeling down, I know what movie I'll be turning to.
Charles Herold (cherold) This tale of a young boy adopted by his artsy, eccentric aunt is terrifically entertaining but a little slack for parts of the first hour. At times it feels more like a series of amusing anecdotes than a real story, which may be while I most enjoyed the final part of the movie, which felt more cohesive, and was also notable for terrific small performances by Peggy Cass as the hapless Agnes Gooch and Pippa Scott as an odious socialite.This is not to say I didn't enjoy the rest of the movie, but I wish it had all been as good as that final party.I also wish the character of Patrick had been more developed. He is essentially a prop, an impossibly polite and untraumatized (considering his father dies at the film's start) young boy who grows into a young man who conveniently and instantly changes his mind on a major matter after one incident. But overall I enjoyed this.
Like_Wu_told_me Going into this movie, I had an open mind but expected a stagy, dated comedy. I was very pleasantly surprised to find a snappy, frank, and surprisingly fresh comedy filled with delightful performances and dialogue, colorful costumes and set designs, and a clichéd but solid message about life. Rosalind Russell plays Mame Dennis, who takes in her nephew Patrick (Jan Handzlik) after her brother unexpectedly dies. What ensues is a very fun romp about the adventures and trials of Mame and Patrick over 9 years as he grows up and they weather the Great Depression. The film is populated by a wide assortment of colorful, entertaining characters and comedic situations. And, for a 54-year-old movie, I actually found it to be hilarious. I laughed out loud several times throughout, for example when Mame at one point tries to mount a horse, and the dialogue is genuinely funny without straining too hard, with jokes rarely falling flat. The film's comedic success is amplified by its enormous heart, which takes center stage during several dramatic, emotional moments. The film wears its heart on its sleeve but never lapses into overdone sentimentality. As the movie's famous line goes, "Life's a banquet, and some poor suckers are starving to death." The film's message to live your own way and to the fullest no matter what really resonates, even if it is a bit unoriginal. The film takes thinly veiled shots at the norms, prejudices, and judgments of mid-20th century American society. It has a blast shooting down anti-Semitism, socioeconomic elitism, social judgment (involving such topics as unmarried pregnancy), to name a few, and it's 143-minute runtime flies by. The film itself, especially the cast, seems to be having a great time as it progresses, and I couldn't help but to be sucked right in. The performances are very good across the board. Rosalind Russell is just perfect as Mame, capturing her larger-than-life personality and big heart. She's an ace at spouting out the character's lightning-fast lines with impeccable comic timing. Coral Browne also gives a great comic performance as Vera, although she doesn't have as much depth as Russell. The rest of the supporting cast are all very good as well. Jan Handzlik is endearing and funny as a young Patrick, and Peggy Cass is outstanding in a paper-thin role (she did a good job, but her Oscar nomination is perplexing). I also thought Joanna Barnes was a riot as Gloria, and Lee Patrick and Willard Waterman are excellent as her parents. Overall, Auntie Mame is a hugely entertaining, even uplifting movie filled with wacky characters, spot-on comedic performances, hilarious writing, and a big heart. It's not the deepest movie you'll ever see, or the least conventional, but it's an absolute delight. Highly recommended.