I won't belabor the point made by numerous other posters about how wrong for this role the non-singer/non-dancer, 63-year old Lucille Ball was. I'll just remind folks that THERE WAS A REASON why Ricky tried desperately to keep Lucy out of show biz for all those years!
Unfortunately, "Mame" probably would have been a flop under the best of circumstances, coming as it did at the tail end (and I mean the very tip of the tail!) of the traditional Hollywood musical. Despite pouring tens of millions into big-budget musicals during the latter half of the Sixties (several of which nearly sank their respective studios!), by the early Seventies it was painfully apparent that the musical was in it's death-throws. 1972's "Man of La Mancha" and 1973's "Lost Horizon" really put the final nails in the coffin... sadly at the time, no one knew the Last Rites had been performed and they went on with this travesty of a movie. Interesting that it took MGM's retro masterpiece "That's Entertainment" (also released in 1974) for movie-goers to finally realize the old-time Hollywood musical was dead as a doornail. I personally remember the startling contrast between "That's Entertainment" and "Mame" when I saw them both in theaters.
Still, financial considerations aside, the producers could have at least opted for a good picture, even if it did end up losing money. Some financial flops, such as 1968's "Finian's Rainbow", are at least nowadays rather well regarded. Some posters have mentioned Rosalind Russell's great turn in 1958 non-musical "Auntie Mame", and it's worth considering what she might have made of the musical role. Though never considered a singer, Miss Russell did a very creditable job as Mama Rose in 1962's "Gypsy". Her low, gravelly voice worked fine in the part, something the producers of "Mame" no doubt hoped to emulate with Miss Ball... sorry, didn't work. Sad that "Mame" came to the screen so late, and Miss Russell was not only aged, but I believe even then suffering from the cancer that finally took her life in 1976.
Another obvious choice for the title role would have been the actress who made the part her own during it's long Broadway run -- Angela Lansbury! Her singing and acting skills had a huge part in making the Broadway production such a success. I grew up listening to the Original Cast album, and can say that the gifted Miss Lansbury was perfect for the role, yet without being too "stagy" and "overbearing", in the manner Ethel Merman and Carol Channing always came across on film. Unfortunately, they followed the time-honored tradition of casting a "big name" in the role, feeling Miss Lansbury didn't have enough "star power" for the movie version (that, and Lucy's obsession with playing the role). Ironically, that same type error, made a couple years earlier in "Man of La Mancha" (passing over the talented, beautifully voiced Richard Kiley for the non-singer Peter O'Toole) doomed that film to well-deserved obscurity. What "Mame" might have been with Angela Lansbury reprising her stage role is something we're left to speculate on.
Unfortunately, "Mame" probably would have been a flop under the best of circumstances, coming as it did at the tail end (and I mean the very tip of the tail!) of the traditional Hollywood musical. Despite pouring tens of millions into big-budget musicals during the latter half of the Sixties (several of which nearly sank their respective studios!), by the early Seventies it was painfully apparent that the musical was in it's death-throws. 1972's "Man of La Mancha" and 1973's "Lost Horizon" really put the final nails in the coffin... sadly at the time, no one knew the Last Rites had been performed and they went on with this travesty of a movie. Interesting that it took MGM's retro masterpiece "That's Entertainment" (also released in 1974) for movie-goers to finally realize the old-time Hollywood musical was dead as a doornail. I personally remember the startling contrast between "That's Entertainment" and "Mame" when I saw them both in theaters.
Still, financial considerations aside, the producers could have at least opted for a good picture, even if it did end up losing money. Some financial flops, such as 1968's "Finian's Rainbow", are at least nowadays rather well regarded. Some posters have mentioned Rosalind Russell's great turn in 1958 non-musical "Auntie Mame", and it's worth considering what she might have made of the musical role. Though never considered a singer, Miss Russell did a very creditable job as Mama Rose in 1962's "Gypsy". Her low, gravelly voice worked fine in the part, something the producers of "Mame" no doubt hoped to emulate with Miss Ball... sorry, didn't work. Sad that "Mame" came to the screen so late, and Miss Russell was not only aged, but I believe even then suffering from the cancer that finally took her life in 1976.
Another obvious choice for the title role would have been the actress who made the part her own during it's long Broadway run -- Angela Lansbury! Her singing and acting skills had a huge part in making the Broadway production such a success. I grew up listening to the Original Cast album, and can say that the gifted Miss Lansbury was perfect for the role, yet without being too "stagy" and "overbearing", in the manner Ethel Merman and Carol Channing always came across on film. Unfortunately, they followed the time-honored tradition of casting a "big name" in the role, feeling Miss Lansbury didn't have enough "star power" for the movie version (that, and Lucy's obsession with playing the role). Ironically, that same type error, made a couple years earlier in "Man of La Mancha" (passing over the talented, beautifully voiced Richard Kiley for the non-singer Peter O'Toole) doomed that film to well-deserved obscurity. What "Mame" might have been with Angela Lansbury reprising her stage role is something we're left to speculate on.
