It's the Time For... Makin' Merry!

This is just a brief photo essay to mark the occasion of New Year's Eve. I thought it would be fun to supply you with a variety of pictures depicting some famous ladies who portrayed Mame Dennis (aka - Auntie Mame, as in the play, and Mame, as in the musicalization.) The title of this post comes from a lyric in the song "It's Today," which introduces audiences to the zesty, enthusiastic, madcap aunt of the show. Tooting her own horn at left (as rightly she should!) is the divine Miss Angela Lansbury, who enjoyed unqualified success as Mame. 

Auntie Mame first saw life as a hugely-successful novel by Patrick Dennis, published in 1955. Already by the following year, it had been adapted into a Broadway stage play, starring the indefatigable Miss Rosalind Russell.

When Russell departed the production, her replacement was Oscar-winning film actress Greer Garson. (Now that had to have been quite a switch as these two are not particularly similar in delivery...!)

'Course the idea goes down easier once you see Garson in her Auntie Mame drag instead of in a dated Tinseltown portrait.

After Miss Garson's departure came Canadian-born British actress Beatrice Lillie. (Lillie also was the star when the show went to London's West End.)

Star of the first national tour was 1930s leading lady, Constance Bennett.

As Bennett was absent from movie screens from the early-1950s to 1966, this serves as bridge for how she appeared in those less public years.

The second national tour was headed up by Miss Sylvia Sidney, once a cinematic leading lady (who later returned to great success in cranky supporting parts, copping an Oscar nomination for 1973's Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams.) 

For the California tour, Oscar-nominated wisecracker Eve Arden essayed the part.

Her real-life husband, Brooks West, played her stage spouse Jackson Burnside in the tour.

Looking at the above photos and this one, I began to wonder if young girls had truly invented the duck-lipped selfie smile that's so often razzed or if they merely borrowed it from Miss Eve!

In a rare instance of a Broadway star being permitted to repeat their stage triumph on screen, Russell was cast as Auntie Mame for the 1958 movie. She won the Golden Globe and was Oscar-nominated (losing to Susan Hayward in I Want to Live!) Just check out all the dazzling jewelry in this portrait! Love it.

The much sought-after role was played by many a dame in various productions across the nation (and the world!) Here we find Lucille Ball protege Carole Cook in a 1964 incarnation.

Not long after that, in 1966, Miss Lansbury landed on Broadway in the Jerry Herman musical version with the title shortened to Mame. (Many prior Auntie Mames were either considered or had gunned for the role, along with a legion of other actresses. Mary Martin was on board for a minute, but had a change of heart before it fell to Lansbury, who more than delivered.)

I dearly love this photo of Lansbury in Mame and, in fact, it's what got this whole ball rolling today! (I've always been a hopeless sucker for "statement necklaces" though!)

After two years, Lansbury evacuated the role with Janis Paige successfully inheriting the part.

Next came Jane Morgan as the title character.

Then it was Ann Miller's turn to trot!

Celeste Holm (who had successfully filled in for Lansbury's vacation) headed up the national tour. Holm also was a replacement for the Las Vegas production of the show. Do you remember who the initial headliner was in that?

Yes! Oscar-winner Susan Hayward was the initial star of the Vegas production, which proved to be a grueling introduction to the stage for the veteran film actress.

When the show crossed the pond to open in London's West End, it was Oscar-winner Ginger Rogers who was the famed character.

Rogers discreetly slipped into town unannounced with as little fanfare as possible. LOL!

These shots depict the numbers "We Need a Little Christmas" and "The Moon Song" (The Man in the Moon.)

Rogers, an avowed Christian Scientist, likely had to fall back on her acting chops in order to portray a hangover.

No matter how many times I see it, I'm always staggered by Rogers' eye makeup in this period.

For someone with such light hair and pastel eyes, it's so dark and heavy... almost hypnotic.

This portrait and the shots above come from an invaluable tome made available to audiences at the time...

One tour with Janet Blair had the added attraction of Elaine Stritch on board as Vera Charles.

People from Blair to Sheila Smith lead various productions of Mame (and Lansbury did the California tour and later a 1983 Broadway revival!) Michele Lee and Mariette Hartley took their turns at bat. In 2006, Christine Baranski did it at The Kennedy Center. This gal appears to have not even needed billing when she inhabited the part! (It's Edie Adams, if you don't know.) I couldn't list all the ladies that have played Mame. But I'll toss out some unusual ones.

Dancer Juliet Prowse in a Las Vegas rendition.

Were you ready for this?

As a youth, Brittany had played Baby June in the 1962 movie Gypsy (with Rosalind Russell!), so it's not like she had zero musical background.

In 2014, Boca Raton, Florida audiences were granted the most unusual opportunity of seeing this Mame.

Leslie Uggams...!

The game 71 year-old found herself amid local theatre performers who were favorites of the community there, though hardly "names."

This sort of reminded me of once when my very best longtime friend played Mame and was nothing short of sensational, but every other person in the cast seemed like they were amateurishly wading through molasses. I thoughtlessly proclaimed to her after the performance that she was "...a glorious, beautiful, sparkling Roman candle... stuck in a pile of steaming horse shit!" That got me into some significant trouble at that theatre company, believe you me! LOL

When 1974 brought the movie Mame to screens, it was not the by-then iconic Lansbury in the part, but TV's comic queen Lucille Ball. I'm not going to delve into this now because I have intended for years to do an in-depth post on that movie, but haven't!

I'll just say that few people found the role to be a good fit for Ball. And attempts to temper her familiar clowning persona with less slapstick and more "legitimate" singing and dancing (and a battery of wig and clothing changes) simply did not land well with many audiences. It was far from a "cheap" production. Much money was funneled into it. But the movie was no success at the box office.

Everyone has his favorites, but I think the majority of folks consider Roz Russell to be the definitive Auntie Mame...

...and Angela Lansbury to be the definitive Mame.

Anyhoo... If you're makin' merry and kicking up your heels tonight for New Year's Eve, please be careful! We want you back here in Poseidon's Underworld in 2025. Till next time!