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!

Guest Who: "Lucy" Has a Clint in Her Eye!

During my recent post commemorating the 1,000th entry here, there was one glaring omission from the collection of favorite things that I focused on. I left this out on purpose, knowing that a post would soon be in the chute regarding the subject at hand. That subject is, of course, my dream man Mr. Clint Walker. Today, we'll take a gander at Walker's turn at bat on The Lucy Show in November of 1965. The pairing was so dynamic that he returned in March the following year!

In case you've been living under a rock and don't know, Clint Walker was a towering, gentle giant who starred in the much-beloved western series Cheyenne. By 1965, he had also starred in a number of movies and was also trying to branch out from his die-cast image as a cowboy.

This magazine clipping from some years prior demonstrates how popular these two TV stars were. She'd been voted Favorite TV Comedienne in a poll and his show had been selected (from countless others in competition then) as readers' Favorite TV Western Program.

I've never been able to get my fill of CW in his prime.

Season 4, Episode 9 opens with Walker going over the details of a new office building with Mr. Mooney (Lucy's boss and major-league foil, played by Gale Gordon.)

Ball comes stumbling onto the site and soon enough is down, but not out. She's saved by the handsome Walker (who clearly has her attention already!)

I just love his jaunty little construction helmet. The arms... well, that goes without saying.

Thanks to the danger around, he issues her a helmet, too, which somehow is able to overcome her bouffant hairdo.

They eventually find themselves sharing lunch together waaaayyy up on the girders of what will become a 39-story skyscraper! (Incidentally, I couldn't love his li'l shoes any more if I tried. They're more clearly visible in the cover photo, albeit in black & white, and would still be acceptable style-wise today, I think!)

I'm not sure I could do such a thing myself, even for Clint, but Lucy was always putting herself in ludicrous situations for one reason or another.

He ultimately cajoles her into standing upright (and, natch, this was filmed in a studio in which they were barely off the ground!) Before its over, she's donned the wacky, flower-decorated helmet shown at the top of the post with her name painted on it.

The two have a dinner date for which they get all gussied up. (The studio audience went ape for Walker in a tuxedo, being so used to him in buckskin and canvas.)

Unfortunately, Walker has been up for 48 straight hours! He's ready to doze off at a moment's notice, regardless of his interest in Ball. Furthermore, he informs her that, once-asleep, he shouldn't be suddenly awakened because he tends to burst forth with karate immediately after being wrestled from slumber!

See what I mean? This contrived, gimmicky story line is really never believable for a moment, but it affords Ball a chance to (over)react and find herself in more personal comic peril.

After he takes out one of the columns in her home (!), she suggests he sit on the couch a moment.

But soon enough he's out again, has her pinned down, and she's afraid to rouse him!

It's rough, but what a way to go...

As I say, the looming Mr. Walker was enough of a hit that he was back again in Season 4, Episode 24. This time, he's working on another project financed by Mr. Mooney.

And, once again, Ball pratfalls her way into the site and into Walker's arms. (I'm not going to chide her for this as I've actually done similar things myself multiple times. In fact, one time as I shimmied down a row of stadium seats and "tripped" into the lap of a man I had a crush on, his girlfriend looked at me as said, "Yeah... I've seen your act before." Ha ha ha!!! Let it be known that she and I became fast, long-term friends after that. I thought it was hysterical. And she knew I was getting nowhere anyway. They're now married!)

Take a look at the differential between the looming Walker and the stout Gordon.

As is to be expected, Ball is agog over Walker once again. She finds out that his birthday is fast approaching and, since Gordon won't advance her any money for a present (he oversees a trust of hers), she decides she'll knit Walker a sweater!

While he rattles off figures regarding the construction site, she keeps trying to measure various parts of his build.

The two are often intertwined or otherwise physically engaged.

During one measurement attempt gone wrong, she winds up on top of the man! (She never does get that tape measure where I would be checking. Ha ha!)

Before it's all said and done, she's slammed him into a freshly-plastered wall.

Something clearly didn't go as planned, for when she's done with the sweater, it's massive, even considering that she's trying it out on Gordon...!

On his birthday, which happens to coincide with the bank's summer picnic, invitee Walker is coerced into playing the harmonica for a few of the revelers.

It was fun to see, among the small group of admirers, one Kathryn Janssen, a prolific TV and movie extra who is well-known among fans of The Poseidon Adventure (1972) as "Bun Lady."

Having worked on the sweater and all prepared to give it to him, Ball is mortified to discover that her gentle giant cannot stand the color red...! She tries to ditch the box in the lake and underground, but it keeps making its way back to her.

Finally, she hands over the distressed gift box to Walker only to find that the darn thing has SHRUNK!

Fortunately, he misunderstands and thinks that the sweater was meant for his beloved dog, Lightning!

So all is well in the end. And that, my friends, bring us to...

The End!

Oh, but wait! Yes, this is the end, but I simply had no choice but to re-excavate this HYSTERICAL YouTube comment that I found several years ago. It made such an impression on me then that I did a screenshot of it, which I've never discarded. I posted it here once many moons ago, but it's so outrageous that it bears seeing again. In fact, I have read this probably a minimum of 15 or 20 times since the day I found it and it has never, ever, including right now, allowed me to get all the way through it without wheezing hysterically and having tears well up in my eyes. The Internet is teeming with crazy, but this one gets the blue ribbon from me. Ha ha ha ha!!!!! Be good, my friends.