IMDb plot summary: Following the death of his father, an orphan is sent to live with his free-spirited aunt.
Directed by Gene Saks. Starring Lucille Ball, Bea Arthur, Robert Preston, and Bruce Davison.
Lucille Ball plays the title character here, and while her singing chops aren't the best, she does bring a sense of tremendous warmth to this character which I haven't seen in other versions of this story. You truly feel Mame's generosity, which is important for the story's third act, where Mame is hurt that her nephew hasn't embraced those lessons of inclusivity and open-mindedness she tried so hard to instill in him. The songs are catchy and mostly pretty fun, with some good choreography and some weird choreography. There is an odd gap in the story at the end that made me wonder if I'd missed a scene. Mame does something outrageous, it blows up, her nephew is furious with her... and then it's suddenly six or seven years later and everything is fine now? It's an anticlimactic way to close out the story and is just plain confusing given the dynamic we'd been shown. The film definitely has its flaws, but if you like classic musicals, you'll probably enjoy this one.
How it entered my Flickchart:
Mame > The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
Mame < Chronicle
Mame < Harakiri
Mame > Burn After Reading
Mame < Rabbit Hole
Mame < Munich
Mame < The Last Unicorn
Mame < Blood Diamond
Mame > A Few Good Men
Mame < The Ladykillers (2004)
Mame > Stolen Kisses
Final spot: #1459 out of 3355, or 57%.
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