A Few Words About A few words about...™ Mame -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[JohnMor]

A couple of clarifications about Lionel's post above:

Wildcat was a flop, but not because of Lucy's voice or the lack of an audience. It was SRO from the time it opened (Lucy's mega TV fame assured that), but Lucy hadn't counted on the tedium of a long Broadway run performing the same material eight times a week, and it was she who closed the show after about six months.

Elizabeth Taylor sang "Send in the Clowns" in A Little Night Music and the talking parts of "You Must Meet My Wife," but she was dubbed by Elaine Tompkinson in the opening number "Love Takes Time." The misguided movie, however, also used Miss Tompkinson to dub Chloe Francks in "The Glamorous Life" AND Lesley Anne-Downe in her numbers - the same singer for three different characters! Unbelievable!

Lucy also missed quite a few performances of Wildcat due to illness because she didn’t have the physical stamina to keep up the rigors of a Broadway run.

Elaine Tomkinson’s recording of “The Glamorous Life” is marvelous and a particular favorite of mine. I love Sondheim’s revision of the song for the film much more than the stage original.

 

[Will Krupp]

Elaine Tomkinson’s recording of “The Glamorous Life” is marvelous and a particular favorite of mine. I love Sondheim’s revision of the song for the film much more than the stage original.

I agree!

 

[Matt Hough]

Elaine Tomkinson’s recording of “The Glamorous Life” is marvelous and a particular favorite of mine. I love Sondheim’s revision of the song for the film much more than the stage original.

I agree completely. It's a wonderful number and far surpasses the original stage version of the song. In the London revival with Judi Dench as Desiree, they tried to combine the two versions of the song, but I much prefer the film version incarnation. Sadly, in the Catherine Zeta-Jones revival, they reverted to the original song.

 

[KPmusmag]

Elaine Tomkinson’s recording of “The Glamorous Life” is marvelous and a particular favorite of mine. I love Sondheim’s revision of the song for the film much more than the stage original.

Great song. My favorite line is "Someday she'll come galloping over the green".

Audra McDonald made a great recording of it also on her "Go Back Home" album.

 

[warnerbro]

It looks very nice -- a bit soft, but nice color and saturation. Sadly, in mono, but mono so good you forget it's mono. Apparently, it was recorded in stereo but released in mono. Sadly only a trailer as an extra and the trailer is super blurry for some reason.

 

[JohnMor]

Great song. My favorite line is "Someday she'll come galloping over the green".

Audra McDonald made a great recording of it also on her "Go Back Home" album.

And did an incredible rendition of it on “Sondheim: The Birthday Concert.”

 

[Will Krupp]

And did an incredible rendition of it on “Sondheim: The Birthday Concert.”

Definitive!

Marrin Mazzie, though So very sad.

 

[Matt Hough]

About twenty years ago, Bruce Kimmel put out a CD called Sondheim at the Movies (highly recommended, by the way), and on it "The Glamorous Life" was sung by Cassidy Ladden. If Elaine Tomkinson's version is my favorite, that one runs it a close second. She is simply magnificent. I LOVE Audra, and she's a brilliant artist, but I think the song has more emotional power sung by a talented youngster.

 

[lionel59]

Thanks for the corrections Matt.
All I knew was WILDCAT did not have a long run, so I assumed it did not do well. Maybe the fact Lucy had starred in a Broadway musical had something to do with her vocals being used.
I met Elizabeth Taylor after a performance of THE LITTLE FOXES in
L.A. in 1981. A warm and funny lady. I had thought it was her voice singing 'Clowns' but saw in a long list of screen dubbing that she had a voice double. As it did not specify that only some of her singing was dubbed, I assumed the vocal double had tried to limit her talent and sound as close to Miss Taylor as possible. I wish I could have seen Jean Simmons in the role. Was she thought of for the movie? She gets by in GUYS AND DOLLS, but not really known as a singer. Terrific actress who sadly never won an Oscar despite many worthy performances.
If you bring up the NY Times for a review of MAME, an ad comes up from the same page with quotes from two glowing reviews, so some critics must have liked it. I also like the way the musical treats the death of Beau with a serious tone. AUNTIE MAME takes a 'black comedy' approach. In the play, a reprise of 'My Best Girl' is sung. In the movie, it underscores the scene between Patrick and Mame. Was 'Loving You' written for another show and utilized in the film of MAME? A cast off from MAME- 'Love Is Only Love'- found its way into the movie of HELLO DOLLY. I think putting a new number in is often done for publicity purposes and in the hope of a Best Song nomination.

 

[cinemiracle]

Thanks for the corrections Matt.
All I knew was WILDCAT did not have a long run, so I assumed it did not do well. Maybe the fact Lucy had starred in a Broadway musical had something to do with her vocals being used.
I met Elizabeth Taylor after a performance of THE LITTLE FOXES in
L.A. in 1981. A warm and funny lady. I had thought it was her voice singing 'Clowns' but saw in a long list of screen dubbing that she had a voice double. As it did not specify that only some of her singing was dubbed, I assumed the vocal double had tried to limit her talent and sound as close to Miss Taylor as possible. I wish I could have seen Jean Simmons in the role. Was she thought of for the movie? She gets by in GUYS AND DOLLS, but not really known as a singer. Terrific actress who sadly never won an Oscar despite many worthy performances.
If you bring up the NY Times for a review of MAME, an ad comes up from the same page with quotes from two glowing reviews, so some critics must have liked it. I also like the way the musical treats the death of Beau with a serious tone. AUNTIE MAME takes a 'black comedy' approach. In the play, a reprise of 'My Best Girl' is sung. In the movie, it underscores the scene between Patrick and Mame. Was 'Loving You' written for another show and utilized in the film of MAME? A cast off from MAME- 'Love Is Only Love'- found its way into the movie of HELLO DOLLY. I think putting a new number in is often done for publicity purposes and in the hope of a Best Song nomination.

I have fond memories of seeing Elizabeth Taylor on stage in London in THE LITTLE FOXES.

 

[Matt Hough]

As far as I know, "Loving You" was written specifically for the movie Mame. I don't believe it was pulled from Jerry's trunk like "Love Is Only Love." Frankly, "It's Today" was a song from Jerry's off-Broadway show Parade with a different lyric.

 

[Richard Kaufman]

Long before Elizabeth Taylor shot the film version of A Little Night Music, her acting talents had deserted her. She existed, as a thing, but not as an actress. For the integrity of the score, the chorus must be maintained.

 

[Will Krupp]

Never mind, it's not worth it. Deleted

 

[PMF]

Went to do a phone order through Best Buy, last night.
"Mame" was Out-of-Stock.
Hopefully that's a good sign for sales vs. a replication issue.

 

[B-ROLL]

Went to do a phone order through Best Buy, last night.
"Mame" was Out-of-Stock.
Hopefully that's a good sign for sales vs. a replication issue.

BBY website says "Sold OUT" ... Target doesn't seem to have it on their website at all DD is nearly $2 more and on backorder ...

I suspect it's the replicator issue ...

 

[PMF]

Lost in a re-edit.
- PMF

 

[Noel Aguirre]

But all the songs not sung to others were treated that way in the film. “St. Brigit” and “The Letter” were also voice overs. No one in the film sings to themselves when they’re alone. It would be weird if Mame DID imo.

In that case then bring on Eydie Gormé !

 

[Noel Aguirre]

I believe that "Mame" became the only film that have both the MPAA rating, along with the Surgeon General's warning.

Right? She should have been swiggin bourbon and chuggin on a cigarette during the “Mame” number where all she did was strut around watchin her admirers.

 

[B-ROLL]

Right? She should have been swiggin bourbon and chuggin on a cigarette during the “Mame” number where all she did was strut around watchin her admirers.

I'm not clear how these objects would have been held ... she already had a riding crop in one hand ...

Costume inspired by The Night Porter ?

 

[JPCinema]

I saw Glynis, but would have loved to have seen Jean Simmons, one of my favorite actresses (and voices).

I saw Jean Simmons and Margaret Hamilton in the LA. They were wonderful! A memorable evening>
It important to remember that Sondheim did not write the role of Desiree for a singer. Desiree was not a musical actress.
It was written for Glynis....I saw Jean and more recently Greta Scacchi with Lambert Wilson and Leslie Caron in Theatre Chatelet in Paris and it also a wonderful production.