this has always been one of my favourite musicals. i wanted to purchase it on dvd for sometime but has only recently been released, or that it is only available in the usa and not in the uk.it is always a delight to watch the film and hope a stage version comes along also.
July 8, 2008 |  | The last great big old fashion musical made |  |
"Mame" was indeed the last great old fashion movie musical made and severly underrated by many movie critics. Lucy is the best Mame every; she can dance, sing, make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes. The pairing of Bea Arthur and Lucy is classic. Their "Bosom Buddies" number is first class. Robert Preston, Jane Connell, Bruce Davison and Kirby Furlong are all first rate. I'm glad that this movie musical from 1974 has found a new audience. It truly is one of Lucy's best performances on the big screen and is great entertainment for the entire family. Warner Brothers was very smart in releasing this film. Too bad there aren't many extras. Angela Lansbury's and Rosalind Russell's versions of Mame pale in comparison to Miss Lucille Ball. I highly recommend that everyone go out and buy a copy of this happy, wonderful and glorious musical.
June 24, 2008I can relate to the people who hate this film; I felt the same way when it came out. But on second glance, it's really not as bad as all that. Yes, any number of movie stars (particularly Lansbury) would have made a better Mame. Lucy is far older than the role requires, and she truly can't sing. But call it The "Chicago" Syndrome: Having suffered through Renee Zellwegger and Helena Bonham Carter's singing over the past few years, I somehow don't mind Lucy as much. (And let's not forget that Rosiland Russell, first choice for the musical version, was no singer either.) Lucy can certainly dance (that's how she started her career), she's damned funny (this is Lucy, after all), and she's giving it 200% and seems to be having a blast -- so as a complete performance, it's surprisingly valid. The costumes and art direction are gorgeous, and Jerry Herman's arrangements of his lovely score are really splendid; and the supporting cast is first-rate across the boards. One wishes that Gene Saks were a more imaginative director, but his work is perfectly serviceable. So while this is one of those movie musicals that might have been fantastic with a more glamorous leading lady, it's hardly the out-and-out disaster that I remembered and expected to see again. "The Wiz" or "A Chorus Line" -- now those are disasters.
June 2, 2008 | | I LOVE LUCY, TOO, BUT REALLY . . . | |
First off, the negative reviews based on a dislike of the stage musical in general are off the mark. The musical is a thing of its own, and shouldn't be expected to equal the incomparable Rosalind Russell non-musical version. I doubt that many musicals based on movies or plays are as good as the originals--look how terrible a musical ("Applause") was concocted from the brilliant "All About Eve." If you don't like Broadway musicals, that's a matter of personal taste. That said, however, I must concur that this movie really blows. I remember being appalled when it first came out, when I was at the height of my Lucille Ball mania. It was--and is--simply uncomfortable to watch. If somehow they could have put Miss Ball in a time machine and taken her back to her 40s, when she was at her height in "I Love Lucy," it would have been great. The sets and costumes and jaw-dropping Art Deco, and the supporting cast is fine in its overly stagey way. But poor Lucy--one critic said she is so out of focus that it looks as though she was filmed through canvas, not gauze; and I believe it was Pauline Kael who said it sounds as if her singing had been dubbed by Dick Cavett. There was talk a while back about a TV remake with Barbra Streisand as Mame and Cher as Vera--now THERE would have been something to see. But this version is simply sad, and an unfortunate footnote to Lucille Ball's career.
April 30, 2008A producer once said of Lucille Ball, "She can't sing and she can't dance but she can ACT like she can sing and dance." This movie proves it. While here dancing scenes were not Ginger Rogers level, they are still enjoyable and Lucille Ball is always watchable, regardless of what she's doing! The movie itself was pretty close to the book it was based on, the songs and dances taken from the Broadway play. All in all, a great movie to watch!
April 22, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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