Quote:
Originally posted by aopirose
Which version? Auntie Mame (1958) with Rosalind Russell or Mame (1974) with Lucille Ball?
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Both. The "Life's a banquet" line comes from Patrick Dennis' book
Auntie Mame. Yes, that Patrick Dennis, as in Mame's nephew.
That book was adopted into a stage play by Jerome Lawrence ("Inherit the Wind") and Robert Lee. Betty Comden and Adolph Green (the two writers for "Singing in the Rain," among other shows and movies) adopted the stageplay into a screenplay for the 1958 movie starring Rosiland Russell.
Jerry Herman ("Hello Dolly!") adopted the stageplay into a musical that starred Angela Lansbury as Mame and Bea Arthur as Vera Charles. (Bea Arthur won a Tony for the role.) When the movie was made, it was another instance of fearing that the actress who played the role on stage wouldn't have box office draw (a la Julie Andrews in "My Fair Lady"), so instead of Angela Lansbury, the lead role went to Lucille Ball, who was a great comic actress but couldn't sing (a la Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady," except they at least had someone dub Hepburn's voice).
Thus ends the lesson and the hi-jack for today.
