New AUNTIE MAME in the works

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:34 am

This is a rather discouraging news bit

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/159213/til ... on-screen/" target="_blank

I've always been partial Rosalind Russell's great performance in the (now) sweetly old-fashioned comedy Auntie Mame. Russell starred on Broadway and on screen. Greer Garson replaced Russell on stage. I can't imagine anyone else in this role but Russell, and Tilda Swinton strikes me as totally wrong for it.....

Post by **Mike Gebert** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:36 am

Well, I'd much rather have the supremely bizarre Swinton than some normal actress do it.

Frederica · Post by **Frederica** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:43 am

Mike Gebert wrote:Well, I'd much rather have the supremely bizarre Swinton than some normal actress do it.

Yeah, I was kinda thinking that myself. Sounds like it might be fun. She was hilarious in Grand Budapest Hotel.

Harlett O'Dowd · Post by **Harlett O'Dowd** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:40 pm

Frederica wrote:
Mike Gebert wrote:Well, I'd much rather have the supremely bizarre Swinton than some normal actress do it.
Yeah, I was kinda thinking that myself. Sounds like it might be fun. She was hilarious in Grand Budapest Hotel.

It *could* work with a punched up script that restores much of what was defanged on stage and, in particular, on screen. (Mame really *was* less fit to raise a child than Jezebel.)

the huge, obvious, 1000% likely pitfall, of course, is making everything too aware and post-modern - or worse: PC.

Besides, I thought we already had this generation's AUNTIE MAME reboot: AB FAB.

rudyfan · Post by **rudyfan** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:57 pm

I agree with Joan, Swinton was marvelous in Grand Budapest and I think really could work as Auntie Mame. She could totally do the 1920's bizarro clothes.

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 3:46 pm

I wonder if they'll stick to the same timeframe or if they'll movie it up to the 50s or so??

And an AB FAB movie is in the works for 2015 with Saunders and Lumley.

Donald Binks · Post by **Donald Binks** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:15 pm

I can only ask "Why"? Very rarely does a re-make surpass the original. Is there just no new original material available?

I was sorely disappointed with the "Grand Budapest Hotel". I don't know what I expected - but I had hoped for a period setting with a very funny story. I got a stylised setting and a not-so-funny story that bordered on the asinine.

I think too that "Ab Fab" has had its day and is now getting rather tired. Leave well enough alone!

(gets off soapbox, and falls over).

Frederica · Post by **Frederica** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:24 pm

Donald Binks wrote:I can only ask "Why"? Very rarely does a re-make surpass the original. Is there just no new original material available?

I was sorely disappointed with the "Grand Budapest Hotel". I don't know what I expected - but I had hoped for a period setting with a very funny story. I got a stylised setting and a not-so-funny story that bordered on the asinine.

I think too that "Ab Fab" has had its day and is now getting rather tired. Leave well enough alone!

(gets off soapbox, and falls over).

Well, there's a surprise.

Post by **Danny Burk** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:25 pm

Donald Binks wrote:I was sorely disappointed with the "Grand Budapest Hotel". I don't know what I expected - but I had hoped for a period setting with a very funny story. I got a stylised setting and a not-so-funny story that bordered on the asinine.

Very quirky, yes. It's actually one of the few recent films that I've liked enough to buy a copy.

Post by **Christopher Jacobs** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:52 pm

Danny Burk wrote:
Donald Binks wrote:I was sorely disappointed with the "Grand Budapest Hotel". I don't know what I expected - but I had hoped for a period setting with a very funny story. I got a stylised setting and a not-so-funny story that bordered on the asinine.
Very quirky, yes. It's actually one of the few recent films that I've liked enough to buy a copy.

Purely by fortuitous coincidence, I just happened to watch THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL for the first time last night in my basement theatre with an audience of eight, including friends and neighbors and my 89-year-old mother. All of us loved the film (two of the couples attending had seen it already), and I can't wait to watch it again. On the spur of the moment (since it was the 45th anniversary of the first moon walk), I ran the Blu-ray of Melies' A TRIP TO THE MOON before the feature, and its charmingly theatrical cut-out sets had an unexpected parallel with the charmingly artificial opening scenes of the mountaintop hotel. We watched the B&W version that had a piano score with dialogue and narration spoken along with the scenes to replicate the 1903 San Francisco showings, and the style of dialogue also was also coincidentally very much in line with Wes Anderson's elegantly stylized locutions.

I wish I'd gotten around to seeing GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL in the theatre, however, as the variety of aspect ratios would then have all had a constant height. The Blu-ray was unfortunately designed to be seen on an underscanned HDTV set or projected at 1.85:1, with both height and width of the image changing for each historical period, so I could not get the full effect of the CinemaScope segments and the 1.85 segments were windowboxed with black border around all four sides.

Tilda Swinton, by the way, was highly amusing. In fact, I could even imagine Wes Anderson directing a screen version of AUNTIE MAME with most of his stock company of actors.

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:22 pm

Budapest was ok. Swinton's part was more of a stunt than anything since you couldn't recognize her at all. God forbid they actually hire an old actress to play an old lady......

And who for Vera? Meryl Streep?

ajabrams · Post by **ajabrams** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:50 pm

If you think Tilda Swinton was good in "Grand Budapest Hotel", wait until you see her wonderfully bizarre performance in "Snowpiercer"!
And returning to the topic of "Auntie Mame", the performance I would give my eye teeth to have seen was Beatrice Lillie's when she did the part both on Broadway and in the West End. It must have been unforgettable.

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:07 am

Beatrice Lillie replaced Greer Garson for 4 weeks on Broadway and then opened in London. The show ran in New York for ages with only three stars as Mame. Those were the days!

Harlett O'Dowd · Post by **Harlett O'Dowd** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:32 pm

drednm wrote:Beatrice Lillie replaced Greer Garson for 4 weeks on Broadway and then opened in London. The show ran in New York for ages with only three stars as Mame. Those were the days!

IIRC, Eve Arden also played Auntie Mame on stage.

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:53 pm

Harlett O'Dowd wrote:
drednm wrote:Beatrice Lillie replaced Greer Garson for 4 weeks on Broadway and then opened in London. The show ran in New York for ages with only three stars as Mame. Those were the days!
IIRC, Eve Arden also played Auntie Mame on stage.

Not Broadway......

buskeat · Post by **buskeat** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:10 pm

drednm wrote:Budapest was ok. Swinton's part was more of a stunt than anything since you couldn't recognize her at all. God forbid they actually hire an old actress to play an old lady......

And who for Vera? Meryl Streep?

Swinton in THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL was actually a last-second replacement for Angela Lansbury, who had to bow out because of her commitment in the touring production of Driving Miss Daisy.

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 5:03 pm

buskeat wrote:
drednm wrote:Budapest was ok. Swinton's part was more of a stunt than anything since you couldn't recognize her at all. God forbid they actually hire an old actress to play an old lady......

And who for Vera? Meryl Streep?
Swinton in THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL was actually a last-second replacement for Angela Lansbury, who had to bow out because of her commitment in the touring production of Driving Miss Daisy.

That's a shame. It would have been a nice film role for Lansbury.....

Robert W · Post by **Robert W** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:42 pm

Christopher Jacobs wrote: I wish I'd gotten around to seeing GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL in the theatre, however, as the variety of aspect ratios would then have all had a constant height. The Blu-ray was unfortunately designed to be seen on an underscanned HDTV set or projected at 1.85:1, with both height and width of the image changing for each historical period, so I could not get the full effect of the CinemaScope segments and the 1.85 segments were windowboxed with black border around all four sides.

The theatrical presentations all took place within the confines of a constant 1:85 frame as well.

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:08 pm

Robert W wrote:
Christopher Jacobs wrote: I wish I'd gotten around to seeing GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL in the theatre, however, as the variety of aspect ratios would then have all had a constant height. The Blu-ray was unfortunately designed to be seen on an underscanned HDTV set or projected at 1.85:1, with both height and width of the image changing for each historical period, so I could not get the full effect of the CinemaScope segments and the 1.85 segments were windowboxed with black border around all four sides.

The theatrical presentations all took place within the confines of a constant 1:85 frame as well.

Why bother with such foolishness for home theater???

Harlett O'Dowd · Post by **Harlett O'Dowd** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:41 pm

drednm wrote:
Harlett O'Dowd wrote:
drednm wrote:Beatrice Lillie replaced Greer Garson for 4 weeks on Broadway and then opened in London. The show ran in New York for ages with only three stars as Mame. Those were the days!
IIRC, Eve Arden also played Auntie Mame on stage.

Not Broadway......

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to communicate, but since you brought it up:

I never claimed Arden played the role on Broadway, only on stage. I believe even then there were theatres outside New York.

Technically, there were FOUR Broadway AM's. Sylvia Sidney, then heading the national tour, came into town for three weeks after Bea went to London - although it played City Center.

As to your rhapsody of only three Broadway Mames, the play *only* ran One and 2/3 years. A healthy hit back in the day, but nothing compared to the 20+ year sit-down runs mega-musicals enjoy in NYC. A year contract (400 or so performances) was and remains standard. Only the true Olympians of the era (i.e., Merman) ever played a starring role for more than two years.

Of the few remaining B'way stage stars (Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald) one year is pretty standard. So again, nothing to see here. If their shows run considerably longer after they leave (THE PRODUCERS) the revolving door of names was and remains standard - as it was with Garson, Lillie .... and Sidney.

Now if you want to carp about film stars slumming for 13-week on the boards between films, that could be fodder for another discussion. But if I were earning the bucks Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig do for film work, I wouldn't want to stay away from the camera too long either.

Daniel Eagan · Post by **Daniel Eagan** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:44 am

drednm wrote:Why bother with such foolishness for home theater???

Exactly. Who cares what the director intended?

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 4:51 am

Not Broadway......[/quote]

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to communicate, but since you brought it up:

I never claimed Arden played the role on Broadway, only on stage. I believe even then there were theatres outside New York.

Technically, there were FOUR Broadway AM's. Sylvia Sidney, then heading the national tour, came into town for three weeks after Bea went to London - although it played City Center.

As to your rhapsody of only three Broadway Mames, the play *only* ran One and 2/3 years. A healthy hit back in the day, but nothing compared to the 20+ year sit-down runs mega-musicals enjoy in NYC. A year contract (400 or so performances) was and remains standard. Only the true Olympians of the era (i.e., Merman) ever played a starring role for more than two years.

Of the few remaining B'way stage stars (Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald) one year is pretty standard. So again, nothing to see here. If their shows run considerably longer after they leave (THE PRODUCERS) the revolving door of names was and remains standard - as it was with Garson, Lillie .... and Sidney.

Now if you want to carp about film stars slumming for 13-week on the boards between films, that could be fodder for another discussion. But if I were earning the bucks Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig do for film work, I wouldn't want to stay away from the camera too long either.[/quote]

My post was about the play ON BROADWAY as was clearly stated. But you persist in missing the point entirely, as usual, and then spiral into a lecture/rant. Do you only come here to purposely misread comments, go off on tangents, and then pick fights? Don't bother. I won't read anything else you post.

Harlett O'Dowd · Post by **Harlett O'Dowd** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 7:53 am

drednm wrote: My post was about the play ON BROADWAY as was clearly stated. But you persist in missing the point entirely, as usual, and then spiral into a lecture/rant. Do you only come here to purposely misread comments, go off on tangents, and then pick fights? Don't bother. I won't read anything else you post.

Funny. From where I sit, it appears that it's you who are lecturing what is appropriate material for this thread.

And again, I still don't understand your point about *only* three Broadway Mames as a) there were four and b) the rate of replacement for that 600+ performance run does not appear, to me, to be less than what we see on Broadway today.

Robert W · Post by **Robert W** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:00 pm

drednm wrote:
Robert W wrote:
Christopher Jacobs wrote: I wish I'd gotten around to seeing GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL in the theatre, however, as the variety of aspect ratios would then have all had a constant height. The Blu-ray was unfortunately designed to be seen on an underscanned HDTV set or projected at 1.85:1, with both height and width of the image changing for each historical period, so I could not get the full effect of the CinemaScope segments and the 1.85 segments were windowboxed with black border around all four sides.

The theatrical presentations all took place within the confines of a constant 1:85 frame as well.
Why bother with such foolishness for home theater???

Just to be clear, the theatrical presentation used the varying aspect ratios as well, but the screen stayed at 1:85 throughout with the 2:35 and 1:33 segments letterboxed / pillarboxed within.

There was no specific 'foolishness' for home theatre in regards to the ratios, if that's what you mean.

Frederica · Post by **Frederica** » Mon Jul 28, 2014 8:47 am

ajabrams wrote:If you think Tilda Swinton was good in "Grand Budapest Hotel", wait until you see her wonderfully bizarre performance in "Snowpiercer"!

I just saw Snowpiercer this weekend. It was fabulous, several thumbs up, and Swinton was hilarious again.

ChrisStockslager · Post by **ChrisStockslager** » Mon Jul 28, 2014 8:08 pm

Am I the only one who really very much liked both Roz in Auntie Mame and Lucy in Mame?

Frederica · Post by **Frederica** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:14 am

ChrisStockslager wrote:Am I the only one who really very much liked both Roz in Auntie Mame and Lucy in Mame?

I love Rosalind Russell's Mame, haven't seen Lucy.

Harlett O'Dowd · Post by **Harlett O'Dowd** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:50 am

ChrisStockslager wrote:Am I the only one who really very much liked both Roz in Auntie Mame and Lucy in Mame?

The Lucy film musical is a better film than most people give it credit. The numbers - especially the title tune and "If He Walked Into My Life" are very well filmed. In fact, I could count "If He Walked into My Life" as one of the best *filmed* ballads in history. It *works* as film.

And the supporting cast is WONDERFUL - especially Robert Preston and Bea Arthur. Much as I would have liked to see Madeline Kahn as Gooch, replacing her with Jane Connell freed up Kahn for BLAZING SADDLES and, presumably, the rest of her Brooks outings. I see that as more than a fair trade. The southerners - especially Joyce Van Patten as Sally Cato - are a hoot and the Upsons (Doria Cook, Don Porter and (OMG) Audrey Christie) are actually better than their Roz
counterparts. At least, even losing the anti-Semitism, they're more dangerous than their Roz counterparts.

And I *love* the idea of Willard (Bruce Davison) as Older Patrick. It makes him both conservative AND creepy.

But George Chiang is entirely too straight/nervy for Ito, Lucy is too old and can't sing and Kirby Furlong (Young Patrick) is even worse.

That said, if you can get through the first 45 minutes or so (through the Christmas scene) the movie is, again, much better than people give it credit. If someone could go back and post-dub Lucy's and Furlong's vocals, it would be a solid *** film.

(ymmv)

syd · Post by **syd** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:06 am

http://www.shorpy.com/node/18225?size=_original#caption" target="_blank

Rosalind Russell with author E.E. Tanner III

drednm · Post by **drednm** » Mon Aug 25, 2014 7:45 pm

So having watched Roz Russell's divoon Auntie Mame (1958) again this week, I wondered about a reference early in the film which I think opens in 1928. Patrick is writing down all the words and references he doesn't understand and as Karl Marx is brought up, he queries if he's one of the Marx Brothers. In 1928, would this kid from Chicago have known who the Marx brothers are? Their first film wasn't until 1929. The film's opening definitely predates the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 and for some reason I think it starts in 1928.

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