MAME

US, 1974, 131 minutes, Panavision.
Lucille Ball, Beatrice Arthur, Robert Preston, Bruce Davison.
Directed by Gene Saks.

Mame must have been made for audiences who long for the old days of big bright musicals, song and dance routines, the spectacularly staged numbers and the lavish costumes. And one of the stars of stars is there, Lucille Ball, a sprightly 63; and then Robert Preston appears as Beauregard. For today's audiences, Beatrice Arthur (Maude) is quite funny as the actress Vera Charles; Bruce Davison (Willard, etc.) is the older Patrick. It is all amiable and enjoyable, especially for those who don't go often to films. I enjoyed the skit on the 1920s Broadway musical and Mame's encounter with the Connecticut snobs best. It made Mame seem, despite her eccentricities, very likeable.

1. An enjoyable musical? why are musicals enjoyable? Why are they so big and booming? (Do they justify the enormous expense on them? why?) What audience was this musical directed at? The older audience for the stars? The nostalgia audience? The younger audiences and their identification with Patrick? Families? Why?

2. How successful was the visual collage during the titles? What was the meaning of it? What atmosphere was it meant to create? Comment upon the use of the visuals, the covers, the music.

3. Was the story seen from Mame's point of view or from Patrick's? How important was this for appreciation of what happened?

4. How attractive a personality was Mame? Did it matter that she was eccentric? How much was Lucille Ball to be identified with the character of Mame? Her first appearance at the party and her liveliness and her way of life? Her wealth and her use of time and wealth? The quality of her friends? Vera Charles?

5. Mame's style of life? Her being confronted with her nephew? Her inability to relate to him properly? The school that she chose to send him to? How did she grow in understanding and loving him? What was the change that Patrick made in Mame's personality?

6. How well did the film present Patrick? Feelingly or sentimentally? The fact that the film began with him? Patrick as an orphan? People's horror at his being entrusted to Mame? Agnes Gooch's suspicions? His initial relationship to Mame at the party and his sliding down the banister? The morning after the party and his learning to know Mame?

7. Patrick at school, etc.? What kind of upbringing did he have? Was Mame's overall effect on him positive or detrimental? Why?

8. How important was wealth for this story? How does wealth enable people to do what they like? Would the story have been much different if Mame was not wealthy?

9. The contribution of Agnes Gooch and the butler to the atmosphere of the story? Merely figures of humour? Suspicions of Mame and liking of Mame? Agnes Gooch and her suspicions of Mame? Her love for Patrick? What changes did Mame have on Agnes Gooch? With the theme of wealth in the film, how important was the depression? How prepared was Mame for a depression? what effect did it have on her? Did it change her for the better? How well did she cope?

10. How humorous were the situations where Mame had her jobs? Especially the sequence in the shop and Mame on the roller skates? How did it indicate Mame's inability to handle responsibilities? Did this detract from her personality at all?

11. How romantic a figure was Beauregard? His entrance into Mame's life? His southern manners and style? The trouble he took to see her out? was he a good man?

12. How vivid was the picture of the South in the film? The wealth and mansion? The fact that Mame was used to wealth and Beauregard was rich? Mame's lack of being at home in the South but her coping? Beauregard's fiancee and her treating of Mame? The mother's boorishness and her attitude towards Mame? The sequence of the hunt. How humorous was the sequence in itself? Was it well done as comedy? The Lucille Ball style comedy? The irony of its being a best success and Mame's being feted? The song and the dance at the hunt? How was this a climax to the first part of the film? Successfully so?

13. How did Mame discover happiness with Beauregard? How happy was she? How did Beauregard's song sum up the relationship between himself and Mame? How well did the film handle Beauregard's death? With reticence? Mame's grief?

14. Did this successfully breach the transition between Patrick as a boy and Patrick grown? What was your first impressions of Patrick as a man? Was he a sympathetic character? Could you believe that he was really in love with Gloria? What kind of a girl was Gloria? How lovable was she? What did Patrick see in her? How did she measure up to Mame? Was this important that Gloria should be contrasted with Mame? Why?

15. How important was Vera Charles in the film? As a comic character? As contributing to the plot? The fact that she gave Mame the job on the stage? How humorous a situation was this? Why was it funny? The parody of the twenties musicals? The words of the song and the style of the staging? Was it any funnier than Mame's mistake? Why did Vera reappear at this stage of Mame's life? The importance of meeting in the restaurant? Their song together? Their love hate relationship?

16. Why did Mame and Vera prepare to intervene in Agnes’s life? Did this fit in well with the rest of the film? Were they cruel to Agnes in dolling her up? How naive was Agnes? Were you surprised when she became pregnant? Could she cope with such a situation?

17. How humorous were the sequences between Mame and Gloria's family? Why were they humorous? What was being satirised? How strong was the satire? How well was it done ? in the personification of Wasps in Gloria's mother and father? Their prejudices etc.? Why did Patrick want to marry into this family? Was this credible?

18. Did you agree with Mame's tactics in breaking up the marriage? In reintroducing Agnes? In the mother's arriving and the fact that she had bought the property? What effect did this have on Patrick?

19. The film ended happily with Patrick's marriage and his son and the son's grand-aunty Mame. Was this a proper ending of the film? Why?

20. What values did the film stand for? Were they well presented? How well did the film balance the songs, the dances, the comedy and the exploration of those?