Auntie mame starring rosalind russell click to play it. Mame is the musical for everyone with a wild and adventurous spirit, who lives for the moment, and believes that lifes a banquet. An irreverent escapade is a 1955 novel by american author patrick dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, patrick, growing up as the ward of the sister of his dead father, his aunt mame dennis. This film version stars rosalind russell and was directed by morton dacosta.
Edward everett tanner iii spent the last years of his life as a butler, in spite of having been one of the most popular novelists o. A bisexual, he had a wife and family, but also pursued relationships with men on the side. Auntie mame 1958 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Edward everett tanner, or patrick dennis, ultimately admitted as much. In 1955, a us editor finally saw the potential of patrick denniss auntie mame, a comic depressionera novel about a 10yearold orphan and his irreverent, madcap manhattan aunt. Yes, just like the pseudonymic patrick dennis, auntie mame novelist edward everett tanner iii had himself one frightfully zany aunt. In the 1950s there was a famous stage version and still more famous film version, both starring the illustrious rosalind russell. This copy is a 1957 fourth printing with states on the front of the dustjacket, for obvious reasons, with an introduction by patrick dennis, author of auntie mame.
Auntie mame by patrick dennis an irreverent excapade as hilarious as a marx brothers comedy. This book by patrick dennis is about his auntie mame. Patrick dennis 1921 1976 was one of the most widely read american authors of the 1950s and 60s. Patrick dennis has gained a prominent place on my bookshelf. In chronological vignettes, the narrator also named patrick recalls his adventures growing up under the wing of his madcap aunt, mame dennis. Wildly successful when it was first published in 1955, patrick dennis auntie mame sold over two million copies and stayed put on the new york times bestseller list for 112 weeks. When auntie mame was first published, i read and reread it and its sequel, around the world with auntie mame for several summers.
The book is lighthearted, genuinely funny and very well written, with a wide array of fantastically eccentric characters and a wry narrator in the nowgrown patrick dennis, who recounts his many adventures with his outrageous auntie mame since she became his guardian on the death of his absent, conservative and phenomenally wealthy. House party first appeared in 1954 the years before auntie mame, his first novel as patrick dennis. It is also, incidentally, one of the most important books in my life. Patrick dennis, the fictional narrator of auntie mame and little me, was the pen name of edward everett tanner iii 19211976. The kid who played patrick in auntie mame became a very.
An irreverent escapade 1955 was one of the bestselling american books of the 20th century. After enjoying great literary success with mame and other novels in the 1950s and 60s, dennis became a. Auntie mame is a 1958 american technicolor comedy film based on the 1955 novel of the same name by patrick dennis and its theatrical adaptation by jerome lawrence and robert edwin lee. Auntie mame i stepped on the ping pong ball duration. Around the world with auntie mame is the hysterical sequel to the classic auntie mame and is as funny as the original. This book is more a series of long story chapters about the various places they visit and the wild adventures they have it is very hard for mame to stay neutral on any issue and they do run into. One of the most eccentric, celebrated, and widely read authors of the 1950s and 60s, tanner wrote sixteen novels in all, a majority of which were national bestsellers.
Dennis wrote a sequel, titled around the world with auntie mame, in 1958. It was made into a play, a broadway and a hollywood musical, and. The book ends with patrick seven year old child being introduce to a much older mame and history will repeat itself. Believe it or not, the books are even funnier than the film. Patrick dennis books list of books by author patrick dennis. I have waited years for patrick dennis s books to be reprinted and at last, here some are. It should come as no surprise to you, dear reader, but the truth behind the real auntie mame happens to be even stranger than its own loosely based fiction. Lost classic auntie mame revived after 50year gap books. I guess it started out with entries to the readers digest. Flamboyance, indulgence, and hilarious adventure are entertainingly amalgamated into patrick dennis s much beloved rare book, auntie mame. Among his sixteen novels, the majority of which were bestsellers, are little me, around the world with auntie mame, tony, how firm a foundation a. I have always loved the movie auntie mame with rosalind russell and i have the soundtrack from the musical with angela landsbury. House party by virginia rowans patrick dennis search.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 299 pages and is available in paperback format. Auntie mame s exploits while extreme are totally believable and you get a distinct feeling for the time period and how it was a time of innocence and innovation. The first edition of the novel was published in 1955, and was written by patrick dennis. It was made into a play, a broadway as well as a hollywood musical, and a fabulous movie starring rosalind russell. Patrick dennis famous auntie mame has so many incarnations that it can be hard to keep track. And by that i mean its a howl from start to finish. Starring, dame hilda bracket as auntie mame michael j revnolds narratiea as patrick dennis. Mame dennis irrepressible, adoring, easily distracted, utterly downtoearth is the guardian any sensible child would love to have. The book is often described as having been inspired by dennis reallife eccentric aunt, marion tanner, whose life and outlook. Patrick dennis, author of the book and auntie mame s fictional nephew, is a pseudonym for author edward everett tanner, iii. The kid who played patrick in auntie mame became a very successful attorney although he projected both charm and talent as the young patrick dennis in the stage and film versions of auntie mame, ultimately dropped out of acting completely to become a successful lawyer.
Although he projected both charm and talent as the young patrick dennis in the broadway stage and film versions of auntie mame, and appeared in a popular episode of twilight zone, the monsters are due on maple street, jan handzlik ultimately dropped out of acting completely to become a successful trial lawyer. Auntie mame author patrick dennis later became ray krocs. An irreverent escapade, and around the world with auntie mame, and more on. One of the most eccentric, celebrated, and widely read authors of the 1950s and 60s, tanner wrote 16 novels in all, a more about patrick dennis. Edward everett tanner iii 18 may 1921 6 november 1976, known by the pseudonym patrick dennis, was an american author. Among his sixteen novels, the majority of which were bestsellers, are little me, around the world with auntie mame, tony, how firm a foundation and genius. Buy auntie mame by patrick dennis online at alibris. Mame is a 1974 technicolor musical film in panavision based on the 1966 broadway musical of the same name itself based on the 1958 film auntie mame and the 1955 novel auntie mame by patrick dennis. They were not memoirs, though that was the pr at the time. An anonymous voicemail about around the world with auntie. See all books authored by patrick dennis, including auntie mame.
The author of the original novel auntie mame on which the film is based, patrick dennis, led almost as interesting a life as the fictional auntie mame herself. Edward everett tanner iii spent the last years of his life as a butler, in spite of having been one of the most popular novelists of the 1950s and 1960s. Set in new york, in the roaring twenties, this hillarious escapede is about a fast talking and clever, yet honest and kind womam, told through the eyes of her impressionable nephew. Based on patrick dennis s bestselling 1955 novel about his aunt, auntie mame is an unforgettable show and a delight for all audiences. Like tennessee williams, patrick dennis caught the boldness, vitality, and iridescent theatricality of modern american personality. Its witty wildean phrases ring in my mind, and its flamboyant characters still enamor me. The book resembles more the the 1948 classic auntie mame rather than the 1974 lucille ball. The production, running through december 20, features former atlantic city magazine entertainer of the year, rosemary benson, as mame. It was made into a play, a broadway and a hollywood musical, and a fabulous movie starring rosalind russell.
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