Customer Reviews

But Darling, I'm Your Auntie Mame!: The Amazing History of the World's Favorite Madcap Aunt

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3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Richard Tyler Jordan takes the saga of Patrick Dennis' now-world-famous character of Mame Dennis from the moment the producers of the original Broadway triumph latched onto the idea of making a book into a play and take it through every major incarnation -- book to play to movie to musical to movie. Jordan's telling of these delightful stories are more terrific for his superb sense of pacing and tact. He tells those details about Broadway productions and theatre history that will pleasure the best readers of this book -- the fans and theatre-philes of the world. I read this from cover to cover in one sitting, and found myself roaring with laughter or breathless with anticipation about the casting of Angela Lansbury as Mame. Obviously, I knew the ending, but it is a tribute to Jordan's writing and extraordinary research that makes such a story filled with the best kind of tension! I believe it is clear that the real Auntie Mame -- Patrick Dennis aka Edward Everett Tanner, III, himself -- would have loved this book. What a triumph of theatre history writing where you feel like you had a front-row seat for every important performance!

I'm so thankful that Kensington has republished this wonderful, long out-of-print treasure and went several steps beyond by having the author UPDATE the book. We now have a fuller picture of the recent battles to bring AUNTIE MAME to the big and small screen with Richard Jordan detailing all the initial interest, demands for script changes, and collapse of various projects when scripts were written (and REWRITTEN) for actresses like Angela Lansbury, Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Cher. Jordan not only read many of the scripts--which range from misguided (Goldie Hawn's script would have been set in the 60s and present day) to the glorious. BUT DARLING... is filled with great B&W photos and whether you're a fan of the Rosalind Russell AUNTIE MAME or even the Lucille Ball musical MAME (did you know Madeline Kahn was fired from that film by Lucy?), there's plenty of gossip and deep affection for the creators (not only Patrick Dennis but Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee and Jerry Herman). A fascinating, enlightening tale of the evolution of this eternal gay icon who told us to "Live! Live! Live! Life is a banquette and most poor suckers are starving to death!" The perfect gift for movie and theatre buffs.

BUT DARLING, I'M YOUR AUNTIE MAME! brings together all the details of the world's favorite and most famous Aunt, Mame Dennis. From Patrick Dennis' best-selling novel to its incarnations of play to movie of the play to a musical of the play to the debacle of a movie of the musical, Richard Tyler Jordan gives you much to feast on at Auntie Mame's banquet.

Jordan --heard recently on the syndicated talk show STRICTLY BOOKS hosted by Dan Vojir on the TALKAMERICA Radio Networks-- is clear, concise and detailed as well as entertaining on his subject and engages the reader to eat heartily into the amazing history of the world's favorite madcap Aunt.

Rarely do I sit with a book and read it directly through... well, actually, I did have to sleep, as I picked the book up at 11:00 pm and found myself not able to pry myself away. When the clock chimed 3:00 am, I had to climb into bed, not starving, but still hungering to feast from Richard Tyler Jordan's chronicle.

Upon waking, I devoured the rest of the novel and was reminded once more why I --and millions of others-- have fallen in love with this incredible woman. From when my mom --who in her youth bore a striking resemblence to Rosalind Russell-- first gave me the book to read in my teens to recently sharing the movie --again-- with family and friends, Auntie Mame has been an endearing and treasured member of my family.

Richard Tyler Jordan illuminates this luminescent creature further and fills our appetites at this smorgasboard of Mame Dennis Burnside's history and it is highly recommended to anyone who has been captured by the charm, grace and whackiness of this truly elegant and lovely lady. Pick up a copy and keep yourself from starving from a deficiency of Mame in your literary diet... and in her immortal words, "Live!"

Michael Ward aka MiklBear@aol.com

Yes, this book does reveal many entertaining backstage anecdotes about the making of the Broadway play, movie, Broadway musical, and musical movie all based on Patrick Dennis's novel about his flamboyant, eccentric, vibrant, life-loving (and supposedly fictional) Auntie Mame. There are interviews with many of the members of the casts of these various incarnations, and you can indeed see author Richard Tyler Jordan's passion for his subject. But, as others have noted, there are a lot of typos and grammar errors, and the writing does repeat itself often. It is also very clear that Jordan is more interested in (and knows more about) the play, musical, and films than the novel and its sequel. Aside from mentioning some interesting things like the one about how Mame's "Life is a banquet and most poor SOB's are starving to death" motto did not come from the book, Jordan doesn't give much indication of having read or cared much about Dennis' literary effort, which some of us (namely myself) have not been able to get our hands on and are hungering for a nice little synopsis. Still, we do get two interesting last chapters about Marion Tanner, Dennis's aunt and the supposed inspiration for the character, and one on Dennis himself. (Real name:Edward Everett Tanner III) Not as bad as some would claim, but it does lack for some things.

I don't know what edition of this wonderful book some of the reviewers had read, but in the current one I just purchased from Amazon, there are none of the grammer errors or typos mentioned in other reviews.

For anone who loves Auntie Mame in any of her creations, play, musical or R. Russel film, this is a must have book. (I won't mention the disaster film with Lucille Ball although it is also covered in the book).

I was lucky enough to have seen Miss Russell on stage and Angela Lansbury twice on stage. They were so different yet so right as this wonderful lady. That is the clue to Mame, she is not a funny woman, she is an excentric LADY. Her humor comes from being elegant, beautiful and excentric. (The only real failure I saw was Bea Lilli in London.)

This book is filled with terrific backstage stories, confirming some already told and stating new ones. It is a book impossible to put down once you pick it up.

For a really fun and enjoyabloe read, a Mame fan could not do better.

Great book. Though misses info about primary actors who did not respond to Mr. Jordan (e.g. Roger Smith/the adult Patrick in Auntie Mame/movie).

Begs lots of questions about the author of it all--Patrick Dennis. May be the next book?

Richard Tyler Jordan's book is a heartfelt valentine to a character that has inspired and touched the hearts of millions. In describing Angela Lansbury's last night in the Broadway run, however, he fails to note one crucial event which took place.

This was about the time that one of Lansbury's children was battling a drug problem and that night she started the lead-in to "If He Walked Into My Life," froze, seemed to blank, and then walked off the stage without singing the show's hit song. There was a long pause, the set shifted to the next scene and everyone wondered what was happening backstage.

When Lansbury made her next entrance at the top of the curved stairway, a tidal wave of love traveled over the footlights toward her from the audience. You could see it almost physically knock her over. It was one of those spectacularly heart-wrenching moments in live theater -- the kind that happens once in a lifetime. It happened for one of the most talen! ted and professional musical comedy performers ever to hit the Great White Way and encapsulated an audience's great love for a great actress, for the character of Auntie Mame, and the standards set by Lansbury in the role. It was a moment of theatrical history that I will never forget -- a coming together of love and magic in the theater that made her final curtain call that night much more emotional than anyone had anticipated.

Richard Jordan's delightful history of "Mame" is an easy read, full of terrific theatrical tales and bits of trivia that is perfect for any theatre-goer, and especially lovers of everyone's favorite Aunt. With the announcement that Streisand may do a TV version of "Mame", I hope that Mr. Jordan will write a follow-up detailing Barbra's trek through the world of Auntie Mame!

I have read a few unnecessarily harsh words about Jordan's book recently, so I sat down with published version of "But Darling, I'm Your Auntie Mame." Upon re-reading the book--I stick by the opinion I had on reading the original manuscript:

"'But Darling, I'm Your Auntie Mame' is a cover-to-cover delight. Not only a comprehensive history of a beloved character, but an insightful, often surprising, always entertaining story of the towering talents that have made Mame - in her many incarnations - this century's favorite daffy aunt.

"Jordan's obvious love of his subject matter rewards readers interested in serious research, behind-the-scenes trivia, eyewitness reports, celebrity anecdote, and lucid commentary. The result is a one-of-a-kind portrait of a one-of-a-kind woman, the dozens of talented women who have played her, and the hundreds of creative people to be found at the heart of our dear Auntie Mame."

Jeff Kurtti, author, The Great Movie Musical Trivia Book Since the World Began: Walt Disney World-The First 25 Years The Art of The Little Mermaid The Art of Mulan

I remember with awe struck delight, the first time I ever saw Rosalind Russell as Auntie Mame. How I wanted an Aunt like that. Reading Richard Tyler Jordan's book added to the banquet that has become Auntie Mame. As if there weren't enough catty one-liners in the movie, Richard Tyler Jordan adds the behind the scenes ones as well. If you love Roz, Angela, Bea and/or Lucy, you want to read this book. Even if you just love the character of Mame, you will not be disappointed.