Review of Auntie Mame (1958) by Chris H — 09 Feb 2011

Even allowing that the character is meant to be larger-than-life, Russell is still overly stagy, though even the perfect performance would be insufficient to make the character what it is not: interesting. Exacerbating things further, Jan Handzlik as the young Patrick Dennis gives the most ridiculous, annoying performance ever seen from a child, coming across as a master elocutionist intending to let no moment go by without attending to his craft.

No other aspects of the production are worth pointing out, either negatively or positively. Part of the blame for its blandness certainly must be shouldered by director DaCosta, though one glimmer of freshness, even if debatable in its advisability, is the theatrical way he closes many of the scenes with lighting.

Lacking songs, it runs overly long at nearly 2 and a half hours, particularly as it never promises any exceptional zest or heart to get us interested. "Auntie Mame" is not the worst of its genre, but about multiple viewings it compels one only to avoid them (if one, indeed, can even get through the first go), and leaves one perplexed as to why it enjoys such acclaim and affection.