Auntie Mame
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| Auntie Mame | |
 First edition cover |
|
| Author | Patrick Dennis |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press |
| Publication date | 1955 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 280 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
| Followed by | Around The World With Auntie Mame |
Auntie Mame is a 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis that chronicles the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his deceased father's eccentric sister, Mame Dennis. The work is often referred to as autobiographical, but the author often claimed publicly it was not anything other than fiction; he did have an eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook in many ways mirrored that of Mame, but Dennis was raised by both his parents. The novel was a runaway best seller, setting records on the New York Times bestseller list, with more than two million copies in print during its initial publication. In 1958 Patrick Dennis wrote a sequel, Around The World With Auntie Mame.
The novel was adapted for the stage by authors Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The original Broadway production starred Rosalind Russell in the title role. The original broadway cast also included Robert Allen as Mr. Babcock, Robert Smith as Beau and Peggy Cass as Agnes Gooch. Both Russell and Cass were nominated for Tony Awards in 1957 with only Cass winning.
In 1958, a film of the same title, based on the play, was released by Warner Brothers once again starring Rosalind Russell in the title role. Russell was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for her portrayal.
A musical version, entitled Mame, starring Angela Lansbury, and Bea Arthur opened on Broadway in 1966. The musical was made into a film of the same title in 1974 starring Lucille Ball, Beatrice Arthur, and Robert Preston.
The book was re-released in paperback in September 2001 by Broadway Books, an imprint of Random House.
