Mame

Starving fans of musicals won't live long on Mame, another paean to American matriarchy, or rather auntiarchy, and the swansong of the Queen of the B movie and TV sitcom. Lucille Ball, cast 20 years younger than she is, simply hasn't the drive and steel of a Rosalind Russell, an Angela Lansbury or a Ginger Rogers, all of whom played the part before her. And Mame is the Life Force. She can declare Christmas a month early and get snow with it. When he's not ogling his star in perpetual soft focus and a $300,000 fashion parade, Saks fails to get enough retakes, match his shots, or inject the essential vim. There's a preposterously smug put-down of the bourgeoisie, and some dull songs.