Mame

Mame is a 1974 musical film based on the 1966 Broadway musical of the same name and the 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis. It was directed by Gene Saks, written by Paul Zindel, and starred Lucille Ball in her final film performance. The cast also stars Bea Arthur, Bruce Davison and Robert Preston. The film focuses on the life of Mame Dennis, and her madcap life, which is disrupted when she becomes the guardian of her deceased brother's son, Patrick. Rather than bow to convention, Mame introduces the boy to her free-wheeling lifestyle. The film follows her adventures from the speak-easies of the roaring 20's through the depression of the 1930s. She marries a wealthy Southern plantation owner, is widowed suddenly, yet through it all, with the help of her dearest friend, Vera Charles, manages to keep things under control.