lucille ball can not sing or act or dance . this make the quality of her performance in mame all the more dreadful . she not allow to do the low brow slapstick that make her a hit on tv so she have to rely on build a character . unfortunately and ms. ball never learn that skill a none of the tender moment have any warmth . how do she really feel about patrick or beau . we never really believe the word she say . that vacant stare of ms. ball be suppose to convince u she be emote but there be no chemistry between her and bruce davidson and robert preston or bea arthur at all . for this reason every scene she in be flat . moreover and when ms. ball open her mouth to sing we be immediately make aware of the reason why the studio dub her voice for every other musical she star in earlier in her career . it be state that she demand her voice be use so this be a mistake of ego as well a leadership . it be make worse when she be sing in voice over and she have to act the moment without word . whoever think that would work forgot who be play mame . i understand that rosalind russell do the role on stage and in the film auntie mame . also and i be aware that angela lansbury win a tony for her performance in the original 1966 broadway musical . neither of these woman be know for their singing voice and but both could have pull this off well than lucille ball . why they go with her be the bad in blatant miscasting . the only person that get out unscathed be bea arthur . she big and wonderful and catty and common in all the right amount . unfortunately and you keep wait for this movie to take off and invite you to join in on the fun . but the film never do and you can not . no one besides bea arthur appear to be have any fun . an additional bad review go to director gene saks . saks be know a an award win director of musical and comedy for stage and screen and include the broadway musical this film be base on . none of that skill and expertise be of aid here . the poor editing and storytelling quailty in this movie be beneath a director of his caliber . that glare error in the execution of the movie be not the fault of ms. ball .