Clashing with Madeline Kahn,who was fired - Mame (1974) Discussion

[–] Harold_Robbins 12 years ago

Kahn ultimately had no regrets: she was paid off, and was free to do BLAZING SADDLES, which did far more for her career than MAME would have.

"In my case, self-absorption is completely justified."

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[–] markedjuan 12 years ago

Kahn would have been great as Mame.

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[–] SimplemindedSociety 12 years ago

I'm sure that's why she was cast..until Ball thought otherwise. Actually,Kahn was not as plain as Jane Connell,and had more sex appeal

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[–] SimplemindedSociety 11 years ago

Kahn is funnier than Connell without even trying.

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[–] mckavitt (4) 2 years ago

Agreed. Not as plain? Kahn was gorgeous 😍!! I met her in Central Park once & found her much more beautiful than on TV. She didn't mind sacrificing her looks for comedic purposes.

Happy New Year!

PS. Betty White 😭

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[–] mckavitt (4) 2 years ago

Agree!

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[–] Harold_Robbins 11 years ago

Jane Connell once told of going into a Manhattan video rental store and requesting MAME. The clerk, not knowing who she was, said "Oh, you don't want that movie - it's terrible. You want AUNTIE MAME with Rosalind Russell!"

"In my case, self-absorption is completely justified."

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[–] joewhiteyipee 10 years ago

I'm sure that's why she was cast..until Ball thought otherwise. Actually,Kahn was not as plain as Jane Connell,and had more sex appeal.
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I agree that Kahn can be quite attractive, and that she is just naturally funny. However she can, with the right makeup, hairstyle, and clothes, she come off as dowdy. Did you ever see WHAT'S UP, DOC? with Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neil? I'm sure Lucille Ball knew that Kahn would be made up to be draggy---especially compared to the glamorous treatment Ball would get.

So if the rumors of Lucille Ball firing her because she felt Kahn was more attractive, I'm only even more convinced that Ball was obsessed with her appearance!

There is a possibility that Ball feared that Kahn would "steal" the show.

Who knows?

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[–] KMPINTJ 8 years ago

There is a possibility that Ball feared that Kahn would "steal" the show.

That's what I was thinking--Lucille Ball at her age was not known as a "beauty"--but she WAS known as a comedienne. Kahn could very easily have bested her at her own game, especially because Agnes Gooch is a generally comedic character, while Mame has to be sophisticated, warm, and a romantic lead for much of it.

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[–] mckavitt (4) 2 years ago

Lucille Ball was attractive when young. Later on, still ok. Kahn was, in my opinion, a beauty, quick as mercury & spontaneously funny!

There's a good chance she would have stolen the show, all right.

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[–] cliffcarson-1 10 years ago

At the time the talk was Kahn was getting big laughs from the crew that Ball wasn't and Ball had her fired for fear she'd steal the picture. Plain and simple. Happens all the time in business. Kahn was an improv actor and this threw Ball off, who insisted everything be performed the exact same way it was rehearsed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

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[–] randy605 9 years ago

I can believe this. If you watch Young Frankenstein you can see Kahn doing things that MUST have been improvised - its hard to see how they could have been written. I'm talking in particular about one of the final scenes where Frankenstein is in bed reading newspaper and Kahn is prancing around tantalizingly (she was very sexy when she tried) and is too funny for words. I may be wrong but I think she improved that scene and Mel Brooks was laughing all the way through. I can see how Lucy would be scared stiff. . .. . we're all jealous of the funny kid in school. . ..

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[–] KMPINTJ 8 years ago

Kahn improvised in EVERY film she was in. The famous "The flames, the flames at the side of my face" in "Clue" was all improvised--and it's still what I remember the most from that movie.

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[–] Harold_Robbins 9 years ago

BTW, can't believe I didn't mention that when I saw Richard Rodgers' musical TWO BY TWO in 1971, one of the best things about the show was the gal who sang an operatic ditty called "The Golden Ram," which she concluded, if I recall correctly, by flinging a guy flat on his back, planting her foot on his chest, and holding forth one of those big climactic notes that only the truly gifted can carry off.

You guessed it: Her initials were M.K., and I had no doubt we'd be seeing and hearing more from her.

"Somewhere along the line the world has lost all of its standards and all of its taste."

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[–] joewhiteyipee 8 years ago

Interestingly, I've heard Lucille Ball say several times that she's NOT naturally funny. She needs a good script and a lot of rehearsal to get the results she needs.

On the other hand, I think Madeline Kahn IS just naturally funny. For instance she could turn on that famous silly way of talking, and make the phone book hilarious!

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[–] mckavitt (4) 2 years ago

100% in agreement. Madeleine Kahn was a natural bleeding riot! 😍 And v sexy too. Also naturally.

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