Lucille Ball on MAME: "I Can't Sing"

TO SEE THIS INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjQXA1AlI8U
In this interview, broadcast in November 1973, three months before MAME was released, Lucille Ball acknowledges she is not a singer or dancer and explains why she thinks that should not be an issue in MAME. Please note that this was well before any portion of the film had been seen by the critics or the public. Even Lucy, herself, had not yet seen any finished takes from the film. Besides Lucille Ball, MAME also featured Bea Arthur, Robert Preston, Bruce Davison and Kirby Furlong and Jane Connell.

I think Lucy was much more comfortable doing the kind of "singing" she did as Lucy Ricardo on I LOVE LUCY. :)

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Lucille
• Ball
• love
• Lucy
• MGS
• Mame
• Angela
• Lansbury
• Rosalind
• Russell
• Lisa
• Kirk
• Onna
• White
• Bea
• Arthur
• 1973
• BJV

[Njae2000]

I loved her in Mame, because she was like a 'real' aunt. She wasn't perfect and that's what I loved about her version of Mane. I loved Angela Lansbury's 'Mame' too, but they are very different performers and Lucy was a genuine comedienne...whech is what the film needed.

[fromthesidelines]

Smoking took a heavy toll on her voice over the years, 'cartridge'. In fact, Betty White once recalled that she phoned Lucy's house, and a deep voice answered: "Hello?"/"Oh, Gary {her husband}, this is Betty. Is Lucy home?"/"This IS Lucy!".

[ohmystars17]

I loved lucy in mame! Also these youtubers "punchyplayers" have a few videos with spot on lucy imitation from this era

[ivetenum1fan]

I know Lucille was not the BEST singer, but she was actually rather good on Mame, I enjoyed watching her and Beatrice Arthur too ^_^ What a duo!!

[mmbr01rrf]

@Beejjjjjj Yes, there were body mics in use in the theater at the beginning of the 60's. They weren't even close to what EVERYBODY wears now ( sometimes less is better but the sound boards are very good too) but they used them.

[lapetiteombre]

@ScrapNfight Lol, I would watch her butcher a song, and dance terribly any day!

[JoshuaTaylor]

Does she take a swig of whiskey right in the middle of the interview ? Ahh...It was such a diffferent time.....

[ScrapNfight]

Another mistake with LUCY on this picture is that nobody was allowed to be funnier or prettier than her. Principals, supporting cast, bit players, even extras were cast so as not to overshadow Lucy. 

[ScrapNfight]

This interview did not help in the publicity for MAME. She could have talked about a dozen other things surrounding the film rather than, "I can't sing, I can't dance, come pay money to see me do both".

[uofjim]

Actually, Lucy bought the film rights for the movie and put up 5 million of her own money for the picture.

[fionacaps]

Even her little laugh in the beginning makes me smile =)

[dawnrood88]

I'm confused. Why is everyone saying Lucille's voice was dubbed. She just said that it wasn't and she was upset that her awful voice was attributed to the Lisa lady. Now I love her voice and her performance, but obviously she thought it totally ridiculous that people thought her voice was dubbed. So what's the dealio folks?