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Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball- Page 2

Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball

henrikegerman Profile Photo
henrikegerman
#25Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/29/14 at 4:32pm

His point is that while Lansbury made strong, specific and effective choices, Ball did not. HIs point is not that Ball's choices should have been the same as Lansbury's.

Updated On: 8/29/14 at 04:32 PM

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emo_geek
#26Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/29/14 at 5:45pm

So, like, ummmm...how would someone get their hands on this revival tape?


"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999

 Musical Master Profile Photo
Musical Master
#27Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/29/14 at 6:14pm

MAME is such a bad movie that it's become a cult film to some. Ball is indeed miscast but at least Lansbury would've brought a good performance out of a bad film (with a director who I don't believe did a movie before).

At least I think about the really good things Ball did in her career. I remember her as one of the three girls that the Stooges were after in THREE LITTLE PIGSKINS.

Auggie27 Profile Photo
Auggie27
#28Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/30/14 at 11:14am

This is enjoyable, but does anyone really think this guy's commentary reveals much? All of his strained discourse about specificity of movement and gesture ignores both choreography and direction, (size of ) stage vs. screen. And the real problem with the Ball "It's Today!" doesn't have bupkus to do with gesticulation. She can't sing it, period. What she does with body placement and focus becomes irrelevant. This is presented as some sort of musical theater/casting thesis, but these two woman have little in common, and the final revelation, that personality doesn't translate into character work is not exactly fresh. Still, nice to see the 83 Lansbury Mame (which I saw, lost in a cave called the Gershwin.)


"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Updated On: 8/30/14 at 11:14 AM

Brick
#29Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/30/14 at 12:48pm

I agree it's great to watch the footage of Lansbury, and even the two side by side, but I found his criticisms to be juvenile and superficial. Lucy does 3 double takes instead of 2 - who cares! I think Lucy has some funny moments, but we all agree she was too old to play the part. (Some think she never could have and I disagree.) And specifically, her voice had gone from years of smoking and had to hide behind yards of camera filters.

Anyhow, picking apart choices is interesting, but if they are looking at interpretation, but merely looking at effect, then they're useless.

NewSynchopation
#30Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/30/14 at 1:17pm

I agree with him kind of on this one (though I can never forgive him for hating HELLO, DOLLY!) but I think that in order to find criticism he only watched 2 scenes from both the movie and the musical and found his meager criticisms in those, instead of properly watching both (but can you blame him? The Mame movie is terrible!) and making his criticisms from that.

madlibrarian
#31Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/30/14 at 2:33pm

Who is this guy anyway? He posts only as "Musical Theatre Mash". (Note: I've no wish to violate his anonymity if he chooses to maintain it, but remain curious.)

lovebwy Profile Photo
lovebwy
#32Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/30/14 at 3:46pm

Yeah, watching this kid's other videos I don't think he's nearly as insightful and clever as he thinks he is. He will look back on these videos one day and cringe.

I used to host a show tunes radio show in Boston when I was in college. I thought every opinion to come out of my mouth was a gem. When I hear the tapes now I'm rather mortified.

Brick
#33Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/30/14 at 3:53pm

^Bingo.

I feel like it's any theatre teen queen critiquing the girl who got the lead in the Spring Musical.

Broadway Bob* Profile Photo
Broadway Bob*
#34Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/31/14 at 1:56am

I agree. his ANNIE video is filled with ridiculous things all stemming from the fact that he hates ANNIE. Which he admits right up front. So then WHY make a video about it?!? And then he never really delves in deep to explain why. Just makes pithy little comments along the way that he thinks are funny. They're not. And his HELLO, DOLLY video proves he's kind of an idiot... His first two main points (that Dolly didn't have luggage so couldn't have changed clothes and that Horace didn't hear the singing on the train) are bull-crap as he obviously paid NO attention to the movie or he would have had his answers to these questions. (I left a comment on it to enlighten him.) He could be funny, if he didn't think he was so funny and was desperately trying to prove it like in his INTO THE WOODS Minute Musical. At that point I had to quit watching.


<-- Tevye, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, March 2018

mjohnson2 Profile Photo
mjohnson2
#35Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/31/14 at 3:43am

Yes, and the fact that he hates that HELLO, DOLLY! has too happy of an ending is utterly ridiculous. HELLO, DOLLY! is the one musical that can actively put me in a deliriously happy mood just from watching it, and it is precisely because everything works out so well.


Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.

MusicalMash Profile Photo
MusicalMash
#36Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/31/14 at 9:00am

I've never done a video on a musical I didn't like.

Don't worry, I don't think I'm "nearly as insightful and clever as I think I am" either. :)


I make internet videos. youtube.com/MusicalTheatreMash
Updated On: 8/31/14 at 09:00 AM

 Musical Master Profile Photo
Musical Master
#37Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/31/14 at 9:14am

^Welcome to the boards.

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broadwaybabywannabe2
#38Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/31/14 at 11:38am

brilliantly done i thought...but we all knew that ANGELA was waaaaaay better than LUCY...

madlibrarian
#39Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/31/14 at 1:26pm

Well, whoever you are, MM, your video posts are entertaining, reasonably insightful, and funny. And you're cute. Looking forward to more posts.

lovebwy Profile Photo
lovebwy
#40Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/31/14 at 1:51pm

OH, *cough cough* well. I'm sorry Mash, I should have considered you might see that. It was impolite of me to put it that way.

I love that you have an appreciation of musicals. You definitely have some great insights that I never would have thought of. And you are funny. And cute in a Bam Margera sort of way. But I think some of your observations show a misunderstanding of the genre. The whole "why are they dancing?" thing is a bit strange to me.

That said, keep doin' 'em. I think you'll get better and better. And, as I said, when I was your age my opinions were broadcast to thousands of Bostonians on Saturday mornings and I'm pretty mortified looking back.

Again, I do apologize.



Updated On: 8/31/14 at 01:51 PM

mjohnson2 Profile Photo
mjohnson2
#41Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 8/31/14 at 1:56pm

Oh, hello. I didn't mean to personally attack you, but I still think that you should talk a lot more about the musicals that you like instead of the musicals that you don't like. Even posters like After Eight (you might meet him later) talk more about shows like MARY, MARY or DEAR WORLD than Sondheim, so I would recommend that you talk more about shows that you love, while at the same time with your musicals of the week you should mix it up with shows that you don't like as much. I do think you have the technical capabilities and the charisma to work it, but these are just some suggestions.


Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.

MusicalMash Profile Photo
MusicalMash
#42Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 9/1/14 at 1:32pm

No worries!

I really do mean it when I say I've never done a video on a musical I didn't like (yes, even Annie). I'm very excited to have spurred such lively discussion about a movie made forty years ago. It's always exciting to discover other people who care as much about these things as I do.

Also, I'm of the philosophy that "critique" and "dislike" are two very separate things. Often, the things we like the most, are the things we critique the harshest. Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball

P.S. I am Bam Margera. For the record.


I make internet videos. youtube.com/MusicalTheatreMash

madlibrarian
#43Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 9/2/14 at 6:44pm

Annie was released in 1982, a mere 32 years ago.

 Musical Master Profile Photo
Musical Master
#44Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 9/2/14 at 7:12pm

^And the musical version opened in 1977.

Mr. Nowack Profile Photo
Mr. Nowack
#45Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 9/2/14 at 8:01pm

I think he was referring to MAME, the subject of this thread??


Keeping BroadwayWorld Illustrated

madlibrarian
#46Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 9/2/14 at 8:07pm

Aha. That was unclear.

Gothampc
#47Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 9/2/14 at 8:29pm

"Aha. That was unclear."

It was so clear even Helen Keller understood it.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

 Musical Master Profile Photo
Musical Master
madlibrarian
#49Video analysis: Miscast Mame — Angela Lansbury vs. Lucille Ball
Posted: 9/2/14 at 10:22pm

Helen Keller never had to put up with the snark on this board!