Ball says in a bio that Lansbury was not interested.
That is a quote from a non-autobio. She says Lansbury was in Europe helping her child get off drugs(to paraphase) I'd hate to think Lucy was dishonest
shareI've read that quote, but I don't believe it was Lucille Ball's attempt to deliberately lie about the situation. It is common knowledge now that Angela Lansbury would have made the movie in a heartbeat, had she been asked. However, when the movie was being made, Lucy was most likely surrounded by people trying to 'protect' their star, as it were. She had to have been told by someone else that Lansbury was not interested, and that quote is most likely her repeating a false fact as it had been presented to her. Just my guess, anyway. Why would Lucy chance making a statement like that, if it would have been so easy to prove otherwise by interviewing Lansbury?
"Holy one-track Bat-computer mind!"
It is common knowledge now that Angela Lansbury would have made the movie in a heartbeat, had she been asked.
Exactly. Ball made a number of vague excuses for why she was in the film and Lansbury wasn't.
"In my case, self-absorption is completely justified." share
I'd like to hear what Lansbury says about the subject, instead of Lucy. Ironically, Lucy(supposedly) was offered MC which Lansbury played
shareApparently Lansbury was resentful of the fact she did not get the role. She supposedly said Lucy came to see her on stage and raved about her performance; telling her she should get to do the movie but then she noticed Lucy in the wings while she was on stage. Lucy was taking notes. That could only mean one thing; she wanted the role herself and was campaigning for it.
It's fun to learn what went on behind the scenes but I don't see why anyone should be so surprised. A lot of actresses would have loved to do the role and went after it. That's nothing new in Hollywood. Even in the studio days actors wanted certain roles over others and, to the extent they could, did their best to get them. This kind of thing continues today and always will.
When one person gets the role over another it's like any of us getting a job we wanted. Other people went after that same position and didn't get it. Usually we don't know them but one person has to win out over the others.
The fact Angela had won a Tony has no bearing on how well the movie would have done with her in it. I know she had made other movies before but I don't recall seeing her as the star. People also seem to forget that something or someone that does well on Broadway may not be equally well-received on film. The audiences are very different.
Also, there had already been an Auntie Mame on film. I think that one did well. Doing a musical remake was itself a risky endeavor. I enjoyed Lucy's version, even though it is a musical I watched it because she's in it. Had it been someone else I might not have bothered. I found the movie entertaining and thought it got the message across very well.
Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]