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Celebrating Auntie Mame: The Novel That Taught Us to Live, Live, Live!

On January 21, 1955, the literary world was introduced to one of its most unforgettable characters: Auntie Mame. Patrick Dennis’s rollicking novel, Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade, became an instant bestseller, enchanting readers with its outrageous humor, sparkling wit, and heartfelt message about embracing life’s adventures with open arms.

Cover of the first edition of Auntie Mame

Auntie Mame Dennis is the flamboyant, unconventional, and utterly fabulous guardian of her orphaned nephew, Patrick. Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties and beyond, the novel chronicles their escapades as Mame drags Patrick through a whirlwind of eccentric experiences, from bohemian New York soirées to high-society scandals. Mame’s philosophy is simple but profound: “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!”

Movie poster of the 1958 film version of the stage play based on the original novel, both starring Rosalind Russell.

Upon its release, Auntie Mame spent over two years on the New York Times bestseller list, a testament to its universal appeal. The book’s success led to a beloved 1956 Broadway adaptation starring Rosalind Russell, followed by a hit 1958 film (also starring Russell), a musical (Mame, with Angela Lansbury), and even a 1974 film adaptation of the musical with Lucille Ball.

Former Greenwich Village resident Angela Lansbury starring on the Broadway musical Mame

While some of Auntie Mame is set in opulent uptown apartments and extravagant locales, Mame herself is the epitome of the free-spirited, avant-garde lifestyle associated with Greenwich Village. Her story reflects the energy and eccentricity that made the Village a magnet for creatives and nonconformists throughout the 20th century. And Greenwich Village is as much a part of the landscape of the story as the eponymous central figure, who part way through the book moves to “a big old mansion on Washington Square.”  The Auntie Mame of literary, stage, and cinematic fame both reflected and was the product of an eccentric aunt and nephew pair which in fact lived much of their lives in Greenwich Village. Auntie Mame moves to Washington Square when her husband, the excessively generous Beau, buys her a mansion on the park for their first anniversary. Tragically, on the day of the couple’s housewarming, Beau dies after being kicked in the head by a horse in Central Park, sending Auntie Mame into a spiral of grief until her friend Vera sends her to Europe for two years. Later, when Patrick goes away to college, he returns back to the house on Washington Square often, always with a car full of his friends.

Movie poster for the 1974 fil version of the Broadway musical Mame

Patrick Dennis, the author of Auntie Mame, also had his own connections to Greenwich Village. Born Edward Everett Tanner III, Dennis was known for his double life—by day, he was a conventional family man, but he also immersed himself in New York’s literary and bohemian circles. During the 1950s and 60s, he spent time in the Village, interacting with artists, writers, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. His wit and sharp social observations were influenced by this vibrant, unconventional world, which undoubtedly shaped the novel’s rich characters and settings. He also is supposed to have at least partly based the character of Mame on his aunt, Marion Tanner, a real-life Greenwich Village eccentric.

Edward Everett Tanner III who published Auntie Mame under the pseudonym Patrick Dennis

More than six decades later, Auntie Mame remains a beloved classic. Mame’s exuberant zest for life, defiance of convention, and fierce independence continue to inspire. Whether you first encountered her on the page, stage, or screen, her adventures remind us of the importance of embracing joy, challenging societal norms, and saying yes to life’s unexpected journeys.

Take a stroll through Greenwich Village and channel your inner Auntie Mame, seeking out the quirky and unconventional. So here’s to Auntie Mame, the larger-than-life character who taught us all to live, live, live!

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