Constance Craving

More Auntie Mame madness from SSUWAT's good friend, Stephen Marshal Jones!

Do Not Fold, Spindle, Mutilate or Mame

Very special THANKS

A Ghost Story

This is not a pre-surgery Joan Rivers...

Joan Rivers and Ed Sullivan, ca. 1968

...nor is it Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona (a.k.a. Vikki Carr).

Vikki Carr, ca. 1965

No, this lovely lady is our latest Mystery Guest: the deliciously throaty thrush, Miss India Adams!


Miss Adams is, of course, best known as the "ghost voice" employed by MGM for Cyd Charisse and Joan Crawford in the 1953 pictures, The Band Wagon and Torch Song, respectively. In the former, Adams dubbed Charisse for "New Sun in a New Sky," as well as the ensemble finale, "That's Entertainment."

Oscar Levant, Cyd Charisse, Jack Buchanan, Fred Astaire and Nanette Fabray perform "That's Entertainment!" in The Band Wagon (1953, MGM)

Charisse actually filmed another solo spot, dubbed by Adams, for The Band Wagon, entitled "Two Faced Woman." It was ultimately cut from the film, but when Adams was assigned to supply the singing voice for Joan Crawford in Torch Song, the number was resurrected -- only to be staged, inexplicably, in a "tropical" setting, with Crawford and her chorines made up like refugees from a minstrel show.

Joan Crawford is a "Two Faced Woman" in Torch Song (1953, MGM)

The other numbers recorded by Adams-as-Crawford included the already well-known pop hit, "Tenderly"; "You Won't Forget Me," which was apparently considered memorable enough for popular jazz starlet Helen Merrill to include on her With Strings album two years later; and "Follow Me," which Crawford herself recorded (in hopes of providing the vocals for her entire characterization).

Re-edited video of "Follow Me" from Torch Song with Joan Crawford's own vocal

Interestingly, Adams would later recall her experience with Crawford quite fondly, while remembering Cyd Charisse as cold and unfriendly. Unfortunately, Adams' friendship with Crawford -- which lasted beyond filming -- came to an abrupt end when MGM released a recording of the numbers from Torch Song, giving Adams full credit for the vocals -- something which was rarely done at that time, with the studios (and the stars themselves) preferring to let the fans believe that the actors were doing the actual chirping. MGM had expressly told Adams not to let Crawford know about the record until its release, and the perceived deception hurt Crawford deeply. Still, to this day, Adams has nothing but praise for Queen Joan.


Following her brief run as a celebrity ghost at MGM, Adams relocated to New York, where she performed in theatre (including Can-Can and The Most Happy Fella); toured nightclubs, such as the famed Latin Quarter; and recorded a highly sought after album for RCA, Comfort Me with Apples (1959), which is a masterpiece of the "sex kitten chanteuse" genre popularized by the likes of Eartha Kitt, Abbe Lane and Lola Albright.


The next stop for India Adams was England, which she made her home base from 1965 until 1981. In 1969, she was the stand by for Ginger Rogers when the latter starred as Mame at the Drury Lane Theater; in true old trouper fashion, Rogers never missed a performance, even when ill, so Adams never had the chance to make her West End bow.

Ginger Rogers and India Adams


Newsreel footage of Ginger Rogers as Mame

She may have made a career out of singing, subbing or standing by for superstars, without ever becoming one herself; but among the discerning few, India Adams is a fondly remembered talent -- and she's still going strong, having performed most recently in Hollywood this past January. We think she's just sensational!


We're sorry we've been so ghost-like ourselves of late, but we hope to be back to our normal pace very soon. As always, thanks for playing, darlings!



Official website HERE.

And We Wonder...

...how did Gyp and Annie elude the casting agents?

And So Are They

To paraphrase another Jerry Herman show, look at the old gals now, fellas!

But, Darling...

...they're your Auntie Mame!

Miss Arden appears courtesy of Stephen Marshal Jones

We'd Like to Propose a Toast

"She was drunk. She showed up at ten o'clock in the morning for the first read-through, and she was bombed. She was drinking straight vodka from this silver flask, and she was drinking it in front of the kids. She was saying all the words, but it was like she was a robot. About lunchtime, Joan passed out cold, and that did it. As soon as she woke up, I fired her." - Lucille Ball on Joan Crawford

Dance Your Shoes Off

It's Miller as Mame time!

Collect Them All

Who Knew?

Buy it HERE

Mame Monday

We think she's just sensational.

Take a Letter, Darling...

...it's Roz Russell's birthday!!!







ROSALIND RUSSELL
June 4, 1907 - November 28, 1976

Leather and Lace

Versatile a la Lee

Effie Perine, Sam Spade's no-nonsense secretary in The Maltese Falcon (1941). Deb, Charlotte Vale's chatty traveling companion in Now, Voyager (1942). Mrs. Biederhof, the "distinctly middle-class" romantic rival to Mildred Pierce (1945). Elvira, the hard-bitten queen bee of the women's prison of Caged (1950). Doris Upson, the dithering, twittering, blithely bigoted suburban matron from Auntie Mame (1958).

This classic gallery of memorable supporting roles was created by one remarkable actress, Lee Patrick. A long-standing feud with the all-powerful Louella O. Parsons (who took issue with an unflattering article Patrick's journalist husband wrote about the gossip columnist) prevented Patrick from moving to the front ranks in Hollywood; she was seriously considered for the leads in Stage Door and Stella Dallas (both 1937), but rumors of repercussions against RKO from La Parsons squashed those plans.

LEE PATRICK AND HUMPHREY BOGART IN THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)

LEE PATRICK AND BETTE DAVIS IN NOW, VOYAGER (1942)

WILLARD WATERMAN, ROSALIND RUSSELL AND LEE PATRICK IN AUNTIE MAME (1958)

She may never have become a major star, but Lee Patrick made the most of her often too-brief screen time. We thank her for endless hours of movie watching pleasure, and wish this SSUWAT favorite the happiest of birthdays, wherever she is, and whichever part she's playing. Whatever the role, we know she's essaying it perfectly.

LEE PATRICK
November 22, 1901 - November 21, 1982