The line, "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death," does not appear in the book. It is derived from the stage play, where it was originally, "Life is a banquet and most poor sons-of-bitches are starving to death." Though "damn" and "hell" are both heard in the film, "sons-of-bitches" was apparently thought too rough.
Mame's line in French at Macy's is "Après moi, le déluge" ("After me, the flood"). This quote is attributed to King Louis XV of France and represents a philosophy of living for now when disaster looms in the future. In the movie, it relates to purchasing Christmas gifts on credit so that one doesn't have to worry about paying for them right away, something that a rich socialite would be very comfortable with.
When Patrick and Ms. Muldoon arrive on the afternoon of
Mame's "Affair" to tell Mame that Ms. Muldoon is not the glass washer lady, Mame says, "Then I must have invited you" and takes a cocktail from Ito's tray. You hear the ice tinkling in the glass but clearly there is no ice in either of the glasses.
As Mame and Patrick ascend the staircase and she explains that his room still has her weaving loom in it, she can be heard saying, "I began with an enormous rug", but her lips don't move.
The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.
Q
How does the movie end?
A
Several years after the fateful party where Patrick (Roger Smith) broke off his engagement to Gloria Upson (Joanna Barnes) and her stuffy parents (Willard Waterman and Lee Patrick), Patrick receives a telegram from Mame announcing her return from India. The family gathers at Mame's Beekman Place apartment (redecorated to look like an elaborate Indian palace) and Mame lavishes presents from her travels on Patrick and Pegeen's (Pippa Scott) eight-year-old son Michael (Terry Kelman). When Mame suggests that she take her 'little love' back to India with her, Patrick says that it's out of the question but relents when Michael reminds him that ''Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!' Mame promises to return Michael by Labor Day (which, according to Mame, falls sometime in November) so that Michael can return to school. In the final scene, Mame leads Michael up the stairs to try on his traveling gear, which she's already purchased, while regaling him with the vistas they're going to explore together.
Q
Is 'Auntie Mame' based on a book?
A
Indirectly. Auntie Mame was based on a stage play, adapted from a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis. The screenplay for Auntie Mame was co-written by American playwrights/lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green.