Rosalind Russell broke her ankle in the first take of the scene where she comes flying down the stairs in the gown with the capri pants - shooting had to be delayed until she recovered.
Rosalind Russell was nominated for the 1957 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Drama for "Auntie Mame" and recreated her role in the film version.
Peggy Cass won the 1957 Tony Award (New York City) for Best Featured Actress in a Drama for "Auntie Mame" and recreated her role in the film version.
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.
Reportedly, the character of Auntie Mame was based on Patrick Dennis's real-life aunt, Marian Tanner. A good-natured eccentric, who lived to be nearly one hundred years old, Ms. Tanner's advice to those seeking a more interesting, adventurous life was to never be afraid to try a new experience and to keep an open mind about everything and everybody.
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.
The movie's line "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" was voted as the #93 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).
The movie's line "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death." was voted as the #94 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.
The stage play "Auntie Mame" opened at the Broadhurst Theater in New York on October 31, 1956 and ran for 639 performances. Rosalind Russell, Yuki Shimoda, Jan Handzlik, and Peggy Cass were in the original cast and reprise their roles in the film.
The technique Rosalind Russell uses to interrupt and insult Mr. Babcock - "Nuts?" - was previously used against her character "Sylvia Fowler" in The Women after Sylvia's line "I wouldn't dream of hurting Mary".