Wonderful entertainment, with a climactic set-piece that ranks as one of the funniest bits of movie business I’ve seen all year.

Auntie Mame is a strange little mess of a film, one that may feature a fine leading performance from Rosalind Russell and a few gorgeous design elements, but whose episodic structure causes it to be heavily unfocused and meandering.

The story keeps shifting around from place to place and event to event, appearing as if the plot is made up on the spot; the film feels comprised of an improvisational, unorthodox series of vignettes.

Rosalind Russell turns in a flamboyant but beautifully controlled performance in the Hollywood version of the stage triumph.