Travels with my Aunt (1972)
Anyone in the mood for a British version of Auntie Mame? Never mind that Angela Lansbury is British – we need a new movie about a little boy who learns life lessons from his eccentric auntie. This movie is a bit darker than Auntie Mame, though, with a crime element inserted, making the roaring ’20s really roar.
In this version, the little boy isn’t really a little boy. Alec McCowan is a grown man, and when his mother dies, he’s approached by his aunt, Maggie Smith. She’s a whirlwind of energy and mystery, a mixture of damsel in distress and manipulation, and before he knows it, Alec is mixed up in drugs, creepy strangers, and crime. They travel through Europe together, hoping to stay one step ahead of the blackmailer and kidnapping mobster.
The humor is quick, if not very realistic, and the whole film is overwhelmed with flair. My favorite part was looking at Anthony Powell’s gorgeous costumes. Everything about Maggie pops in this movie, but the costumes really stand out. This movie also marks something very significant about her career: it was the first time she played an old woman with a wobbly voice. Now, that’s the stereotype everyone expects from her, but back in 1972, she’d played vivacious, flirtatious characters and seeing her acting like an old lady who just sucked a lemon was new. If you’ve seen her earlier work, you understand why she might not have enjoyed becoming typecast as an old biddy. While younger audiences think she’s just “playing herself” in Downton Abbey and A Room with a View, there was a time in her career when she acted as young as she was.
More Maggie Smith movies here!
In this version, the little boy isn’t really a little boy. Alec McCowan is a grown man, and when his mother dies, he’s approached by his aunt, Maggie Smith. She’s a whirlwind of energy and mystery, a mixture of damsel in distress and manipulation, and before he knows it, Alec is mixed up in drugs, creepy strangers, and crime. They travel through Europe together, hoping to stay one step ahead of the blackmailer and kidnapping mobster.
The humor is quick, if not very realistic, and the whole film is overwhelmed with flair. My favorite part was looking at Anthony Powell’s gorgeous costumes. Everything about Maggie pops in this movie, but the costumes really stand out. This movie also marks something very significant about her career: it was the first time she played an old woman with a wobbly voice. Now, that’s the stereotype everyone expects from her, but back in 1972, she’d played vivacious, flirtatious characters and seeing her acting like an old lady who just sucked a lemon was new. If you’ve seen her earlier work, you understand why she might not have enjoyed becoming typecast as an old biddy. While younger audiences think she’s just “playing herself” in Downton Abbey and A Room with a View, there was a time in her career when she acted as young as she was.
More Maggie Smith movies here!