Why is Mame Going to Pakistan if Lindsay is in India?

November 23, 2016 7:19 AM

Hive-Mind, I need to understand why this event happened in Auntie Mame!

I can't believe that I am wasting my weekly question on something so frivolous, but, it has bothered me for years!

In the Rosalind Russell film Auntie Mame, there is a scene towards the end where she is writing a telegram to Patrick and Pegeen telling them that she is arriving back from India, but, will be going back to pick up "Uncle Lindsay" after he finishes his course in Yoga.

What confuses me is that she tells them that her flight back is flying to Karachi, which is in Pakistan. I am almost certain that the date of the telegram was 1953, or thereabouts. India and Pakistan became separate countries in 1947, so why would Mame fly to Pakistan if she was going to India?

Is this a mistake in the film, or did one have to fly into Pakistan in order to get to India? Enquiring minds want to know!

posted by Hanuman1960 to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

The DC-7 had a max range of about 3k miles in 1953 at max payload. You wouldn't want to be anywhere near the max for safety reasons so maybe say you could only go 2.5k miles. This means you would need to stop every 2.5k miles to refuel. Think of the airtravel segments in indiana jones where when travelling to various place there is always like 5 stops. In all likelyhood to get to India from the UK in 1953 by air you would probably fly through Karachi. You would probably fly London to somewhere else in eastern europe to Baghdad then to Karachi and then on to India. The top of the line plane would only go 2.5k miles so a smaller older plane might only go 1.5k miles.
posted by koolkat at 7:36 AM on November 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Best answer: For more details, here's a transcript and here's the section in question:

Punjab, India. June 28, 1946.
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Dennis,
224 E. 50th Street, New York.
Dear Patrick and Pegeen:
Arriving from India, June 31.
Meet me Beekman Place apartment.
Must return India in two weeks...
... when Uncle Lindsay will have
finished his course in yoga.
- What were you doing in there?
- Just giving Michael his presents.
Look, Dad. Which is the front?
Oh, my little love, let me help you.
There, now.
Salaam for your mother
like Auntie Mame just taught you.
Very good, sahib.
- That's not a real sword, is it?
- It's a scimitar.
That's what I always say.
In Hindustani it means, "The
water oxen are waiting at the gate."
My water oxen's waiting at Idlewild,
Pan American flight 100 for Karachi.
Michael, if I could only
show you India.
The color, the splendor, the mystery.

Forgive the formatting, I just copied what was there as I haven't seen the movie recently enough to recall the scenes.

[I love MetaFilter for these questions, and these answers - don't be ashamed!]
posted by filthy light thief at 7:49 AM on November 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Here is the telegram dialogue from the script:

Punjab, India. June 28, 1946.
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Dennis,
224 E. 50th Street, New York.
Dear Patrick and Pegeen:
Arriving from India, June 31.
Meet me Beekman Place apartment.
Must return India in two weeks...
... when Uncle Lindsay will have
finished his course in yoga.

posted by slkinsey at 7:50 AM on November 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: So I had my dates wrong! It was prior to Indian independence (at least in the film!). So Karachi was still part of India at the time. Thanks filthy light thief!
posted by Hanuman1960 at 8:38 AM on November 23, 2016 [1 favorite]