What 1946 film starring Rita Hayworth features the song “Put the Blame on Mame”? The answer is Gilda.
Directed by Charles Vidor, Gilda is a stylish film noir and musical starring Rita Hayworth as the glamorous title character and Glenn Ford as Johnny Farrell. The story unfolds in Buenos Aires, where Johnny becomes involved with Gilda after she marries his powerful former acquaintance, the casino owner Ballin Mundson.
“Put the Blame on Mame” is performed by Gilda as a teasing, provocative nightclub number. Its lyrics jokingly blame a fictional woman named Mame for disasters including the Great Chicago Fire, the New York blizzard of 1888 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Hayworth’s singing was dubbed by Anita Ellis.
The song is sometimes mixed up with “Amado Mio,” another famous number from the same film. Both became closely associated with Hayworth’s screen image, but “Put the Blame on Mame” is the clue that points specifically to Gilda. The film’s costumes, black-and-white cinematography and dance staging helped make Hayworth one of Hollywood’s defining stars of the 1940s.