What a Way to Go! | | Cast : | Shirley MacLaine, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum | | Director : | J. Lee Thompson | | Studio : | Fox Home Entertainme | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | May 12, 1964 | | DVD Released Date : | January 11, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | NR (Not Rated) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 08, 2005 | | Summary | Opulent, Frothy Showcase for MacLaine and her Men! | Content
 | "What a Way to Go!" is such an entertaining showcase of vivacious star Shirley MacLaine's talents as a comedienne, dancer, and singer that it's hard to believe that the original script was far darker, and intended for Marilyn Monroe!
A tale of an innocent who dreams of a 'simple life', marrying progressively richer men who leave her an ever richer widow, is the kind of tongue-in-cheek farce that European filmmakers relish, but was unfamiliar to American audiences of the early sixties. Writer Gwen Davis' original story was written to satirically echo Monroe's own marital misadventures, and might have provided the star her best vehicle since "Bus Stop". But Monroe's career took a tragic nosedive, culminating with her death, at 36, in 1962, leaving Fox with a script, a director (J. Lee Thompson), and a film in preproduction.
Gifted songwriting team Betty Comden and Adolph Green, fresh from transferring their B'way hit, "Bells Are Ringing" to the screen, saw the script, and were invited to rework it as a comic vehicle for MacLaine. The talented actress, who had achieved major stardom in "The Apartment", was being given a major build-up by Fox, who wanted to showcase her untapped skills as singer/dancer, as well as in comedy. Thus a lighter, more dazzling "What a Way to Go!" was born.
Fox spared no expense on the production, with over 70 Edith Head costumes, choreography by Gene Kelly, and a new song by Jule Styne...but they balked over Frank Sinatra's salary demands, to play one of the husbands (he was replaced by Robert Mitchum). For MacLaine, it was a joy, working with two ex-lovers (Mitchum and Dean Martin), dancing with Kelly, doing comedy with Dick Van Dyke, Bob Cummings, and a surprisingly deft Paul Newman, and working with legendary Marx Brothers' foil, Margaret Dumont, in her last film.
The end result, while a 'mixed bag', has memorable moments; Newman's French sequence, with a chimp and a murderous painting machine, captures the 'essence' of the material very well; the spoof of Fox multi-costume extravaganzas, with Mitchum, is dazzling (and his death is the funniest); best of all, the giant musical production number with Kelly and MacLaine is a total joy, a homage to both Kelly and Busby Berkeley. While the Van Dyke and Martin sequences lack the same sparkle, and Cumming's scenes appear more contrived than funny, the overall result is wonderful eye candy, with MacLaine never sexier, or more energetic. That the film failed to become a big hit when released was certainly not due to it's star.
The new DVD edition deserves a commentary and 'making of' documentary (neither of which it has), but does offer some entertaining newsreel footage from the 1964 World's Fair premiere, as well as an amusing newsreel of the casting of the chimp for the Newman sequence.
"What a Way to Go!" may not be 'classic' cinema, but it is fun, and if you're a MacLaine fan, you'll be in for a treat!
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| Rating | | | Date | June 11, 2005 | | Summary | Shirley MacLaine and the men of her dreams | Content
| For a glimpse of Shirley MacLaine at the dizzying height of her Hollywood success, check out the delightful comedy WHAT A WAY TO GO!
All Louisa May Foster (Shirley MacLaine) wants in life is a loving husband and a simple life, free from the trappings of wealth. But when Louisa marries Edgar Hopper (Dick Van Dyke) he becomes so obssessed with the almighty dollar, success quickly leads to his early demise. The story is played out several more times as Louisa falls in love with passionate painter Larry Flint (Paul Newman), brash playboy Rod Anderson (Robert Mitchum) and hoofer Pinky Benson (Gene Kelly), and each of her husbands succumbs to the same fate, leaving her with more money than she knows what to do with. This movie is an absolute romp!
Shirley MacLaine glitters in no less than 78 fabulous Edith Head/Moss Mabry-designed outfits (who were wisely Oscar-nominated for their efforts). Also on hand are Bob Cummings (Louisa's flustered psychiatrist) and Dean Martin.
This DVD includes a beautifully-restored anamorphic print, with some great bonus features highlighted by newsreel footage of the movie's lavish Worlds Fair premiere, audition footage for the role of `Frida the Chimp', and copious trailers of other classic releases from Fox.
What a cast! What a movie! What a way to go! |
| Rating | | | Date | May 27, 2005 | | Summary | Froth, Foolishness, and What Will She Wear Next? | Content
| To describe WHAT A WAY TO GO as an ultra-light 1960s confection would be an understatement: frothy, foolish, and seeking no more than to be mildly entertaining, it is a classic of its kind and of its era.
The plot is episodic. When multi-millionaire Louisa May Foster tries to give away her money she finds herself slapped onto a psychiatrist's couch--where she details the story of a little girl from the wrong side of the tracks who was only interested in marrying for love. But as fate would have it, every husband she touched turned to gold, and their successes spelled finish to the marriage in no uncertain terms, with each widowhood leaving Louisa even more fabulously wealthy than before. What's a poor little rich girl to do?
The charm here is in the cast and the production values. Although she offered considerably more in her most celebrated films, Shirley MacLaine had a remarkable way with light comedy, and she pulls out all the stops as the eternal widow, at times sassy, at times silly, but never less than completely watchable. Her unlikely co-stars--Dean Martin, Dick Van Dyke, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Gene Kelly, Robert Cummings and (in her final film) the amazing Margaret Dumont--are also up to the task.
The humor is both obvious and sly, lampooning various rags-to-riches (or in one case riches-to-riches) stereotypes with a wink, a nod, and now and then an unexpectedly sophisticated bit of wit. The film works best when it gently mocks both itself and the more obvious cinematic conventions of its day, as when Louisa recalls each of her marriages with the words "it was like one of those movies where..." Everything from silent film to musicals gets a poke, and over-budgeted romantic blockbusters suddenly become considerably more comic than you'd ever imagine.
The production values are first rate, and to say there is always something to look at on the screen would be an understatement: they are deliberately and often deliciously over the top--and often as amusing as the performances. (The "Lush Budget" sequence, in which MacLaine changes gowns every few seconds, is particularly witty.) True, the movie is a no-brainer, but it is a fun one. Only a sour-puss could resist! Recommended.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
In Memory of Ellen R. Smith, 1920-2005
Virtuoso Pianist and Good Friend |
| Rating | | | Date | May 09, 2005 | | Summary | Little known fact... | Content
| This film was originally planned to star Marilyn Monroe as her follow up to "Something's Gotta Give." Marilyn, of course, was fired from "Something" and died before production could commence on "What A Way To Go." So, for Marilyn fans, this film is worth seeing as a sort of curiosity. Aside from that, it's a delightful farce and wonderful black comedy. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 18, 2005 | | Summary | WHAT A WAY TO GO! is just too much fun. | Content
| You know when you open the pink plastic DVD case that you're in for a Sixties treat. That they don't make star-studded films like this any longer is part of the charm of WHAT A WAY TO GO! Take Shirley MacLaine (whom I could enjoy reading the phone book)and mix in Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin, Gene Kelley, Dick Van Dyke (all playing her various husbands, who are or become obsessed with success and wealth, although most don't live particularly long!)and Bob Cummings as her psychiatrist, then throw in some really showy MacLaine costumes by Edith Head, a song-and-dance number here and there, and you have a really enjoyable, entertaining film. (Note Margaret Dumont, Groucho Marx's favorite straight lady, as MacLaine's mother.)This film is like cotton candy: not very nutritious but more fun than vegetables. So after watching 24-hour depressing world news or some soap-opera-like movie-of-the-week on child abuse or wife beating, cleanse yourself by popping in What A Way To Go! and just enjoy this stylish and, frankly, silly film. And, speaking of pink, the Gene Kelly episode, in which MacLaine and everything around her is pink, will make us thankful that color film was invented in the first place. And did I mention the pink plastic DVD case?
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