What a Way to Go!
by J. Lee Thompson
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DVD details
Actor: Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Shirley MacLaineDirector: J. Lee Thompson
Brand: MACLAINE,SHIRLEY
Cinematographer: Leon Shamroy
Editor: Marjorie Fowler
Editor: Pat Shade
Producer: Arthur P. Jacobs
Writer: Adolph Green
Writer: Betty Comden
Writer: Gwen Davis
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; French (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 111 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-01-11
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of What a Way to Go!
DVD Review: Dazzling 1960's Comedy Providing A Wonderful Showcase For Shirley MacLaine,
Summary: 4 Stars
The brash, colourful, and totally extrovert comedy "What a Way to Go", starring the endlessly energetic Shirley Maclaine really is one of the last of the great studio comedies where meticulous attention was expended on every detail of the production. Despite having made better known films that were also more successful, rarely did Shirley MacLaine a born actess and dancer have a more perfectly tailored role than in this wacky fun filled comedy. Planned originally as a vehicle for the ailing Marilyn Monroe for 1962 after she completed the ill fated and sadly never completed "Somethings Got To Give", this project was never realised due to Monroe's sudden death. After receiving an expression of slight interest from Elizabeth Taylor the role then fell in to the lap of the woman who was absolutely best suited for the role and the results on screen prove it. With her battery of amazing leading men such as Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly and Dick Van Dyke, Shirley MacLaine makes the end result a totally delightful frothy comedy that gets its memorable quality very much from the talents involved and from the wonderful care expended on every facet of the production by Twentieth Century Fox which in 1964 was still reeling from the financial woes caused by "Cleopatra"and badly needed a hit to pull it out of the financial doldrums.
Based on an amusing story by Gwen Davis, Shirley MacLaine plays the "eternal jinx", Louisa May Foster who as the story opens attempts to hand over a multi million dollar check as a donation to the American Government. The reason for this very strange action soon becomes all too clear as we learn the strange story of Louisa's journey through marriage to four husbands in her eternal search for the man who will just be happy with nothing and not want to become a big success. During her sessions with a psychiatrist Dr. Stephanson (Robert Cummings), Louisa relates each of her illfated marriages in turn from their supposedly simple happy beginnings to their tragic ends where each man becomes consumed by money and success which ends up costing him his life. We meet each of the husbands in turn; firstly simple Edgar Hopper (Dick Van Dyke) a man previously happy with his run down garage but who after being goaded by Louisa's wealthy beau Leonard Crawley (Dean Martin) as a failure, becomes the founder of Hopper's department stores that become a world wide success but which give Edgar a fatal heart attack. We then see Louisa travel to Paris where she meets and fall in love with ex patriot artist Larry Flint (Paul Newman) a wildly eccentric artist who doesn't paint to sell his works but who after marriage to Louisa discovers the magic of the painting machine which can turn out "masterpices", made to order. However success has its price when these very same painting machines that made him wealthy end up killing him in a tragic malfunction. On the way back to the States Louisa then becomes involved with the wealthy maple Syrup King Rod Anderson Jr.(Robert Mitcham), who in a cruel twist of fate while trying to adapt to the quiet simple life that Louisa craves is killed by a kicking bull on their quiet little farming spread. Husband No. 4 appears in th eform of second rate cabaret performer Pinky Benson who performs in a seedy night club in a clown act. At Louisa's suggestion one night he performs without makeup and suddenly his star quality is discovered which whisks him away to fame and fortune and a mansion done entirely in pink even down to the water in the pool! However fame has its drawbacks and just as Louisa realises she has jinxed her man again Pinky is trampled to death by his over zealous fans leaving her a widow for the fourth time. Just as she believes life has no meaning Louisa runs into Leonard Crawly now a simple janitor in her psychiatrist's office and love blooms yet again and despite a close call with "sudden wealth" again when an oil gusher on the farm turns out to be a ruptured pipe it looks like Louisa has finally found the simple life she has always craved.
I totally enjoyed this crazy comedy and found much to appreciate in each of the four husband's separate stories. Despite having very different screen personas I felt all the actors playing the husbands contributed something quite worthwhile in their stories and each had a believable (although short lived!) chemistry with Shirley MacLaine. Paul Newman I thought was an absolute standout in his very non traditional role of avante garde artist Larry Flint and it was a joy to see him in such a wildly uninhibited performance which is a side rarely seen in his work. Despite some people disliking his work in the film I thought Gene Kelly also did well as the sad clown performer Pinky Benson who finds stardom and "goes Holywood" right down to a pink mansion with pink water in the swimming pool. Dick Van Dyke who around this time enjoyed his greatest screen success in "Mary Poppins", was also another favourite of mine among the illfated husbands and brings his usual jovial charm to the role of husband No. 1 Edgar Hooper and his money making advertising slogan of "hop hop down to hop hop hoppers", is a jingle which I always find hard to get out of my mind after viewing this movie! Shirley MacLaine manages her character well through the demise of all her success driven husbands and the film does provide a dazzling showcase for her talents multi talents in comedy and dance when in clever flash back scenes she recalls each of her marriages in terms of a different film genre, for example a very funny silent film spoof for the Dick Van Dyke marriage, to an elaborate musical production number fittingly for the Gene Kelly sequence. All of this is packaged with truly opulent production values so typical of the at the time fast dying Old Hollywood studio system. Blessed with gorgeous colour photography and incredibly lavish sets and costumes for Shirley MacLaine the film was deservedly nominated for two Academy Awards for Edith Head for costume design and for Art/Set Direction but in the light of the "My Fair Lady", juggernaut that same year at the awards this film didn't win either unfortunately.
For a last glimpse at the Old style Hollywood form of movie making when star power spoke more than words on the screen "What a Way to Go!", makes delightful entertainment of the first order. Certainly the story is light and frothy and doesn't warrant any indepth examination however it is the stars first and foremost that make it memorable viewing. The casting of Shirley MacLaine as the much married Louisa was a totally suitable choice and it is due to her energy and gutsy playing alongside her various "husbands", that makes this such an enjoyable farce. For a slice of Hollywood glamour of the old school try and check out Twentieth Century Fox's lavish comedy "What a Way to Go!", soon.
Description of What a Way to Go!
No Description Available.Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: NR
Release Date: 11-JAN-2005
Media Type: DVD
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