The Loved One (1965)

53% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(631 ratings)

The satire in Evelyn Waugh's darkly comic novel The Loved One was originally double-edged. The book was not only an attack on the Southern California funeral industry but also a lampoon of Hollywood's "British colony," those clannish, cricket-playing English actors of years gone by who bemoaned the… More The satire in Evelyn Waugh's darkly comic novel The Loved One was originally double-edged. The book was not only an attack on the Southern California funeral industry but also a lampoon of Hollywood's "British colony," those clannish, cricket-playing English actors of years gone by who bemoaned the artificiality of Tinseltown while eagerly accepting the demeaning and insignificant movie roles they were offered. The film version of The Loved One, anxious to live up to its ad-campaign promise of containing "something to offend everybody," downplays the British-colony business (save for the presence of the magnificent Robert Morley) and pumps up the "death" gags. Innocent British poet Dennis Barlow (Robert Morse) falls in love with funeral-home cosmetician Aimee Thanatogenos (Anjanette Comer), who in turn is loved by prissy funeral director Mr. Joyboy (Rod Steiger). The latter lives with his obese mother (Ayllene Gibbons), whose eating sequence is far more hilarious (and more tasteless) than many of the film's calculatedly "black" jokes. A huge guest-star cast is headed by Jonathan Winters in a dual role as a funeral home manager and his covetous twin brother, who operates an elaborate pet cemetery. Musician Paul Williams is also on hand as a 13-year-old aeronautics genius who develops a method of sending corpses into "eternal orbit" (a plot device that Waugh neglected to include in his novel). Film historian William K. Everson has commented that The Loved One is one of the best and most underrated comedies of the 1960s. For others, especially those who might feel guilty chuckling at the sight of Anjanette Comer committing suicide with an embalming needle, it's purely a matter of taste...or lack of same. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 56 min.
Directed By: Tony Richardson
Written By: Terry Southern
Genres: Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 11, 1965 Wide
On DVD: Jun 20, 2006
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
The corpse's laughter, the mortician's art
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Misfire spoof on LA's funeral industry, American greed and Brits in Hollywood.
Alan Dale, Blogcritics.org
Perhaps the only way to enjoy it is to accept that saying something offensive is better than saying nothing at all. The Evelyn Waugh who wrote The Loved One might have agreed with that, at any rate.
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
As tame as it is lame...The only thing that offended me about this movie is how it wasted two hours of my life.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
For me, The Loved One is a small series of lasting visual memories rather than any fond recollections of its wayward humor.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...it tries to cover too much ground with too much material that is simply too obvious and too unfunny.
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
its humors are unorganized and it can easily seem desperate and dumb
Boo Allen, Denton Record Chronicle (TX)
Based on Evelyn Waugh's personal novel about his epxeriences when he came to the U.S. about MGM filming BRIDESHEAD REVISITED. It's his take on the English colony at the time. For more info., see Boo Allen's doctoral dissertation on Waugh.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Provided comedian Jonathan Winters with the only good turn the movies ever afforded him.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Robert C

Evelyn Waugh's clever and at times scathing look at both the film and funeral industries. I find the idea ammusing that the whole concept for the novel on which this film is based, sprung from Waugh's brief experience in Los Angeles while trying to get a film version of… More
Evelyn Waugh's clever and at times scathing look at both the film and funeral industries. I find the idea ammusing that the whole concept for the novel on which this film is based, sprung from Waugh's brief experience in Los Angeles while trying to get a film version of Brideshead Revisited put together, Legend has it that he was so taken aback by his experience with the film indurtry and of attending just ONE Hollywood style funeral (with all of it's trappings) that he had to write about it. Thanks goodness he did as the results are hilarious. Written as only Evelyn Waugh can write, we are forced to step back and really take a look at the absurdities of certain people, places and social interactions. With very ammusing results. This was my first time seeing Jonathan Winters in a (mostly) serious role and he was quite good. A young Robert Morse (of Mad Men fame) is superb as the lovable, but bumbling Englishman trying to make sense of it all. And Rod Steiger performance as Mr. Loveboy is beyond discription. There are also cameo's galore throuhout the film. It does suffer a bit from some of the trappings of an "older" film, but for those who appreciate film and literary history...you're in for a treat.
AJ V

This black comedy is really hilarious for the most part, but it has a couple of boring scenes, so I didn't rate it higher. Overall, I really enjoyed it, though.

Cast

            Robert Morse as Dennis Barlow

            Anjanette Comer as Aimee Thanatogenos

            Jonathan Winters as Harry Glenworthy

            Rod Steiger as Mr. Joyboy

            Dana Andrews as Gen. Brinkson

            James Coburn as Immigration Officer

            Milton Berle as Mr. Ketweof

            John Gielgud as Sir Francis Hinsley

            Tab Hunter as Guide

            Margaret Leighton as Mrs. Kenton

            Liberace as Casket Salesman

            Roddy McDowall as D.J. Jr.

            Robert Morley as Sir Ambrose Abercrombie

            Lionel Stander as Guru Brahmin

            Ayllene Gibbons as Joyboy's mother

            Bernie Kopell as Assistant to Guru Brahmin

            Asa Maynor as Secretary to D.J. Jr.

            Alan Napier as English Club Official

            Roxanne Arlen
            
            John Bleifer as Mr. Bogaloff

            Bella Bruck as Mrs. Bogaloff

            Dort Clark
            
            Pamela Curran
            
            Robert Easton
            
            Don Haggerty
            
            Chick Hearn as "Resurrection Now" TV Announcer

            Beverly Hills as Orgy Dancer

            Claire Kelly as Whispering Glades Hostesses

            Warren Kemmerling
            
            Barbara Nichols as Sadie Blodgett

            Ed Reimers as Whispering Glades Minister

            Reta Shaw
            
            Martin Ransohoff as Lorenzo Medici

            Paul Williams as Gunther Fry
See full cast