What a Way to Go! (1964)
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0% of critics liked it
(5 reviews) -
67% of users liked it
(426 ratings)
This lavishly produced, big-budget comedy (it cost $20 million in 1964 dollars) stars Shirley MacLaine as Louisa, a widow who is worth $200 million dollars. However, she's convinced that her fortune is cursed, and she wants to give all her money to the IRS. As she explains her sad tale to her… More This lavishly produced, big-budget comedy (it cost $20 million in 1964 dollars) stars Shirley MacLaine as Louisa, a widow who is worth $200 million dollars. However, she's convinced that her fortune is cursed, and she wants to give all her money to the IRS. As she explains her sad tale to her psychiatrist, Dr. Stephanson (Robert Cummings), it seems that when Louisa was young she had the choice of marrying rich playboy Leonard Crawley (Dean Martin) or poor but decent Edgar Hopper (Dick Van Dyke). She chose Edgar, but soon he became obsessed with providing a fine home and fortune for her; he got rich but worked himself to death in the process. Despondent, Louisa flies to Paris, where she strikes up a romance with expatriate artist Larry Flint (Paul Newman). When Larry invents a machine that creates paintings based on sounds, he becomes wealthy and famous -- and dies. Louisa returns to America, where she figures to break her streak by marrying Rod (Robert Mitchum), a business tycoon who already has lots of money. He resolves to take life easier and becomes a farmer, only to die in a strange accident with a bull. Louisa is drowning her sorrows one night at a sleazy night spot when she falls for second rate entertainer Jerry (Gene Kelly). They marry, and a now-wealthy Jerry develops a relaxed, carefree quality to his act that makes him a huge star, which leads to his being crushed by a mob of his biggest fans. What a Way to Go! boasted a screenplay by Betty Comdon and Adolph Green that featured many amusing film parodies and a score by Nelson Riddle; it also marked the final screen appearance of comic actress Margaret Dumont, best remembered as Groucho Marx's straight woman in several films. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- J. Lee Thompson
- Genres
- Classics, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- May 12, 1964 Wide
- Studio
- Fox
Critic Reviews
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Bosley Crowther, New York Times
J. Lee Thompson's direction has failed to coalesce a good, firm farce. It lets the whole thing flap wildly -- and that's no way to make a film.
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Variety Staff, Variety
A big, gaudy, gimmicky comedy which continually promises more than it delivers by way of wit and/or bellylaffs.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A star vehicle for Shirley MacLaine, Thompson's film is a tediously episodic black comedy about a wealthy widow and her five husbands; Newman, Mitchum, and Martin are all wasted.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The fact was that it simply wasn't very funny.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
An unappealing episodic black comedy that gets stuck in its own silliness.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Shirley MacLaine
as Louisa
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Paul Newman
as Larry Flint
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Robert Mitchum
as Rod Anderson
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Dean Martin
as Leonard Crawley
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Gene Kelly
as Jerry Benson
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Dick Van Dyke
as Edgar Hopper
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Reginald Gardiner
as Painter
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Margaret Dumont
as Mrs. Foster
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Lou Nova
as Tentino
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Fifi D'Orsay
as Baroness
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Maurice Marsac
as Rene
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Wally Vernon
as Agent
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Jane Wald
as Polly
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Larry Kent
as Hollywood Lawyer
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Army Archerd
as TV Announcer
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Phil Arnold
as Publicity/Press Agent
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Marjorie Bennett
as Mrs. Freeman
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Eugene Borden
as Neighbor
- Lynn Borden
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Barbara Bouchet
as Girl on Plane
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Christopher Connelly
as Ned
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Tom Conway
as Lord Kensington
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Robert Cummings
as Dr. Stephanson
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Anthony Eustrel
as Willard
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Pamelyn Ferdin
as Geraldine Crawley at Age 4
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Milton Frome
as Lawyer
- Teri Garr
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Roy Gordon
as Minister
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Marcel Hillaire
as French Lawyer
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Lenny Kent
as Hollywood Lawyer
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Queenie Leonard
as Lady Kensington
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Burt Mustin
as Crawleyville Lawyer
- Pat O'Moore
- Justin Smith
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Dick Wilson
as Driscoll
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Helene Winston
as Doris
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Billy Corcoran
as Leonard Crawley at Age 7
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Sid Gould
as Movie Executive
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Tracy Butler
as Movie Star
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Jack Greening
as Chester
