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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum [DVD] [1966] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
 
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum [DVD] [1966] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

DVD ~ Zero Mostel
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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12 new from £5.04 4 used from £5.78

Region 1 encoding (requires a North American or multi-region DVD player and NTSC compatible TV. More about DVD formats.)

Note: you may purchase only one copy of this product. New Region 1 DVDs are dispatched from the USA or Canada and you may be required to pay import duties and taxes on them (click here for details). Please expect a delivery time of 5-7 days.


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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum [DVD] [1966] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
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Product details

  • Actors: Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Buster Keaton, Michael Crawford, Jack Gilford
  • Directors: Richard Lester
  • Writers: Melvin Frank, Burt Shevelove, Larry Gelbart
  • Producers: Melvin Frank
  • Format: Closed-captioned, Colour, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Language English, French
  • Subtitles: Spanish, French
  • Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
  • Studio: MGM
  • DVD Release Date: 18 April 2000
  • Run Time: 99 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: 0792844815
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 92,596 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
The words of the opening song pretty much describe the menu in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum--"Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone: a comedy tonight!"--a frantic adaptation of the stage musical by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove. The wild story, based on the Latin comedies of Plautus and set in ancient Rome, follows a slave named Pseudolus (Zero Mostel, snorting and gibbering) as he tries to extricate himself from an increasingly farcical situation; Mostel and a bevy of inspired clowns, including Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford and Buster Keaton, keep the slapstick and the patter perking. The cast also includes the young Michael Crawford as a love-struck innocent. This project landed in the lap of Richard Lester, then one of the hot test directors in the world after his success with the Beatles' films. Lester telescoped the material through his own joke-a-second sensibility, and also ripped out some of the songs from Stephen Sondheim's Broadway score. The result is very close to the vaudeville spirit suggested by the title--though anyone with a low tolerance for Zero Mostel's overbearing buffoonery may be in trouble. Oddly enough, amid all the frenzy, Lester creates a grungy, earthy Rome that seems closer to the real thing than countless respectable historical films on the subject. Frankie Howerd, who played Pseudolus on the London stage, kept the tradition going with his Up Pompei TV series. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars In the best tradition of Carry On and Frankie Howard..., 3 Jan 2002
By M. J. Webber (Stoke-on-Trent, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum [VHS] [1966] (VHS Tape)
A Funny Thing Happened is a thoroughly enjoyable farcical comedy set in ancient Rome. The main protagonist is a loyal and long-serving slave who seeks his freedom from the eccentric Roman family he serves. Though frequently saucy, the film is family-suitable (definitely milder than Frankie Howard's "Up Pompeii"!), contains several good songs, and is definitely laugh-a-minute material. The plot follows the well-known principle that the only way to solve a knotty situation is to fabricate two more even knottier situations, all with the promise of Certain Death should anything go awry:)
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, 16 Mar 2006
By bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum [DVD] [1966] (DVD)
I first saw this movie in 1966 at a theater in Fort Polk. At the time, the term socially correct did not exist. I saw the play twice since then. Usually when plays are adapted, there is a loss of spontaneity. In this case, they replace a few songs with some better one-liners and facial expressions that would have been lost at a distance. They added in the obligatory chase scene where everyone gets mixed up.

The location is ancient Rome beautify recreated.

This movie is one of those farces where several overlapping stories are made coherent by one main character Pseudolus (Zero Mostel). He plays a mischievous slave who would do just about anything for his freedom.

Naturally the names reflect the character of the named.

Pseudolus (Zero Mostel) is a slave that wants his freedom at any cost.
Marcus Lycus (Phil Silvers) is in trouble for selling dud eunuchs and dud virgins.
Erronius (Buster Keaton) lost is kids to pirates years ago and is looking for them.
Hero (Michael Crawford) is in love with something called a virgin in the house of Lycus. (A place of dubious reputation).
Hysterium (Jack Gilford) is winsome.
Captain Miles Gloriosus (Leon Greene) is coming to claim his bride.
Somewhere in all this is a gaggle of geese.

If I were to describe all the great actors and plots this review would be pages long. So I will just say that this movie is "Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone: a comedy tonight!"

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4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Funny Thing, 21 Mar 2004
This review is from: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum [DVD] [1966] (DVD)
An excellent film. It was a shock to see Micheal Crawford as a romantic lead rather than Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do Have Em.
Phil Silvers plays another Bilko type character.
Zero Mostell far funnier here than in the producers
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best!
I was a little girl when I first saw this film in 1966. I loved it then and still do now. Zero Mostel was magic! Read more
Published 29 days ago by SALLYKATE

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone
A cast of naional treasures bring a brilliant Broadway show to the big screen, in one of the most fun filled musicals ever created. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Piran Armes

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Blend
Firstly, you cannot fail to be pleased at the price!

Sad as it seems, I bought this because I remembered being smitten by the 'love interest' girl when I first saw... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Muzkin

4.0 out of 5 stars It is still funny after all these years.
This is a classic with many of the cast members long gone and some of them in their last film. I had seen the Broadway show and the movie version seems to have cut out alot of the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by J. Shine

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic film
Worth watching for Zero Mostel alone. Great gags as usual from Phil Silvers and Jack Gilford too. One song a bit corny but still very good film. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Sanibla

4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the stage show, but...
In this musical the narrator is called Prologus.
The main character is called Pseudolus.
They are played by the same actor. Read more
Published on 27 Oct 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Had me laughing on the way to the forum.
A great soundtrack inspired by the excellent film. I recently did the show, bought the CD, but to my dissapointment, not all the songs from stage show were on it. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2000

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