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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 hottest 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 Pompeii TV series. --Robert Horton
Special Features
- Running Time: 93 minutes
- Region Code: 2
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format: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!"
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A cast of naional treasures bring a brilliant Broadway show to the big screen, in one of the most fun filled musicals ever created. Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics are used to great effect with the sets and choreography. Particularly brilliant numbers are the title song "Comedy Tonight" and "Lovely".
Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford and Michael Crawford give us plenty of laughs but the true star is the enormously talented Zero Mostel who has us on the floor in every scene he appears in as Pseudolus, the freedom seeking slave, a witty, lazy, lying character who discovers he may be able to get freedom after discovering his masters love for the girl next door. Buster Keaton's appearance as Erronius a man searching for his children is greatly appreciated and he steals any scenes he's in.
When Pseudolus (Zero Mostel) a slave finds out Hero (Michael Crawford) is pining for the girl next door, he sees an opportunity to help him win her heart in exchange for freedom. Of course the road to love is blocked by other people seeking their own best interests out. Could it all end happily?
Locations in Rome are beautifully recreated to make every set believable, as if out of ancient times. There are wonderful costumes, continuing the genuine Roman look, from the slaves to the Roman soldiers. Every building, chariot and extra has been decorated for a brilliant authenticity.
A particularly brilliant moment occurs in the Chariot chase while many characters are chasing and running away from each other. It's difficult to follow who is who the first time you see this scene and even more confusing for the characters as the people they chase down turn out to be men dressed up as women or alleged lepers.
No special features to speak of on this release, just the original theatrical trailer. The soundtrack's available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. It also has subtitles in French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish and Greek.
Superb songs, romance, comedy and a cast that will glue you to the screen, this truly has something for everyone. Though this movie may seem too ancient for some people it has aged without change, every joke, song and tall story are still as enjoyable as they were yesteryear. Take time out of your day to watch this film a quote should help.
Pseudolus: An honest virgin! What a terrible combination!
Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford and Michael Crawford give us plenty of laughs but the true star is the enormously talented Zero Mostel who has us on the floor in every scene he appears in as Pseudolus, the freedom seeking slave, a witty, lazy, lying character who discovers he may be able to get freedom after discovering his masters love for the girl next door. Buster Keaton's appearance as Erronius a man searching for his children is greatly appreciated and he steals any scenes he's in.
When Pseudolus (Zero Mostel) a slave finds out Hero (Michael Crawford) is pining for the girl next door, he sees an opportunity to help him win her heart in exchange for freedom. Of course the road to love is blocked by other people seeking their own best interests out. Could it all end happily?
Locations in Rome are beautifully recreated to make every set believable, as if out of ancient times. There are wonderful costumes, continuing the genuine Roman look, from the slaves to the Roman soldiers. Every building, chariot and extra has been decorated for a brilliant authenticity.
A particularly brilliant moment occurs in the Chariot chase while many characters are chasing and running away from each other. It's difficult to follow who is who the first time you see this scene and even more confusing for the characters as the people they chase down turn out to be men dressed up as women or alleged lepers.
No special features to speak of on this release, just the original theatrical trailer. The soundtrack's available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. It also has subtitles in French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish and Greek.
Superb songs, romance, comedy and a cast that will glue you to the screen, this truly has something for everyone. Though this movie may seem too ancient for some people it has aged without change, every joke, song and tall story are still as enjoyable as they were yesteryear. Take time out of your day to watch this film a quote should help.
Pseudolus: An honest virgin! What a terrible combination!
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format: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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
How Not To Film A Hit Musical
I was lucky enough to see this show on its pre-Broadway tryout in Washington DC and I loved it. When the film came out, I was hugely disappointed. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Cowboy Buddha
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Fabulous cast - Michael Crawford plays Hero and shows early signs of his Frank Spencer character. Good music - good for a laugh.
Published 21 months ago by Alicat
Rome run around
I did not see the whole DVD as I found the story somewhat stupid. A young man falls in love with a young woman next door and the problems they have getting to meet each other are... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2010 by Aage W. Vasili Hempel
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 on 17 Jun 2009 by SALLYKATE
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 this... Read more
Sad as it seems, I bought this because I remembered being smitten by the 'love interest' girl when I first saw this... Read more
Published on 10 May 2009 by Muzkin
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 on 7 Feb 2009 by V. Shine
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 on 26 July 2007 by Sanibla
BRILLIANT!
This film is one of my all-time favourites. Having studied 20 plays of the Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus, the writers constructed a 'new' Plautine play using some of the... Read more
Published on 8 July 2004 by Caroline Lawrence
A Funny Thing
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. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2004 by "passportlil"
Disappointing
A pale shadow of the stage version, with many missing songs and added slapstick sequences. Admittedly, some of the changes that have been made to the script are funny, but not more... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2004 by E. Evans
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