Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Reviews
Product Description
Exuberant comedy starring Shirley MacLaine as a woman who, despite her best efforts to marry for love, always winds up with a man who strikes it rich then promptly dies. After losing four husbands, the now-wealthy widow tries to give her cash to the IRS. Sent to a shrink, MacLaine relays the stories behind the demises of her spouses: workaholic Dick Van Dyke, bohemian artist Paul Newman, businessman Robert Mitchum, and night club performer Gene Kelly.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A brilliant comic farce dressed as the most extravagantly glamourous cast ,this is a uniquely satisfying satire on American nouveau rich consumer culture and the American dream to define success in terms of abundant wealth .
A simple rustic girl played by Shirley Maclaine has a desire to lead a natural life in the countryside but she is cursed as all the men in her life she marries turn into millionaires by sheer fortune or misfortune and then kick the bucket leaving her to survive as the wealthiest woman in the world .
The performance by Shirley is winsome but the men are bizarre characters and all played in memorable roles by great stars .
DIck van dyke is the first spouse who gives way to a mad eccentric painter played in a flamboyant role by Paul Newman that even Picasso will envy ,and then it is Robert Mitchum where we get to see a 'movie within a movie' titled -'Lush Budgett' - a lavishly tongue in cheek and stylishy glamourous anecdote memorable for it's sheer elegant farce on the riotous Hollywood musical style portrayed in the epic MGM technicolor productions from Forties.
But save the best for last ,as Gene Kelly turns up as the fourth man as a singer dancer performing a tongue in cheek ,clownish drifter artist, who is as ordinary as they come but soon transforms into a huge musical star by the 'accursed fortune' of being close to the charmed billionairess .
But you are still left with a neat twist when DEAN MARTIN turns up in a nonsinging role as an impoverished janitor who was rejected by Shirley in her past life just because he was rich and the plot gets riotously funny as it turns upside down .... Read more ›
A simple rustic girl played by Shirley Maclaine has a desire to lead a natural life in the countryside but she is cursed as all the men in her life she marries turn into millionaires by sheer fortune or misfortune and then kick the bucket leaving her to survive as the wealthiest woman in the world .
The performance by Shirley is winsome but the men are bizarre characters and all played in memorable roles by great stars .
DIck van dyke is the first spouse who gives way to a mad eccentric painter played in a flamboyant role by Paul Newman that even Picasso will envy ,and then it is Robert Mitchum where we get to see a 'movie within a movie' titled -'Lush Budgett' - a lavishly tongue in cheek and stylishy glamourous anecdote memorable for it's sheer elegant farce on the riotous Hollywood musical style portrayed in the epic MGM technicolor productions from Forties.
But save the best for last ,as Gene Kelly turns up as the fourth man as a singer dancer performing a tongue in cheek ,clownish drifter artist, who is as ordinary as they come but soon transforms into a huge musical star by the 'accursed fortune' of being close to the charmed billionairess .
But you are still left with a neat twist when DEAN MARTIN turns up in a nonsinging role as an impoverished janitor who was rejected by Shirley in her past life just because he was rich and the plot gets riotously funny as it turns upside down .... Read more ›
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The epitome of fluffy 1960s escapism with Shirley MacLaine at her kooky best and a dream cast of leading men sending up their screen images. Add to this a big budget, the most outrageous costumes of an outrageous era, a witty script by Comden and Green that blends romance, satire, slapstick and just a pinch of cynicism. It's big and overblown and all the better for it. And I'm glad to report that it looks fantastic on DVD in widescreen and vibrant colour.
Shirley MacLaine made several screwball comedies in the 60s such as Woman Times Seven, John Goldfarb Please Come Home, and The Bliss Of Mrs Blossom (why isn't that one on DVD???) but What A Way To Go is one of the best. She is helped immeasurably by a galaxy of stars portraying the men in her life - smooth and oily Dean Martin, rubber-faced and loose-limbed Dick Van Dyke, bearded and self-spoofing Paul Newman, surprisingly charming Robert Mitchum, the always delightful Gene Kelly, and a somewhat manic Robert Cummings. As an added treat, the Marx Brothers' old foil Margaret Dumont is wonderfully over-the-top as MacLaine's dragon of a mother. You just don't get casts like that anymore.
Another nice touch is the way several genres of film are spoofed as MacLaine wistfully recalls the best days of each of her marriages. The musical extravaganza with Gene Kelly, in particular, is a real joy. Kelly was over 50 but still had all the moves while MacLaine reminds us what a fantastic dancer she was - with equally fantastic legs. I also loved Paul Newman as the world-weary abstract artist. Many people forget that he made a number of comedies way back then and that he was pretty good in them.... Read more ›
Shirley MacLaine made several screwball comedies in the 60s such as Woman Times Seven, John Goldfarb Please Come Home, and The Bliss Of Mrs Blossom (why isn't that one on DVD???) but What A Way To Go is one of the best. She is helped immeasurably by a galaxy of stars portraying the men in her life - smooth and oily Dean Martin, rubber-faced and loose-limbed Dick Van Dyke, bearded and self-spoofing Paul Newman, surprisingly charming Robert Mitchum, the always delightful Gene Kelly, and a somewhat manic Robert Cummings. As an added treat, the Marx Brothers' old foil Margaret Dumont is wonderfully over-the-top as MacLaine's dragon of a mother. You just don't get casts like that anymore.
Another nice touch is the way several genres of film are spoofed as MacLaine wistfully recalls the best days of each of her marriages. The musical extravaganza with Gene Kelly, in particular, is a real joy. Kelly was over 50 but still had all the moves while MacLaine reminds us what a fantastic dancer she was - with equally fantastic legs. I also loved Paul Newman as the world-weary abstract artist. Many people forget that he made a number of comedies way back then and that he was pretty good in them.... Read more ›
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a wonderful hoot of a movie and such fun to discover a film which is not always talked about. The Paris story with Paul Newman and the Robert Mitchum multi millionaire are my 2 faves but the film is funny and yet also clever and human and touching.
If you like Shirley Maclaine, you'll love this, if you like a good laugh, you'll love this, and if you want to see the single madest wardrobe ever (well next to Auntie Mame ) you'll love this!
If you like Shirley Maclaine, you'll love this, if you like a good laugh, you'll love this, and if you want to see the single madest wardrobe ever (well next to Auntie Mame ) you'll love this!
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Dazman
Format:DVD
If you're a fan of Shirley MacLaine and enjoy her wonderful array of talents, singing, comedy, dancing, together with some serious acting too then this is one not to be missed.
The film begins at the end and then goes to the beginning of the film to explain how Louise May Foster (MacLaine) came to have a huge sum of money without even trying!!!
She weds various men throughout the film and one way or another things happen to them, the best husbands for me are Dick Van Dyke and Paul Newman, the latter in particular looks to be loving every moment that he's in the film.
This is ultimately a comedy with a fair bit of screwball and tongue in cheek humour too.
Well worth checking out!!!
The film begins at the end and then goes to the beginning of the film to explain how Louise May Foster (MacLaine) came to have a huge sum of money without even trying!!!
She weds various men throughout the film and one way or another things happen to them, the best husbands for me are Dick Van Dyke and Paul Newman, the latter in particular looks to be loving every moment that he's in the film.
This is ultimately a comedy with a fair bit of screwball and tongue in cheek humour too.
Well worth checking out!!!
By R. Poole
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Extremely funny and even witty film. Shirley Mclaine is excellent here as are all the cast.Edith Head outdoes herself here as well in the costume dept especially in the "Lush Budgett" sequence which is a complete send up of all those '50s melodramas where the female stars change costumes at the drop of a hat (hints of Lana Turners "Imitation Of Life" role here especially).Little fantasy pastiches (french movie, silent movie,40'musical)turn up . Very surprised as to why this film is so relatively unknown. Really very good with many laugh out loud moments.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 81 reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
dated.
nice recording but storyline a bit dated. unlike modern films, the speech is very clear and easy for listening and the colour is good
Published 2 months ago by S. Webb
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent movie
a bit like woman times seven but the husbands all die!
great acting, proper characters, none of this 3d nonsense.
great acting, proper characters, none of this 3d nonsense.
Published 11 months ago by clint
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gem
Somehow I must have missed this film when it was released. Don't know how, because the cast alone would have had me turning up at the cinema. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Brian Kavanagh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Feel good movie
I remember seeing this movie in the early 60s. After that it seems to have vanished off the face of the earth. Then I found it on Amazon. I had to have it . Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2011 by Eric J. Noble
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify"
"Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify." Henry David Thoreau.
Louisa May (with a string of last names) is on the physiatrist couch explaining her life as... Read more
Louisa May (with a string of last names) is on the physiatrist couch explaining her life as... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2006 by bernie
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
