Director Richard Lester uses the Burt Shevelove/Larry Gelbart/Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical hit as a launching pad for some of his wildest slapstick gaggery. Zero Mostel repeats his stage role as Pseudolus, the cunning Roman slave who'll do anything to win his freedom. The plot hinges on three Roman houses next door to each .. Read more
| Starring | Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford, Buster Keaton |
|---|---|
| Director | Richard Lester |
| Genres | Comedy, Music/Musical |
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Director Richard Lester uses the Burt Shevelove/Larry Gelbart/Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical hit as a launching pad for some of his wildest slapstick gaggery. Zero Mostel repeats his stage role as Pseudolus, the cunning Roman slave who'll do anything to win his freedom. The plot hinges on three Roman houses next door to each another. One is the home of Pseudolus' masters: the philandering Senex (Michael Hordern), his domineering wife Domina (Patricia Jessel), and their handsome but empty-headed son Hero (Michael Crawford. The second house is a brothel belonging to unctuous procurer Lycus (Phil Silvers). The third house has long been empty, in that its owner, the senile Erronious (Buster Keaton), has gone on a long journey to find his children, who were kidnapped in infancy by pirates. Other principals include Pseudolus' fellow slave, the aptly named Hysterium (Jack Gilford); vain warrior Miles Gloriosus (Leon Greene), who marches triumphantly into Rome declaring I am a parade!; and the virginal Philia (Annette Andre), a resident of Lycus' domicile who is loved by Hero but who has been promised in marriage to Miles Glorious. There are also acrobats, transvestites, a phony funeral, and an outsized climactic chase.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
| Starring | Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford, Buster Keaton, Michael Crawford, Michael Hordern |
|---|---|
| Director | Richard Lester |
| Studio | MGM ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 33 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Genres | Comedy, Music/Musical |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 1966 To Rent: DVD: 12 Jan 2004 |
Bawdy farce from a Broadway musical inspired by Plautus but with a New York Jewish atmosphere. The film pays scant attention to the comic numbers that made the show a hit, but adds some style of its own, including a free-for-all slapstick climax.
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FUNNY!!!! and brilliantly edited for its time
Ya, it's not 'Something About Mary', but it is still very funny in most parts and not pretentious, with some great sarcasm. Great acting, Great ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
A captive film, funny and daft but makes for an enjoyable few hours. It’s similar to Britain’... read more »
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A funny thing happened on the way to the forum
An entertaining slapstick comedy,
with two nice songs.
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Just not funny enough
On paper, what a winner: a Sondheim musical, some of the greatest comedic talent of the age... but something just fails to gel: it’s not bawdy or witty or ... read more »
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