The Loved One

As a follow-up to the hugely popular "Tom Jones" the iconoclastic director Tony Richardson chose a modern Evelyn Waugh darkly satiric novel that was ostensibly about the funeral business but in Richardson's (& Terry Southern's) hands became a savagely funny commentary on Hollywood and America as well. The cast is awesome--even disregarding some of the cameos like Milton Berle, Liberace, and Tab Hunter--particularly good are Gielgud, Jonathan Winters in a fabulous dual role, Rod Steiger as the immortal Joyboy, and Roddy McDowell. Hilarious! The leads are strangely effective: Bobby Morse doing the knowing nebbish character that he perfected in the mid-60s, and Anjanette Comer as the aptly-named Amy Thanatogenis. One of my alltime favorite comedies, I've seen it close to 20 times since 1965...For anyone who ever had to save up for "Mom's big tub." Increpitable!

Having seen a Playboy magazine article on the making of the film, this 15 year-old had to see it to believe it. This was in Boston, and the theater chain (Sack) had lopped off considerable footage, but I never knew of this until a PBS showing of it years later revealed a scene with the astronaut's wife that, after having seen the movie so many times that I could recite it, caught me completely by surprise. I skipped school and sat for an entire day in the glory of this perverted beauty. I received a book on the making of the Loved One, and discovered that there was a whole batch of stars, such as Ruth Gordon, who never made it to the final cut. But with or without, this one packs one hell of a punch - a scathing indictment of the '60s and all that it beheld, from a Jackie Kennedy look-alike in the opening scenes to that wonderful orgy in the casket filled chamber. Look close for a quick Jami Farr changing a portrait of The Queen at the luncheon held at the Brit exile's club. This is my all-time favorite movie, bar none.

It is hard to place any kind of meaningful description to this film because it takes cultural, social, and moral ideals and stomps on them. Additionally, the casting of the film goes against type, with Jonathan Winters, for example, as a dark, imposing religious force. The acting is superb, intense and, at times, intentionally campy and over-the-top. Each scene seems outrageous and, at times, ridiculous but inexorably moves the characters, and the audience, to a lip-biting conclusion.

Terry Southern, one of the credited screen writers, was also responsible for Kubrick's Dr Strangelove, Barbarella, Candy, Easy Rider, The Magic Christian, and many other wacky films. Knowing this may help to place it in some familiar context. Of all his films, though, this is the darkest.

If you are disturbed or offended by the funeral business, death in general, dead pets, or slightly veiled hints at necrophilia then you might want to give this one a miss. If you're brave and open-minded, however, I highly recommend this truly strange and wonderful film.

One of those movies that make you wonder how it got made when it was made, "The Loved One" is a priceless treasure. See this movie, and you'll want all the quirky irreverent funny people you love to see it too.

WHY IS THIS MOVIE NOT ON VIDEOTAPE? I mean, if somebody can take the time to put "Porky's II" on DVD, I think humanity is ill-served by the lack of a law to ensure that movies like "The Loved One" are also available.

There are few films I can recommend this highly. Morse is memorable as the hapless Englishman, trying to understand this peculiar American commercial funeral institution and the nearly fanatical devotees to the Jonathan Winters' Blessed Reverend.

The tawdry nature of the corporate funeral industry gradually unfolds in this fantastic study of our fixation with marketing everything, even death.

Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger is brilliant as Mr. Joyboy, the effete chief embalmer, and the film features such huge talent as John Gielgud and Robert Morley as well as a cameos by Milton Berle, Roddy McDowell, Tab Hunter, and Liberace as the smarmy casket salesman. Look for a very young Paul Williams and...is that James Coburn? Yes, yes it is.

Be advised that there are some dubbing and sound issues common to films of this era, but if you're more concerned with a/v than story and humor, you should be off looking at...I dunno, something from George Lucas.

This film's greatest flaw is that it's hard to find on VHS and doesn't exist on the DVD.