What a Way to Go! (1964)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Gwen Davis (story)
Betty Comden (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 May 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Musical

Tagline:

What A Cast!... What A Past!... What A Show!...

Plot:

This black comedy opens with Louisa Foster donating a multimillion dollar check to the IRS. The tax...

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Black Comedy | Marriage | Check | Rowboat

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Shirley MacLaine	...	Louisa May Foster
Paul Newman	...	Larry Flint
Robert Mitchum	...	Rod Anderson, Jr.
Dean Martin	...	Leonard 'Lennie' Crawley
Gene Kelly	...	Pinky Benson
Robert Cummings	...	Dr. Victor Stephanson (as Bob Cummings)
Dick Van Dyke	...	Edgar Hopper
Reginald Gardiner	...	Painter
Margaret Dumont	...	Mrs. Foster
Lou Nova	...	Trentino
Fifi D'Orsay	...	Baroness
Maurice Marsac	...	Rene
Wally Vernon	...	Agent
Jane Wald	...	Polly
Lenny Kent	...	Hollywood Lawyer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Aldrich	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Army Archerd	...	TV Announcer (uncredited)
Anton Arnold	...	Mr. Foster (uncredited)
Phil Arnold	...	Publicity and Press Agent (uncredited)
Mark Bailey	...	Private Airline Pilot (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Mrs. Freeman (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Lynn Borden	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Barbara Bouchet	...	Girl on Plane (uncredited)
John Cliff	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Christopher Connelly	...	Ned (uncredited)
Tom Conway	...	Lord Kensington (uncredited)
William Corcoran	...	Leonard Crawley Jr. - Age 7 (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	...	Bathing Beauty (uncredited)
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Anthony Eustrel	...	Willard (uncredited)
Pamelyn Ferdin	...	Geraldine Crawley - Age 4 (uncredited)
Jeff Fithian	...	Jonathan Crawley - Age 5 (uncredited)
Jacques Foti	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Milton Frome	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Teri Garr	...	Dancer in Shipboard Number (uncredited)
Roy Gordon	...	Minister (uncredited)
Sid Gould	...	Movie Executive (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Patron (uncredited)
Jack Greening	...	Chester (uncredited)
Arlene Harris	...	Older Woman in Club Audience (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Marcel Hillaire	...	French Lawyer (uncredited)
Paula Lane	...	Movie Executive's Girl (uncredited)
Queenie Leonard	...	Lady Kensington (uncredited)
Burt Mustin	...	Crawleyville Lawyer (uncredited)
Patrick O'Moore	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Cleo Ronson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Myrna Ross	...	Party Girl at Ron Anderson's 'Orgy' (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Justin Smith	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Dick Wilson	...	Driscoll (uncredited)
Helene Winston	...	Doris (uncredited)

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson

Writing credits
Gwen Davis		(story)
Betty Comden		(screenplay) and
Adolph Green		(screenplay)

Produced by
Arthur P. Jacobs	....	producer

Original Music by
Nelson Riddle

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Marjorie Fowler
Pat Shade		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Ted Haworth
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss
Walter M. Scott

Makeup Department
Margaret Donovan	....	supervising hair stylist
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles creator: Miss MacLaine
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Dick Smith	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Frank Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
William Eckhardt	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred R. Simpson	....	assistant director
John Flynn	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Les Warner	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
M. Duke Abrahams	....	props (uncredited)
Don B. Greenwood	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Elmer Raguse	....	sound
Bill Wells	....	recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
Emil Kosa Jr.	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Don Anderson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Red Crawford	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Fred Hall	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Mark Kaufman	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Leo McCreary	....	grip (uncredited)
James Mitchell	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Lloyd Phillips	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	gowns: Miss MacLaine
Moss Mabry	....	wardrobe: men
Ed Wynigear	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Leon Charles	....	dialogue coach
Richard Humphrey	....	assistant: Mr. Kelly
Gene Kelly	....	choreographer
John Franco	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Richard Humphrey	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Billy Mahan	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Apjac-Orchard Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1964) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Kislav  gloves
• Deluxe  color (as De Luxe)
• Harry Winston  precious stones (as Harry Winston, Inc.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 (nf) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (re-rating) (video) (2006) | Australia:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #20609) | Germany:12 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Stage 9, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Apjac-Orchard Productions

Trivia:

The last film of Tom Conway.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of Louisa's hands and her facial reactions as Larry's artist friend shoots at the balloons tied to her canvas.

Quotes:

Larry Flint:The Louvre - It's the garbage pail of the arts.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs That Touch of Mink (1962)

Soundtrack:

Spring Song

Great movie

They don't make them like this anymore, no flashy effects to help the film along.

Great script, great character work by everyone in the film. While the cavalcade of stars in this film is rather impressive that does not always translate into a great film.

This movie manages to make it all work though. Sets are designed to give the viewer more of a live theater type of appeal which helps to keep the storyline as the main focus.

This deserves to be on DVD and definitely would be worth the buy, Yet sadly is not available. If you get a chance to see this on TV or anywhere else, it's worth the watch