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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) 6.8
A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom. Director:Richard Lester |
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Title: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Zero Mostel | ... | ||
| Phil Silvers | ... | ||
| Buster Keaton | ... | ||
| Michael Crawford | ... |
Hero
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| Jack Gilford | ... | ||
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Annette Andre | ... | |
| Michael Hordern | ... | ||
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Leon Greene | ... | |
| Roy Kinnear | ... |
Gladiator Instructor
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Alfie Bass | ... |
Gatekeeper
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| John Bluthal | ... |
Roman Chief Guard
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Pamela Brown | ... |
High Priestess
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Patricia Jessel | ... |
Domina
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Beatrix Lehmann | ... |
Domina's Mother
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| Frank Thornton | ... |
Roman Sentry
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
Pseudolus is the laziest slave in Rome and has but one wish, to purchase his freedom. When his master and mistress leave for the day he finds out that the young master has fallen in love with a virgin in the house of Lycus, a slave dealer specializing in beautiful women. Pseudolus concocts a deal in which he will be freed if he can procure the girl for young Hero. Of course, it can't be that simple as everything begins to go wrong. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Plot Keywords:
virgin | freedom | ancient rome | master slave relationship | identity swap |Taglines:
Something for Everyone!Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
16 October 1966 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Aptallar sehri See more »Box Office
Budget:
$2,000,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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company contact information
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
StereoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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(reprise)
Written by Stephen Sondheim
Performed by Zero Mostel, Michael Crawford, Annette Andre, Patricia Jessel,
Michael Hordern, Leon Greene, Buster Keaton, Jack Gilford',
, Phil Silvers and the ensemble
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Jack Gilford was nominated for the 1963 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actor in a Musical for "A Funny Happened On The Way To The Forum" as Hysterium which he recreated in the movie version. See more »Goofs
Lycus disguised himself as a woman in a yellow gown, but the gown changes to white during the chase scene and remains white for the remainder of the film. See more »Crazy Credits
The end credits are animated in the style of Roman frescoes. See more »Connections
Referenced in Being Human: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Me Killing You (2011) See more »Soundtracks
"COMEDY TONIGHT"(reprise)
Written by Stephen Sondheim
Performed by Zero Mostel, Michael Crawford, Annette Andre, Patricia Jessel,
Michael Hordern, Leon Greene, Buster Keaton, Jack Gilford',
, Phil Silvers and the ensemble
See more »
"Forum" is one film adaptation of a Broadway musical that is a half-glass of water. On the half-full side we get to see Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford reprising their Broadway roles, and they're joined by a fine supporting cast including Phil Silvers as Lycus (ironically, he would star as Pseudolus in the 1972 Broadway revival) and Buster Keaton in his last film. But even though the film delivers the laughs and opens itself up well from its stage origins (let's face it. That climactic chase in the Broadway version is wonderful but it just wouldn't work on film at all). But what I can't forgive is how nearly three-quarters of Sondheim's outstanding score (his best I think) has been jettisoned to give us a too short running time of barely an hour and a half. And on top of that, why do *both* of Milos Gloriosus's numbers get kept, while Mostel's two best numbers from Broadway, "Pretty Little Picture" and "Free" (which is supposed to be the heart of the show) are gone (along with Gilford's "I'm Calm")? That, I do not understand at all. It's gotten to a point where I purposefully stop the film after Psuedolus falls out of the tree so I can then play Mostel's version of "Free" from the Broadway cast CD (which is where it would have belonged in the film). And it's too bad this wasn't a roadshow movie with an intermission because Mostel's funny Act One closer would have worked great there as well.
All in all it's worth having, but be prepared for your mood to shift from seeing the film as a half-full glass or a half-empty one.