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IMDbPro

A Lovely Way to Die

  • 19681968
  • TV-PGTV-PG
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
565
YOUR RATING
Kirk Douglas and Sylva Koscina in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
CrimeDramaMystery
A cop quits the force after too much disappointment in the system. He becomes a bodyguard of a rich recent widow. She is on trial for her husband's murder. He decides to help her clear her n... Read allA cop quits the force after too much disappointment in the system. He becomes a bodyguard of a rich recent widow. She is on trial for her husband's murder. He decides to help her clear her name... and get over her husband.A cop quits the force after too much disappointment in the system. He becomes a bodyguard of a rich recent widow. She is on trial for her husband's murder. He decides to help her clear her name... and get over her husband.
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
565
YOUR RATING
    • David Lowell Rich
    • A.J. Russell
  • Stars
    • Kirk Douglas
    • Sylva Koscina
    • Eli Wallach
    • David Lowell Rich
    • A.J. Russell
  • Stars
    • Kirk Douglas
    • Sylva Koscina
    • Eli Wallach
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 13User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos98

    William Roerick in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    Sylva Koscina in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    Sharon Farrell in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    Eli Wallach in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    Kirk Douglas and Sylva Koscina in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    A Lovely Way to Die (1968)
    A Lovely Way to Die (1968)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kirk Douglas
    Kirk Douglas
    • Jameson Schuyler
    Sylva Koscina
    Sylva Koscina
    • Rena Westabrook
    Eli Wallach
    Eli Wallach
    • Tennessee Fredericks
    Kenneth Haigh
    Kenneth Haigh
    • Jonathan Fleming
    Martyn Green
    • Finchley
    Sharon Farrell
    Sharon Farrell
    • Carol
    Ruth White
    Ruth White
    • Biddy
    Philip Bosco
    Philip Bosco
    • Fuller
    Ralph Waite
    Ralph Waite
    • Sean Magruder
    Meg Myles
    Meg Myles
    • Mrs. Magruder
    William Roerick
    • Loren Westabrook
    Dana Elcar
    Dana Elcar
    • Layton
    Dolph Sweet
    Dolph Sweet
    • Captain Haver
    Dee Victor
    • Mrs. Gordon
    Lincoln Kilpatrick
    Lincoln Kilpatrick
    • Daley
    Marty Glickman
    • Racetrack Announcer
    • (voice)
    Conrad Bain
    Conrad Bain
    • James Lawrence
    • (uncredited)
    Jay Barney
    • The Real Finchley
    • (uncredited)
      • David Lowell Rich
      • A.J. Russell
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Ali MacGraw's film debut.
    • Goofs
      The underlying crime is to embezzle the fortune a rich recluse by a gang including his employees and then stage his murder. This takes place over a lengthy time period with the rich victim dead and stored in a freezer. The gang has guys in the windows with rifles and scopes watching out for what exactly? It takes so long that several people interact with the fenced off estate, discover something is amiss and end up getting killed as well. The final plan is to defrost the victim and burn him up a house fire and one of the gang is worried about whether the body will be found with ice crystals? The missing funds and household goods are going to be suspicious regardless of the cause of death.
    • Connections
      Referenced in The Projectionist (1970)
    • Soundtracks
      A Lovely Way to Die
      Music by Kenyon Hopkins

      Lyrics by Judy Spencer

      Sung by Jackie Wilson

      Recording produced by Carl Davis

      [Played over opening title card and credits]

    User reviews13

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Skewers his objectivity
    For some reason this film which used to be shown frequently on TV in the 70s and early 80s has not been available for years until just recently. I saw it in theater and innumerable times on television, but only once again just now.

    Kirk Douglas stars in this drama/mystery in which he recycles his tough cop from Detective Story. Unlike his character there whose penchant for violence was thoroughly explored, his cop in this film is just as violent without the issues. After beating some out of town hoods who probably deserved it, Douglas quits the force after complaints of police brutality. Even Dirty Harry Callahan didn't do that. But in terms of violence this film was only a hint of what was to come.

    Eli Wallach playing a mush mouth deep south criminal defense attorney who is defending lovers Sylvia Koscina and Kenneth Haigh on a murder charge, they supposedly killed Koscina's husband. One of the things I did remember distinctly from previous viewings was Wallach in his role. Eli really looks like he's enjoying himself here.

    As for Kirk his job is to guard Koscina and of course he starts thinking with his male member and getting warm for her form. She maintains she really is innocent and Douglas would like to believe her and pin the whole thing on Haigh. It's his determination to nail the boyfriend that totally skewers his objectivity. Once he gets over thinking like a rival he solves the murder.

    This part was no great strain on Kirk Douglas's talents, his character while a tough cop is a pale shadow of what he did in Detective Story. It's a good made for TV movie and probably should have been sent there and not even had a big screen run.

    It was run a lot on TV for years.
    helpful•11
    2
    • bkoganbing
    • Mar 23, 2014

    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 19, 1968 (West Germany)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 43 minutes

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