The Loved One (1965)

[Mr. Arkadin]

For some reason there never seems to be any "love" for this comedy, which throws me into fits of laughter every time I see it.

When sudden death strikes his family, lousy poet Dennis Barlow falls in love with funeral home consultant Aimee Thanatogenos. Thus begins a satire of anything and everything in American culture, with director Tony Richardson leaving no (head)stone unturned. Tons of cameos with well-known actors might remind one of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World (1963), but The Loved One's humor is more cerebral than slapstick--when it's not outright bizarre.

A taste of tonight's mouthwatering fare:

[youtube][/youtube]

MR. CHIO: TURN ON YOUR RECORDER!!

[rudyfan]

I LOVE this movie.

[srowley75]

For some reason, there never seems to be any "love" for this comedy, which throws me into fits of laughter every time I see it.

Possibly because it's, as the tagline said, "the comedy with something to offend everyone"?

Actually, considering what would come only a few years later, The Loved One seems incredibly tame by comparison. Though I did have an acquaintance whose wife nearly lost control of herself when Mrs. Joyboy showed up (my impression was that she'd lived quite the sheltered life).

I think Jonathan Winters and Rod Steiger are both marvelous.

[ChiO]

funeral home consultant Aimee Thanatogenos.

That's better than a Preston Sturges name. Looking forward to this one (of course, I look forward to anything with Rod Steiger).

[Mr. Arkadin]

Perhaps one of the amazing things about the movie is seeing all those cameos, but not realizing how each actor will make you laugh.

As I said before, much of Mad World is slapstick, whereas The Loved One uses satire, not unlike Dr. Strangelove (1964). I love both of those films for the headgames they play while making us laugh, but if I had to choose one, I'd take Richardson's giggle at mortality over Kubrick's nuclear nightmare.