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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
The recent passing of legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim motivated my first viewing of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the manic and fast-paced 1966 film version of the Broadway musical that was Sondheim's first work as both composer and lyricist.
Zero Mostel was allowed to recreate his Broadway role as Pseudolus, a lazy, but fast thinking slave in ancient Rome who longs for nothing more than being freed of slavery. His young master, Hero, agrees to grant Pseudolus his freedom if he can procure a young courtesan named Philia as his bride. Unfortunately, Pseudolus' mission is complicated by the other houses of their neighborhood, including the house where the courtesans live.
The musical upon which this film was based opened on Broadway in 1964 and ran for over 900 performances, so it was no surprise that a film version was rushed to the screen, but this screen version is but a shell of the original musical, which I have seen and am in possession of the Broadway soundtrack. Sondheim's score has been severely tampered with here, deleting eight songs from the original score, though we still have "Comedy Tonight", "Lovely", "Bring Me My Bride" and the show stopping "Everybody Ought to Have e Maid". There are about four songs from the original score that this reviewer sorely missed because they help to flesh out some of the characters, especially a number Pseudolus has called "Free." Ironically, the film received its only Oscar for Best Music Scoring.
A few years after his triumph directing A Hard Day's Night, Richard Lester does manage to bring the same over the top pacing to this sometimes confusing story, where it's often hard to tell the difference between the slaves and masters. Fortunately, with the aid of film editor and future director Nicholas Roeg, Lester has provided us with enough chariot races, half-naked chorus girls, comic icons in drag and soldiers who can't tell they're men that we almost forgive the confusion. LOVED the "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" number...a brilliant collaboration between choreographer, editor, and director. On the the other hand, I wish a little more care had been taken in the dubbing of Milos Gloriosus' singing voice, not to mention the fact the stuntman who subs for Mostel in the final chase scene is about 100 pounds lighter than Mostel.
On the positive, Mostel lights up the screen as Pseudolus. This guy was no singer, but few actors know how to sell a song like Mostel. Phil Silvers and Jack Gilford are hysterical as Lycus and Hysterium and Michael Crawford brings the same goofiness to Hero that he did to Cornelius Hackl a few years later in Hello Dolly! This movie also features the final film appearance of silent screen legend Buster Keaton, a sad swan song in a thankless role. There is entertainment here, but this reviewer wouldn't mind seeing this musical mounted with the full score.
The recent passing of legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim motivated my first viewing of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the manic and fast-paced 1966 film version of the Broadway musical that was Sondheim's first work as both composer and lyricist.
Zero Mostel was allowed to recreate his Broadway role as Pseudolus, a lazy, but fast thinking slave in ancient Rome who longs for nothing more than being freed of slavery. His young master, Hero, agrees to grant Pseudolus his freedom if he can procure a young courtesan named Philia as his bride. Unfortunately, Pseudolus' mission is complicated by the other houses of their neighborhood, including the house where the courtesans live.
The musical upon which this film was based opened on Broadway in 1964 and ran for over 900 performances, so it was no surprise that a film version was rushed to the screen, but this screen version is but a shell of the original musical, which I have seen and am in possession of the Broadway soundtrack. Sondheim's score has been severely tampered with here, deleting eight songs from the original score, though we still have "Comedy Tonight", "Lovely", "Bring Me My Bride" and the show stopping "Everybody Ought to Have e Maid". There are about four songs from the original score that this reviewer sorely missed because they help to flesh out some of the characters, especially a number Pseudolus has called "Free." Ironically, the film received its only Oscar for Best Music Scoring.
A few years after his triumph directing A Hard Day's Night, Richard Lester does manage to bring the same over the top pacing to this sometimes confusing story, where it's often hard to tell the difference between the slaves and masters. Fortunately, with the aid of film editor and future director Nicholas Roeg, Lester has provided us with enough chariot races, half-naked chorus girls, comic icons in drag and soldiers who can't tell they're men that we almost forgive the confusion. LOVED the "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" number...a brilliant collaboration between choreographer, editor, and director. On the the other hand, I wish a little more care had been taken in the dubbing of Milos Gloriosus' singing voice, not to mention the fact the stuntman who subs for Mostel in the final chase scene is about 100 pounds lighter than Mostel.
On the positive, Mostel lights up the screen as Pseudolus. This guy was no singer, but few actors know how to sell a song like Mostel. Phil Silvers and Jack Gilford are hysterical as Lycus and Hysterium and Michael Crawford brings the same goofiness to Hero that he did to Cornelius Hackl a few years later in Hello Dolly! This movie also features the final film appearance of silent screen legend Buster Keaton, a sad swan song in a thankless role. There is entertainment here, but this reviewer wouldn't mind seeing this musical mounted with the full score.