THE LOVED ONE (1965) ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2
D: Tony Richardson
Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Ajanette Comer,
Rod Steiger, John Gielgud, James Coburn, Liberace,
Milton Berle, Roddy McDowall, Tab Hunter,
Lionel Stander, Dana Andrews, Robert Morley,
Aylene Gibbons, Margaret Leighton, Alan Napier
An impoverished poet touches down in Los Angeles and moves in with an uncle who works in the movie industry. The uncle proceeds to hang himself, leaving the poet with no money and a funeral to arrange. Fortunately, there's a job opening at a pet cemetery run by Jonathan Winters, and a 13-year-old rocket scientist with the know-how to blast corpses into space. An envelope-pushing black comedy with a script by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood, based on a novel by Evelyn Waugh. Some bits are funnier than others, but wait till you see Aylene Gibbons as Rod Steiger's mother. (For that matter, wait till you see Rod Steiger.) While you're watching it, see if you can guess which cast members are gay, and which ones are just acting that way.
Jonathan Winters
(1925-2013)
