 |
| Shirley MacLaine stars as Louisa Might Foster, who marries and loses most of her 5 husbands in 1964’s comedy, “What a Strategy to Go!” |
One of many many ’60s
all-star spectaculars that was heavy on stars and magnificence, however gentle on strong story
or scintillating dialogue, was 1964’s What
A Strategy to Go! Motion pictures like this are sometimes enjoyable for star gazing and glamour.
But such movies are sometimes boring and do not age effectively, and right here’s just some: Let’s Make Love, The V.I.P.s, The Yellow
Rolls-Royce, and What’s New, Pussycat?
 |
| Shirley MacLaine’s widow tells shrink Robert Cummings about EVERY husband in “What a Strategy to Go!” |
This 20th
Century Fox fluff is a comedic story of a lady who’s searching for real love however
is all the time left widowed—and richer. Cash does not purchase happiness, but it surely brings
70-plus Edith Head costumes, Sydney Guilaroff wigs, Harry Winston jewels, and
fabulous units in What a Strategy to Go!
The featherweight romp additionally options some various husbands: Dick Van Dyke, Paul
Newman, Robert Mitchum, Gene Kelly, & Dean Martin.
The super-size comedy
was initially meant for famous person Marilyn Monroe, when Fox determined to take
Marilyn again after One thing’s Bought to
Give. Marilyn actually may have elevated this gentle car together with her
pure comedic charms. Nevertheless it was not meant to be, as Marilyn died quickly after.
Persevering with in the identical daft logic, Fox then supplied the function to their
different diva headache, Cleopatra aka Elizabeth
Taylor. The a part of a lady who marries 5 occasions and turns into richer, with
larger wardrobe and larger hair with every marriage… what a stretch! However ET’s world now revolved round Richard Burton.
 |
| Cannot think about why Fox supplied this film to Elizabeth Taylor! Truly, Robert Cummings performs the shrink in “What a Strategy to Go!,” not a husband… |
The good selection of
Shirley MacLaine as Louisa Might Foster was lastly made. Was MacLaine as a
brunette right here a hangover from the prior selection of Liz? Regardless, whereas
Shirley presents a mannequin slim determine that was extra in step with the ’60s
than both curvy MM or ET, MacLaine appears at occasions dwarfed by the outlandish
costumes, towering wigs and Christmas tree jewel sparklers.
 |
| Naturalistic Shirley MacLaine & ’60s glamour did not appear to go collectively. Observe the pancake make-up on her face, then her freckled arm in “What a Strategy to Go!” With Robert Mitchum as her tycoon husband. |
Whereas MacLaine is a
pure comedic actress, a robust director like Billy Wilder was wanted to maintain
her from going from Shirley to shrilly. There’s various screaming Mimi
moments on this broad comedy, however MacLaine additionally will get some laughs. It is
fascinating to see her play the kid Louisa with a wink, with out the ’60s pancake
basis, false eyelashes, stenciled brows, and overdrawn lipstick—although I do detect mascara.
 |
| Shirley MacLaine as little Louisa in an amusing second from “What a Strategy to Go!” |
Most of Shirley
MacLaine’s co-stars have been outdated buddies or lovers, so Shirley has a pleasant rapport with
every “husband” in What a Strategy to
Go! In a nutshell, so as:
Dick Van Dyke is a
very energetic match for Shirley. As Edgar Hopper, Dick is a small-town man
whose hero is Thoreau. However when his love rival mocks his and spouse Louisa’s
low-budget life-style, Hopper hops to, and turns into an enormous success as a
businessman. And promptly keels over from overwork!
 |
| Dick Van Dyke as Shirley MacLaine’s first husband in “What a Strategy to Go!” |
Paul Newman is subsequent
up, because the artist in Paris, the place Louisa goes to grieve. Paul offers one in every of his
extra relaxed comedic performances, not like the leering Rally Around the Flag Boys and A
New Sort of Love. Amusingly, his character’s title is Larry Flint, however not that Larry Flynt. Paul appears to be like nice with
a beard, because the ravenous artist who’s all the time consuming! Slim and slight Paul
and Shirley are dwarfed by the lavish contraptions and units of their marital
sequence. As Larry’s portray machines lastly create profitable works, Flint
is consumed by the money rolling in. As he and the machines turn out to be extra frenzied,
they activate their creator.
 |
| Shirley MacLaine’s Louisa appears to adapt to every husband’s life. Right here, she is Paul Newman’s artist spouse in “What a Strategy to Go!” |
Subsequent, widowed once more
Louisa meets Robert Mitchum as a Howard Hughes-type tycoon, Rod Anderson, Jr., at
the airport (bear in mind Hughes as soon as owned an airline). MacLaine’s unfortunate in love
woman figures this newest love is already wealthy, so what can occur? Paradoxically,
their try at residing easy down on his farm seems to be a kick within the
head for Rod. Mitchum is laid-back and droll, as all the time.
 |
| I by no means miss a Nina Foch film! Kidding! Shirley MacLaine goes platinum for a sizzling minute in “What a Strategy to Go!” With hubby #3 Robert Mitchum. |
Shirley’s perennial
widow meets Pinky Benson at a neighborhood diner. Gene Kelly parodies his Singin’ within the Rain persona right here because the
small city entertainer, who lastly makes it huge. Although criticized by some
of us as too outdated, Kelly appears to be like superb for 50, is sort of humorous, and dances
fantastically, after all. Pinky’s destiny is getting fatally mobbed by his followers!
 |
| Shirley MacLaine’s Louisa envisions her marriage to Pinky Benson as a Hollywood musical quantity. Gene Kelly, aptly forged as hubby #4 in “What a Strategy to Go!” |
At this level, as soon as
once more widowed Louisa is telling her woes to her shrink, when an outdated beau walks
in. As soon as her small city’s richest man, the person is now the constructing’s janitor! Dean
Martin performs comedic jerk Leonard Crawley fairly effectively, and his nonchalant
demeanor is ideal right here. Because the one husband that Louise doesn’t initially
love, the creep seems to be the keeper.
 |
| Dean Martin bookends “What a Strategy to Go!” as first a foiled suitor, then as Shirley MacLaine’s ultimate husband. |
Lastly, there may be Bob
Cummings, his regular unctuous self because the smarmy shrink who practically turns into a
husband to Louisa, as effectively.
One shock was Margaret
Dumont, of the Marx Brothers film fame, who’s weird and unfunny as
Shirley’s mom. Plus, Dumont’s dressed like she’s from a visitor shot on The Beverly Hillbillies!
The Edith Head
costumes and the units are supposed to be excessive however typically veer into
superior ugliness. Head cleverly makes use of the garments to additional Louisa’s story, however
I used to be stunned what number of costumes have been visions of monochromatic vivid colours. I
was getting visions of Liz Taylor’s Vincente Minnelli-supervised wardrobe in The Sandpiper. And the Pepto Bismol pink
mansion of Gene Kelly’s Pinky is really abdomen churning.
 |
| Husband Pinky Benson decrees that his mansion be painted in his honor, in “What a Strategy to Go!” Wafer slim Shirley MacLaine sports activities a contrasting black bikini. |
Broadway’s Adolph
Inexperienced and Betty Comden, the couple that wrote this story, additionally gave us Singin’ within the Rain and Auntie Mame. Sadly, their script and wit
appears very broad and sporadic of their final function movie collectively.
There are few zingy
strains and a lot of the film parodies of every marriage are mildly amusing,
besides the Ross Hunter-esque “Lush Budgett” sequence, which is so
one-note that it rapidly turns into tedious. The musical quantity with Gene
Kelly is a superb take off on MGM numbers, and nonetheless enjoyable in its personal proper.
Shirley and Dick Van Dyke’s expressive faces and swish types make their
silent film spoof enjoyable. And Paul Newman and Shirley are actually attractive sufficient
of their French “artwork” movie parody, although it’s fairly tame.
 |
| Shirley MacLaine & Dick Van Dyke are charming within the silent film fantasy scene that symbolizes their marriage in “What a Strategy to Go!” |
The director J. Lee
Thompson was an odd selection for comedy as he beforehand helmed The Weapons of Navarone and Cape Worry. He subsequent directed Shirley in
the 1965 bomb John Goldfarb, Please Come
Residence! Written by William Peter Blatty, who rewarded his friendship with
Shirley by modeling her for his heroine in The
Exorcist, thus creating the city fantasy that MacLaine’s daughter wanted an
exorcism!
 |
| Shirley MacLaine’s Louisa in wearable artwork, courtesy of artist husband Paul Newman in “What a Strategy to Go!” |
Whereas I hardly laughed
out loud throughout the complete film, What a
Strategy to Go! is mostly amusing. Nevertheless it all appears like a pile of frosting—on
a cupcake! Shirley MacLaine didn’t carry one other hit film till The Turning Level over a dozen years
later. Even then, Anne Bancroft was pulling equal weight. Frankly, Shirley
by no means carried a film on her personal throughout MacLaine’s main woman heyday.
There are worse methods
to go than watching What a Strategy to Go!
Watch the celebs and lavish manufacturing, together with your mind turned off.
 |
| Actress Gari Hardy with Paul Newman, in a deleted scene from “What a Strategy to Go!” Is it my creativeness or is she presupposed to resemble Marilyn Monroe? If that’s the case, that appears in dangerous style as this movie was supposed for Monroe, earlier than she died two years earlier. |
