THE LOVED ONE

THE LOVED ONE (1965)
Based on an Evelyn Waugh novel, and so perfectly satirizing Southern California's funeral industry that Forest Lawn sued MGM to prevent its release, THE LOVED ONE is that rarest of mainstream movies: A deliberately tasteless romp that's riotously funny.

Starring Robert Morse as a ne'er-do-well British youth forced to deal with his deceased uncle John Gielgud's Hollywood funeral, it gets in digs at advice columnists, mama's boys, the business end of running a cemetery where weddings are also performed, and the uniquely California phenomenon of pet burial grounds. 

It co-stars Jonathon Winters giving a pair of wild-eyed performances as two twisted twins, one of whom owns Whispering Glade (a "reputable" cemetery) the other of whom runs a decidedly run-down pet cemetery across town. This is the film in which Winters, trying to turn a profit on his real estate now cluttered with caskets, speaks the immortal line: "There must be some way to get those stiffs off my property!" Besides, who could hate a movie that features Liberace in a cameo as a casket salesman, extolling the virtues of various coffin-lining fabrics??
It airs Friday night, May 24 on TCM, and is also available on DVD...

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HeadRAZZBerry Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Berry Important MODERATOR Joined: April 23 2005 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 4489	Post Options Post Reply Quote HeadRAZZBerry Report Post Quote Reply Topic: THE LOVED ONE Posted: June 28 2006 at 4:58am
	THE LOVED ONE (1965) Based on an Evelyn Waugh novel, and so perfectly satirizing Southern California's funeral industry that Forest Lawn sued MGM to prevent its release, THE LOVED ONE is that rarest of mainstream movies: A deliberately tasteless romp that's riotously funny. Starring Robert Morse as a ne'er-do-well British youth forced to deal with his deceased uncle John Gielgud's Hollywood funeral, it gets in digs at advice columnists, mama's boys, the business end of running a cemetery where weddings are also performed, and the uniquely California phenomenon of pet burial grounds. It co-stars Jonathon Winters giving a pair of wild-eyed performances as two twisted twins, one of whom owns Whispering Glade (a "reputable" cemetery) the other of whom runs a decidedly run-down pet cemetery across town. This is the film in which Winters, trying to turn a profit on his real estate now cluttered with caskets, speaks the immortal line: "There must be some way to get those stiffs off my property!" Besides, who could hate a movie that features Liberace in a cameo as a casket salesman, extolling the virtues of various coffin-lining fabrics?? It airs Friday night, May 24 on TCM, and is also available on DVD...
	Ye Olde Head RAZZberry

JoeBacon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List RAZZIE® Inner Sanctum Joined: July 15 2005 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 492	Post Options Post Reply Quote JoeBacon Report Post Quote Reply Posted: July 01 2006 at 2:25pm
	This movie was guaranteed to offend EVERYONE????? Did you ever see "SKIDOO"? Now any movie that had Jackie Gleason taking an LSD trip and Groucho Marx as a dope dealer, now THAT is a movie that OFF-ends so much, it ON-ends the masses, too!
	2013's WORST PICTURE--InAPPropriate Comedy. WORST ACTOR-Rob Schneider & Adrian Brody WORST ACTRESS-Lindsay Lohan! WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS--Kim Kardashian! WORST DIRECTOR--The Sham Wow Man!

Razzilla Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List RAZZIE® Inner Sanctum Joined: September 18 2005 Location: Lost Wages NV Online Status: Offline Posts: 862	Post Options Post Reply Quote Razzilla Report Post Quote Reply Posted: July 03 2006 at 6:58am
	I didn't think SKIDOO was as bad as THE LOVED ONE... What was so bad about this one was that my first job was working for a funeral home as a file clerk...and I think my past experiences with that job might have something to do with me not liking this movie... On my first day of the job I asked what I had to do... Without missing a beat...the boss said to "file anything not moving in the office"... I learned enough about that job that I don't want to step foot in a funeral home again as long as I live... Too much grief for my taste...

saturnwatcher Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List RAZZIE® Inner Sanctum Joined: July 14 2005 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 2577	Post Options Post Reply Quote saturnwatcher Report Post Quote Reply Posted: July 23 2006 at 6:52am
	When I first saw the title of the topic, the very first movie that popped into my mind was Skidoo (retitled by one critic Skidoodoo). But I see that Joe Bacon beat me to the nomination. One thing Joe failed to mention was just how bad that scene featuring Gleason's LSD trip was. Unfortunately, it wasn't even the lowlight of the movie. Watching garbage cans sprout arms and legs and sing a Nilsson song is about as much pain as anyone can film, or endure. But the film still hadn't hit rock bottom. We thought that arrived when an ancient George Raft completely flushed all positive memories of his movie career just by appearing in the film, but one final assault remained. Nilsson actually SANG the closing credits (a bad idea no one has ever repeated, to the best of my knowledge).
	Nine times out of ten, in art as in life, there is no truth to be discovered, only an error to be exposed.--H.L. Menken

JoeBacon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List RAZZIE® Inner Sanctum Joined: July 15 2005 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 492	Post Options Post Reply Quote JoeBacon Report Post Quote Reply Posted: June 14 2009 at 5:14pm
	You ask, we deliver! Here's the clip of Jackie Gleason's LSD trip in Skidoo!