ComedyRomance

What a Way to Go!

- What A Cast!... What A Past!... What A Show!...

A four-time widow discusses her four marriages, in which all of her husbands became incredibly rich and died prematurely because of their drive to be rich.

Release Date : 1964-07-31

Language :FrenchEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : APJAC ProductionsOrchard Productions20th Century Fox

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Louisa May Foster

Original Name : Shirley MacLaine

Gender : Female

Character Name : Larry Flint

Original Name : Paul Newman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rod Anderson Jr.

Original Name : Robert Mitchum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Leonard Crawley

Original Name : Dean Martin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pinky Benson

Original Name : Gene Kelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Victor Stephanson

Original Name : Robert Cummings

Gender : Male

Character Name : Edgar Hopper

Original Name : Dick Van Dyke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Painter

Original Name : Reginald Gardiner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Foster

Original Name : Margaret Dumont

Gender : Female

Character Name : Trentino

Original Name : Lou Nova

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baroness

Original Name : Fifi D'Orsay

Gender : Female

Character Name : Rene

Original Name : Maurice Marsac

Gender : Male

Character Name : Agent

Original Name : Wally Vernon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Polly

Original Name : Jane Wald

Gender : Female

Character Name : Hollywood Lawyer

Original Name : Lenny Kent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Aldrich

Gender : Male

Character Name : Awards Ceremony Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Leon Alton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Awards Ceremony Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : TV Announcer (uncredited)

Original Name : Army Archerd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Foster (uncredited)

Original Name : Anton Arnold

Gender : Male

Character Name : Publicity and Press Agent (uncredited)

Original Name : Phil Arnold

Gender : Male

Character Name : Private Airline Pilot (uncredited)

Original Name : Mark Bailey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Bain

Gender : Male

Character Name : Farmer (uncredited)

Original Name : John Barton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Beaudine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Freeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Marjorie Bennett

Gender : Female

Character Name : Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Nesdon Booth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Eugene Borden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Lynn Borden

Gender : Female

Character Name : Girl on Plane (uncredited)

Original Name : Barbara Bouchet

Gender : Female

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : John Cliff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ned (uncredited)

Original Name : Christopher Connelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Kensington (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Conway

Gender : Male

Character Name : Leonard Crawley Jr. (age 7) (uncredited)

Original Name : William Corcoran

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Cristo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bathing Beauty (uncredited)

Original Name : Carol Daniels

Gender : Female

Character Name : Frenchman (uncredited)

Original Name : Alphonso DuBois

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cocktail Party Pianist (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Duchin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : James Elsegood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Willard (uncredited)

Original Name : Anthony Eustrel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Geraldine Crawley (age 4) (uncredited)

Original Name : Pamelyn Ferdin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Customer (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Fisher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jonathan Crawley (age 5) (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeff Fithian

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jonathan Crawley (age 5) (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Fithian

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jacques Foti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lawyer (uncredited)

Original Name : Milton Frome

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Teri Garr

Gender : Female

Character Name : Diner Customer (uncredited)

Original Name : Roy Goldman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Minister (uncredited)

Original Name : Roy Gordon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Movie Executive (uncredited)

Original Name : Sid Gould

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chester (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Greening

Gender : Male

Character Name : Movie Executive's Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Paula Lane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Joel Grey

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-12-02

I recall a time when I saw Joan Collins in "Dynasty" (c. 1983) and her character was called "Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter"... I had never known a lady to keep the names of all of her husbands one after the other. Well, Shirley MacLaine beat her to it - by about 20 years - as her portrayal of "Louisa May Foster Hopper Flint Anderson Benson". The film begins as an elegantly dressed woman tries to give the IRS a cheque for a couple of hundred million dollars. They think she is bonkers and refer her to a shrink to whom she reminisces about her hitherto marital relationships. Dean Martin in the first local bigwig to take a shine to her, but she falls for local shopkeeper Dick Van Dyke who manages to turn his tiny shop into a thriving business emporium before disaster strikes. Next she meets struggling artist Paul Neman in Paris; then Millionaire Robert Mitchum as she leaves Paris, then Gene Kelly in a cheap and cheerful diner in which she tries to get away from it all - she even proposes to her shrink - before, well it sort of goes full circle. This is a fun exposé of MacLaine's skills - singer, dancer, bon viveur, - and the male stars are very much in her orbit. Newman is particularly good (and handsome) as her painter who uses automated painting techniques to create his masterpieces, and poor old Bob Mitchum who seems to offer title more than a private plane and an arm for her to hold as she parades a line of elegant line of couture that would rival any Milan or Paris catwalk. There's a decent, if maybe too long, song and dance routine with Kelly too! The comedy is a bit predictable, and the sound-stage look of the thing is a bit too static at times, but the compendium nature of the storytelling is engaging, as is the star, and it flew by. Not great, but good.