The success of Tom Jones made MGM open its chequebook for Tony Richardson who decided to film Evelyn Waugh's late 1940s novel. It's zany satire, kind of peak gay Hollywood at the time - along with Richardson there's Roddy McDowall, Charles Isherwood, Tab Hunter, John Gielgud. Liberace... Look there's plenty of straights too. Heaps of people are in it and behind the camera - Hal Ashby was a director, Haskell Wexler shot it and co produced, John Calley co produced.
The plot has Robert Morse, going for stardom after How to Succeed in Business, arrive from England (James Coburn as immigation officer) to Los Angeles to visit his Uncle John Gielgud. Gielgud words for a Hollywood studio along with Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger and Roddy McDowall.
Members of the British expat community include Robert Morley and Alan Napier. Funderl workers include Anajette Comer (big part), Liberace, Tab Hunter (one scene as a funeral guide), Milton Berle and Margaret Leighton (customers).
Then the last act switches to become a film about military and launching rockets with people like Dana Andrews (officer), Winters (dual role) and a young Paul Williams.
The gears switch, the film has its head up its ass and it got more annoying as it went on. Too much screen time is devoted to people who aren't up to it, like Comer and Jonathan Winters (who plays multiple roles Peter Sellars style as Quentin Tarantino pointed out).
It's beautifully shot and I can see why it's a cult but I can also see why no one wanted to see it. Some people are spot on like Morse, Hunter, Gielgud.
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