Rating: 
Summary: A Riotous Spoof With Mostel Firmly In Command
Review: Years ago, I taped this film because of Michael Crawford's appearance in it as the lovelorn Hero. We hear traces of the fabulous singing voice he developed in full twenty years later,and adrmirable is the fact that, as frail-looking as he was back then he did his own stunts. Playing off against Zero Mostel, he is sweetly comical. But as the scheming Psudelous, Mostel is clearly at the helm.
The puns and sight gags are enough to make a viewer's head spin, as are the one-liners and clever plot twists. Jack Guildford plays the pandering Hysterium, a simpering servant in the same house who is blackmailed into helping Pseudolus arrange a rendevous between Hero and Annette Andre's demure courtesan, Philia, who lives next door in the house of Phil Silvers' profiteering Marcus Lycus, in order to help Pseudolus gain his freedom.Mostel, Guildford, and Silvers give the film that New York Jewish comic twist.
Patricia Jessell, as Hero's mother, is appropriately named Domina, and her dominated husband, played by Michael Hordern, is named Synex. Together, they make a very unhappy couple. But in a few brief moments featuring actress Beatrix Lehmann, we see where Domina got her iron will.
Inga Nielsen relys more on physical comedy in her role as Gymnasia, Pseudelous' love interest. His desire to gain his freedom and wed her becomes even stronger when he learns that she has been sold.
I wonder if the casting of Russell Crowe as a General in a later drama about Ancient Rome was inspired by the casting of the equally dark, mustachioed, and very hefty Leon Greene as a General in this comedy about that era. As Miles Gloriosus, Greene is a pompous, menacing, egotistical bully, but in the song, "Bring Me My Bride", we learn that he's also very career-oriented.
There is a certain reverance in Buster Keaton's final screen performance as Erroneous, who helps bring this hysterical farce to its conclusion.
The musical score is fantastic, the scenes of the Spanish countryside on which it was filmed stupendous, the international cast top-notch, and the laughs are non-stop. Questions of political correctness can be put on hold for the time being, and anyone of any age can enjoy this masterpiece of a film.-This I swear by the Great Necrophytes!
Rating:
Summary: "TOGAS, TUTUS ...............et tu?"
Review: "But I don't even look like a girl...""LIE DOWN, and think GIRLISH thoughts.........." Even the names - "Vibrato", "Hysterium", Erronius", "Fertila", "etc" ....... still raise chuckles!
What a treat! [Probably inspired the names in Monty Python's "Life of Brian"!] AND then there's the dreamcast - headed by Zero Mostel as "Pseudolus", with Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford - even silent star Buster Keaton strutting his stuff on a treadmill circa somewhere BC - searching for his long-lost offspring. There's also Michael Crawford as "Hero" a few years before "Hello Dolly" and the triumphs that followed. If you've never seen this classic - shame on you! It's bawdy, ribald, irreverent and very funny, complete with chariot chases, matrons, virgins [male and female], raging hormones, protruding pulchritude, and bonus of all - It's a Musical! The kids will love it! Just sit back, relax and enjoy this one! For kicks - add "The Producers" also with Zero, and Mel Brooks "History of the World - Part 1". For the Purist - perhaps Eddit Cantor's "Roman Scandals" with Lucy [and if you don't know from Eddie Cantor - leave the page!]. Toga! Toga! Toga!
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly better than the play
Review: I first saw this movie in 1966. At the time the term socially correct did not exist. I saw the play twice since then. Usually when plays are adapted there is a loss of spontaneity. In this case they replace a few songs with some better one-liners and facial expressions that would have been lost at a distance. If I were to describe all the great actors and plots this review would be pages long. So I will just say that this movie is "Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone: a comedy tonight!"
Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie!
Review: This movie has to be the best ever. It is full of intelligent humor that is make a puddle funny. The most important thing is that in order to fully appriciate it one must watch it over and over.
Rating:
Summary: Are you Kidding?
Review: What more could you want? Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers and a host of other loons in a classic comedy. Love this stuff. Wish we could make something like it today. Of course it would take having an actual plot, cleaver writting, talent, .....
Seriously, a great movie. Buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect if you want a comedy tonight!
Review: Okay, I admit it, I'm biased. I love Sondheim, I love Roman / Greek plays, I think Zero Mostel is one of the finest comedy actors / Broadway performers the world has ever seen. But even if you set aside the brilliant score (all the best songs are kept from the stage version, and for those of you who think Sondheim is unhummable high-brow stuff, I have two words for you - 'Comedy Tonight'), the spot-on delivery of Zero, Michael Crawford, Jack Gilford and all the others beside, then buy it because the script by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart is an absolute gem. If you want farcical, hysterical, light and frothy comedy, you'll find little better than this.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest film comedies ever
Review: An almost perfect comedy until the final chase scene which is overdone and forced. The movie successfully treads the line between bawdiness and good taste which Hollywood long ago forgot. While the movie unfortunately doesn't include many of Sondheim's songs, it does include four of the best from the broadway score, including the brilliant "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" and a song in which Roman general Milius Gloriosous sings the immortal line, "I am my ideal..." The casting is perfect, and Zero Mostel was never better. This is a cheerfully and unabashedly broad comedy, and there's nothing subtle about it, but it succeeds on every level.
Rating:
Summary: Oscar Winning Score
Review: Yes, many of the songs are gone (Yes, for some reason they left "Free" out), and some of the notes by the singers are a bit off, but besides this score is actually more lively than the lethargic Broadway Recording (which is also excellent, but lacks the energy of this recording). Ken Thorne (Superman's II and III and HELP!) adapts the music with verve and incredible energy, standouts in the songs include "Comedy Tonight," "Everybody Ought to Have A Maid," "Bring Me My Bride" and the finale version of "Comedy Tonight." As for Thorne's incidental music, it's simply wonderful, ranging from the sort of Roman music stylings to a baroque version of "Comedy Tonight" for the final chariot chase. Yes, go ahead and complain that not all the songs are in it, but be glad the songs that were put in were done fantastically! Also, if you read the liner notes, you can see what Thorne had to go through to arrange the songs, which makes his accomplishment even more astounding. By the way, those who complain about this album often forget the fact that it won the Oscar for Best Original Score.
Rating: 
Summary: A giggle at the forum...
Review: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was a very important project indeed. Not only was it the first show that American Theatrical Sweetheart Stephen Sondheim did both the music and lyrics, but it also brought the amazing Larry Gelbart (M*A*S*H*) to the musical theater, a journey he would take again in 1990 with "City of Angels." I love the show but, it was for Gelbert's laugh-a-minute book, not the one-joke-songs of Sondheim. Not to say that Sondheims lyrics are not clever, only that the quick paced book dialogue actually stops for each repetitive"Lovely" or redundant"I'm calm."(cut from the film) Its been said that Stephen said he did that intentionally to break up the pacing. That sounds like after the fact justification to me. I think this pacing problem explains why, upon initial release, this show was a "Zero Mostel" show, not a "Stephen Sondheim" show. This pacing becomes even more apparent in the film where most of the songs were cut. In watching the film you successfully forget it is a musical after each number and the sudden singing is as jarring as I've ever seen onscreen. (The first song in the story - Lovely- is after 20 minutes or so of screen time. and the remaining 2 songs appear after long intervals spanning the hour forty minute running time.) So, this was not to be a staged play. Richard Lester, who had successfully mounted a couple Beatles films, was brought in with his quick cut editing and a firm reliance on film techniques that will always look 1960s. They also brought in the late Tony Walton whose scenic design and costumes are just wonderful. Finally, the cast (including such wonderful funny folk as Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Buster Keaton and Jack Gilford) shows one of the great examples of screen teamwork. But, yet, the experience is lost in a sea of Benny Hill-esque action. This was not needed on stage - but to be fair, could not have been accomplished. So, the film is a watcher for the wonderful words of Larry Gelbart and for the 4 leading men. Michael Crawford, funny man turned Phantom man, plays the aloof one dimensional hero "Hero". All the female roles are even flatter. Many, many songs were cut from Sondheims original material: "Love I hear", "Free", "I'm Calm", "Pretty Little Picture", "Impossible", "That Dirty Old Man" and "That'll show him" are nowhere to be found. Enjoy a Comedy Tonight.
Rating:
Summary: Wish I lived in Rome...
Review: Zero Mostel is the inept salve Pseudolus, attempting to earn his freedom through slight and deception. Phil Silvers is the greasy Lycos, a perveyor of women's flesh. Buster Keaton (in his last role) is in search of his children who wear a signet ring (who would create a family crest out of a gaggle of geese?). Oh, did I forget the vestal virgin who really isn't a virgin? Oh, wait. Did I forget the young hero out to collect a cup of mare's sweat as a love potion? And the `G' rated ... scene with room swapping a la the Marx Brothers? Dude! For the love their gods I split a freakin' gut! There isn't a second that doesn't have a musical, verbal, or sight gag. If you have a bit of comedic intelligence, you will love this flick. No Eddie Murphy profanity, no Bill Murray insipidy. This comedy was the groundbreaker. If you do NOT like this flick, e-mail and berate me. I'll put you on my stupid list. Trust me. I am never wrong.
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