Evelyn Waugh's 1948 novelette was adapted by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood for MGM, who wanted to cash in on Richardson's Tom Jones success and the British New Wave. But for some reason the film is more silly than satirical and would I think have worked better 'straighter'. Robert Morse is the visiting 'British' poet who becomes involved in the financially slimy funeral business when his uncle John Gielgud kills himself following being fired from the film studio he works at. Becomes obsessed by funeral worked Anjanette Comer, who's also being courted by camp Rod Steiger. Jonathan Winters is rather good as the funeral home CEO and his brother.
Well made: photographed by Haskell Wexler (who also co-produced); edited under the supervision of Tony Gibbs by Hal Ashby and Brian Smedley-Aston, with stand out moments including a scene where Morse playing priest and Comer recognise each other in quick cuts, and a scene where Steiger's corpulent mother gorges a suckling pig. But it doesn't really hold up that well.
With Roddy McDowell, Robert Morley, and cameo guest stars including Lionel Stander, James Coburn, Dana Andrews, and Margaret Leighton.
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