A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
Movie · 1966 · Music, Comedy, Romance · 1h 37m · English
Curator score: 3.9/10 (18.8K ratings)
Something for Everyone!
Overview
A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.9/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 3.28/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
TMDB: 6.1/10
Director
Richard Lester
Production
United Artists, Melvin Frank Productions
Cast
Zero Mostel, Jack Gilford, Phil Silvers, Buster Keaton, Michael Crawford, Annette Andre, Michael Hordern, Leon Greene, Roy Kinnear, Alfie Bass, John Bluthal, Pamela Brown, Patricia Jessel, Beatrix Lehmann, Frank Thornton, Peter Butterworth, John Bennett, Andrew Faulds, Jennifer Baker, Susan Baker
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A brisk, often funny Roman farce with lively performances and a playful, old-school comic rhythm, but it’s also very much a product of its era: the humor is uneven, the adaptation is noticeably trimmed, and the treatment of women and slavery can be hard to ignore. Best approached as a broad, silly musical comedy rather than a faithful or especially progressive one.
Best for
fans of classic studio musicals
viewers who enjoy broad farce and physical comedy
people curious about 1960s musical adaptations
audiences who like Zero Mostel’s comic style
Skip if
you want a faithful adaptation of the stage musical
you’re sensitive to sexist or slavery-based humor
you prefer modern pacing and contemporary sensibilities
you dislike old-fashioned, high-volume farce
Overview
This is a fast-moving, deliberately ridiculous Roman farce that lives or dies on its comic energy. When it clicks, it’s buoyant and mischievous, with Zero Mostel anchoring the chaos and Richard Lester keeping things in motion with a loose, anything-goes spirit. The film has a genuine sense of vaudevillian momentum, and that helps it stay entertaining even when the jokes are broad or the plotting is mostly an excuse for one gag after another.
Worth noting
The catch is that the movie’s sense of humor is very dated. Some of the material lands as crude, sexist, or simply strained by modern standards, and the adaptation’s cuts from the stage version are hard to miss if you know the source. It can feel like a film that wants the freedom of a farce while also carrying the baggage of a much older comic tradition.
Bottom line
If you’re in the mood for a classic studio musical that values speed, silliness, and performers mugging their way through ancient Rome, it’s worth a look. If you want elegance, emotional depth, or a cleaner contemporary sensibility, this is more likely to be a curiosity than a favorite.
Top Letterboxd reviews
James (Schaffrillas) (3.5★) · 596 likes
Very fun but how do you cut that many songs from the original musical and still sleep at night
Zack Bender (4★) · 151 likes
"I didn't like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To the Forum at all."
"I find Kevin Hart's stand up to be really funny."
-multiple people in my theater class.
You know, I kind of just wanted to shoot myself reading some of the discussion for this movie. There's people that find humor in some stupid bullshit. Then again, this movie is stupid bullshit to some folks.
Well I found it to be enjoyable. Zero Mostel is a fun… more
Robin (2★) · 139 likes
Buster Keaton thirst watches are rough
StormofCuteness (1★) · 78 likes
How long do you need to have watched a film to claim you've seen it? I really don't know, but I turned this off half way though because I had taken a rather instanteous dislike for it--which only got worse.
Reasons I wanted to watch this: I love Stephen Sondheim, and this is one I only know one song from.
I have greatly enjoyed Zero Mostel in Broadway cast albums and on screen.
It's Buster Keaton's last film.
Reason's I… more