''The Loved One'' is a 1965

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

film about the funeral business in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, which is based on '' The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy'' (1948), a short satirical novel by

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...

. It was directed by British filmmaker

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones (1963 film ...

and the screenplay—which also drew on Jessica Mitford's book ''

The American Way of Death ''The American Way of Death'' is an exposé of abuses in the funeral home industry in the United States, written by Jessica Mitford and published in 1963. An updated revision, ''The American Way of Death Revisited'', completed by Mitford just be ...

'' (1963)—was written by noted American satirical novelist

Terry Southern Terry Southern (May 1, 1924 – October 29, 1995) was an American novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and university lecturer, noted for his distinctive satirical style. Part of the Paris postwar literary movement in the 1950s and a companion to ...

and British author

Christopher Isherwood Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood (26 August 1904 – 4 January 1986) was an Anglo-American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, autobiographer, and diarist. His best-known works include '' Goodbye to Berlin'' (1939), a semi-autobiographical ...

. The film stars

Robert Morse Robert Alan Morse (May 18, 1931 – April 20, 2022) was an American actor, who starred in ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', both the 1961 original Broadway production, for which he won a Tony Award, and its 1967 film adaptati ...

Jonathan Winters Jonathan Harshman Winters III (November 11, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American comedian, actor, author, television host, and artist. Beginning in 1960, Winters recorded many classic comedy albums for the Verve Records label. He also h ...

Anjanette Comer Anjanette Comer (born August 7, 1939) is an American actress. Early years Born in Dawson, Texas to Rufus Franklin Comer, Jr., and Nola Dell “Sue” (Perkins) Comer, she attended Dawson High School. She gained acting experience at the Pasadena ...

, Paul Williams and

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

. Among those making appearances in smaller roles are

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

Robert Morley Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE (26 May 1908 – 3 June 1992) was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, of ...

Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 4 October 1998) was a British actor, photographer and film director. He began his acting career as a child in England, and then in the United States, in ''How Green Was My Valley'' (1 ...

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

Milton Berle Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...

Tab Hunter Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm; July 11, 1931 – July 8, 2018) was an American actor, singer, film producer, and author. Known for his blond, clean-cut good looks, Hunter starred in more than forty films. He was a Hollywood heartthrob of t ...

and

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

Plot

Young Englishman Dennis Barlow (

) wins an airline ticket and visits his uncle Sir Francis Hinsley (

) in Los Angeles. Hinsley has worked as a production staffer at a major Hollywood studio for over thirty years. His employer D.J. Jr. (

) fires Hinsley, despite the old man's faithful dedication to the company. Hinsley commits suicide by hanging himself. Dennis is swayed by a prominent member of the local English expatriate community (

) to spend most of the money from his uncle's estate on a socially prestigious burial at Whispering Glades cemetery and mortuary. There, he meets and becomes infatuated with Aimée Thanatogenos (

), a hopelessly naive and idealistic cosmetician who says she was named after

Aimee Semple McPherson Aimee Elizabeth Semple McPherson (née Kennedy; October 9, 1890 – September 27, 1944), also known as Sister Aimee or Sister, was a Canadian Pentecostalism, Pentecostal Evangelism, evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s,Ob ...

. Chief embalmer Mr. Joyboy (

) is also an admirer, but although Aimée respects him professionally, she doesn't have any romantic feelings toward him. Somewhat overwhelmed by the services offered at Whispering Glades, Dennis is led through the various burial options available to his uncle by a well-versed Whispering Glades "counselor," Mr. Starker (

). Aimée's idol is the Reverend Wilbur Glenworthy (

), owner of Whispering Glades. Aimée worships the solemn and pious reverend, but in private he is a calculating businessman who regards Whispering Glades as just a business venture. To raise money, Dennis begins working at Happier Hunting Grounds, a local pet cemetery run by the reverend's brother Henry Glenworthy (also played by Winters), who has lately been fired by the movie studio as well. Dennis courts Aimée with poetry, which fascinates her although she fails to recognize famous verses. When Aimée asks whether Dennis wrote these passages, he changes the subject. Dennis dares not let Aimée find out where he works since she considers the pet cemetery to be sacrilegious. Aimée is increasingly frustrated by Dennis' cynical and disrespectful attitude toward Whispering Glades and is shocked at his suggestion that they marry and live on her income when she gets a promotion. So, acting on advice given by Guru Brahmin (

Lionel Stander Lionel Jay Stander (January 11, 1908 – November 30, 1994) was an American actor in films, radio, theater and television. He is best remembered for his role as majordomo Max on the 1980s mystery television series ''Hart to Hart''. Early ...

), actually a drunken staff writer at a newspaper, she accepts a dinner invitation from Mr. Joyboy, who secured her promotion. Thoughts of a serious relationship with Mr. Joyboy are dismissed when she sees his bizarre and unhealthy relationship with his morbidly obese mother (Ayllene Gibbons) whose only interest is food. Again acting on the advice of Guru Brahmin, she becomes engaged to Dennis. She invites him to her home, a partially finished house built on a cliff, condemned and abandoned due to the danger of landslides. He cuts the visit short, alarmed at occasional ominous trembling and Aimée's lack of concern over her own safety. Dennis and Henry Glenworthy meet their neighbor, a boy genius ( Paul Williams) with an interest in rocketry, and they let him set up a lab at the pet cemetery. Mr. Joyboy brings in his pet

myna bird The myna (; also spelled mynah) is a bird of the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to southern Asia, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Several species have been introduced to areas like ...

to be buried and discovers the identity of his rival. He agrees to have the bird shot into orbit by one of the neighbor's rockets, instead of being buried. Mr. Joyboy brings Aimée to the ceremony and she is outraged when she sees Dennis performing the service; this greatly pleases Mr. Joyboy. Reverend Glenworthy, seeing little profit in the cemetery once the plots have been filled, decides to convert it into a retirement home, but is unable to proceed without a plan for dealing with the bodies interred there. When he learns of his brother's idea of sending bodies into orbit, he recognizes it as a solution to his own problem. He proceeds to obtain surplus rockets by hosting an orgy at Whispering Glades with top Air Force brass as guests of honor. Dennis, in a desperate attempt to reconcile with Aimée, tells her that Whispering Glades is to be shut down. She flees, but is afraid that what Dennis told her might be true. Aimée seeks out Mr. Joyboy for comfort, but he has been called to the cemetery to prepare a body to be launched into orbit, an ex-astronaut nicknamed "The Condor". She tracks down Guru Brahmin in a bar, but he drunkenly advises her to jump out a window. Finally, she flees to the cemetery and finds Reverend Glenworthy, who confirms Dennis' story and tries to seduce her with promises of continued employment with higher pay at the new facility. Wholly distraught, since her faith in everything she held sacred has been shattered, she attaches herself to an embalming machine and dies peacefully. Mr. Joyboy finds her body, but is afraid to report it due to scandal, so he calls Dennis to arrange disposal in the pet cemetery's crematorium. Dennis agrees, but only if Mr. Joyboy gives him a first-class ticket back to England and all the cash he can lay his hands on. Dennis also imposes the condition that Aimée be placed in the casket rocket headed for space instead of the ex-astronaut, whose body is relinquished to the pet crematorium. After the televised funeral ceremony and launch, Dennis is seen boarding the first-class section of a plane back to England.

Cast

as Dennis Barlow *

as Henry & Wilbur Glenworthy *

as Aimée Thanatogenos *

as Mr. Joyboy *

as Gen. Buck Brinkman *

as Mr. Kenton *

as Immigration Officer *

as Sir Francis Hinsley *

as Whispering Glades tour guide *

Margaret Leighton Margaret Leighton, CBE (26 February 1922 – 13 January 1976) was an English actress, active on stage and television, and in film. Her film appearances included (her first credited debut feature) in Anatole de Grunwald's ''The Winslow Boy'' (1 ...

as Mrs. Helen Kenton *

as Mr. Starker *

as D.J., Jr. *

as Sir Ambrose Abercrombie *

Barbara Nichols Barbara Marie Nickerauer (December 10, 1928 – October 5, 1976), known professionally as Barbara Nichols, was an American actress who often played brassy or comic roles in films in the 1950s and 1960s. Early life and career Nichols was b ...

as Sadie Blodgett *

as the Guru Brahmin * Robert Easton as Dusty Acres * Ayllene Gibbons as Joyboy's mother * Paul Williams as Gunther Fry *

Alan Napier Alan William Napier-Clavering (7 January 1903 – 8 August 1988), better known as Alan Napier, was an English actor. After a decade in West End theatre, he had a long film career in Britain and later, in Hollywood. Napier is best remembered for ...

as English club official *

Bernie Kopell Bernard Morton Kopell (born June 21, 1933) is an American character actor known for his roles as Siegfried in ''Get Smart'' from 1966 to 1969 and as Dr. Adam Bricker ("Doc") on ''The Love Boat'' from 1977 to 1986. Early beginnings Kopell was bo ...

as Brahmin's assistant *

Joy Harmon Patricia Joy Harmon or Joy Patricia Harmon (born May 1, 1940) is an American baker and former actress. Early years The daughter of Homer Harmon, Joy Patricia Harmon was born in Jackson Heights, New York, or Flushing, New York. She and her famil ...

as Miss Benson (uncredited) *

Jamie Farr Jamie Farr (born Jameel Joseph Farah; July 1, 1934) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing the cross-dressing Corporal turned Sergeant Maxwell Q. Klinger in the CBS television sitcom ''M*A*S*H''. He was inducted to ...

as waiter at English club (uncredited) *

Roxanne Arlen Roxanne Arlen (January 10, 1931 – February 22, 1989) was an American film and stage actress and model active in the 1950s and 1960s. Filmography Feature films *'' The Loved One'' (1965) as Wispering Glades hostess *'' A House Is Not a Home'' ( ...

as Wispering Glades hostess

Pre-production

In 1947, Evelyn Waugh visited Hollywood when

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

offered him a six-figure sum for the film rights to his novel ''

Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...

'', despite the fact that none of the studio bosses had read the book. When Waugh demanded complete veto rights over the finished product, the project was scrapped. During his stay in Los Angeles, Waugh became fascinated by the American obsession with the funeral industry, inspiring him to write first a lengthy journal article on the Forest Lawn cemetery and its founder Dr. Hubert Eaton and then his 1948 novel ''The Loved One''. In the following years, numerous people attempted unsuccessfully to produce a filmed version of Waugh's novel, including the Spanish surrealist filmmaker

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and m ...

and the comic writer/director

Elaine May Elaine Iva May (née Berlin; born April 21, 1932) is an American comedian, filmmaker, playwright, and actress. She has received numerous awards including an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and a Tony. She made her initial impact in the 1950s with her ...

Production

The film was shot in and around the Los Angeles area with

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...

, Beverly Hills,

Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...

and Burbank among the locations. "Whispering Glades" was drawn from Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale with the exterior and interior scenes shot mostly at

Greystone Mansion The Greystone Mansion, also known as the Doheny Mansion, is a Tudor Revival mansion on a landscaped estate with distinctive formal English gardens, located in Trousdale Estates of Beverly Hills, California, United States. Architect Gordon Kaufm ...

. The condemned house scene was filmed at the house under construction at 3847 Oakfield Dr. in Sherman Oaks.

Reception

The film received a rating of 45% according to

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

from 20 reviews."The Loved One"
at Rotten Tomatoes. (Caveat: Rotten Tomatoes was founded 33 years after the film was released and is far from the only resource for any film's reception.)

won the Spanish

Sant Jordi Award The Sant Jordi Awards ( ca, Premis Sant Jordi, links=no; es, Premios Sant Jordi, links=no) are film prizes awarded annually by the Catalonia, Catalan branch of the Spanish public radio network Radio Nacional de España (RNE), Ràdio 4. The award ...

for best actor in a foreign film.

Home media

''The Loved One'' was released on DVD on June 20, 2006, and re-released by Warner Home Video on August 20, 2013, via its Warner Archive DVD-on-demand service. It was released on blu-ray in May 2017.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Loved One, The 1965 films 1960s black comedy films American black-and-white films American black comedy films American satirical films Films based on British novels Films based on works by Evelyn Waugh Films directed by Tony Richardson Films scored by John Addison Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles Funeral homes in fiction Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films with screenplays by Terry Southern Filmways films 1965 comedy films 1965 drama films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films