Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Good start, but then it gets ruined

An absolute waste of money

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Obviously ripped off by the hit Broadway musical and its non-musical film version, "Irma La Douce", this is a fairly amusing but empty farce that has all the ingredients except for the fizz. It's about the phony suicide of struggling artist Dick Van Dyke who pretends to be dead to increase the value of his paintings. Hiding out at the bordello of Madame Coco (Ethel Merman!), Van Dyke becomes jealous when his scheming pal James Garner romances his grieving fiancée (Angie Dickinson) but is comforted in the presence of Elke Summer, a suicidal girl he rescued from the river after he took his drunken fall.Starting off with cartoon credits that reminds me of a "Pink Panther" short, this seems all too familiar in its plot devices, especially when Garner's scheme lands him on trial for his pal's murder. The performances are exactly what you expect them to be, with rubber legged Van Dyke doing his typical schtick. While it's obvious that the singing and dancing girls working for Merman do more than wear colorful costumes, the script never confirms it. There were dozens of French set films involving artists in the 1960's, so this is nothing too spectacular, but there are some funny moments especially from the multi color haired Merman. She even gets a musical number (music by Cy Coleman) complete with can can girls. It's colorful and sexy yet generic, the type of film that haunted neighborhood movie theaters on their first run rather than play the big movie houses, and would ultimately end up haunting the late show where I first saw it back in the mid 1980's. A lot of 60's clichés abound, but professionally directed by Norman Jewison, it's amusing fun that won't bore you but won't stimulate your brain either.

Norman Jewison is a top director with many credits. This is one of his least known films. Carl Reiner wrote the script and has a role in the film. James Garner and Dick Van Dyke are together in one of the rare times they would be. Garner's Cherokee Productions is involved here in this Universal Film. Elke Summer, Angie Dickinson, and Ethel Merman are all here. Even Roger C. Carmel is here just a year before he would do Star Trek and The Mother's In Law. Yet, this movie was destined to bomb with a large B. It is hard to understand why until you watch it. The plot is a bit of a stretch, and the ending goes beyond the pale. I love looking at this cast, but it is so difficult to understand why there is so much slap stick here and so little verbal comedy. Maybe Carl Reiner was writing too many other scripts for this one to get the dialog it needed. The opening credits, Animation from Freleng (Pink Panther) is cute. I just think that for one time too much talent got together and produced something that just did not click for audiences. The slap stick of the arrival just in time to save Garner from the guillotine at the end of the movie is a stretch here.At least the movie is short, and fans of this great cast should enjoy the short run. It is funny, but the dark comedy which dominates this one is done much better than this in other films. I do envy Garner making out with Angie Dickinson, and Van Dyke getting to know a really hot Elke Summer. Ethel Merman gets the only musical number. The dead artist theme is actually proved here, too much slap stick comedy is dead, in 1965. It could have been so much better.

I wasn't aware of this movie when it was initially released and probably didn't see it for several years after it came out when I saw it on TV. This is a bright, witty charming movie loaded with a talented cast in James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, Angie Dickenson, Elke Sommer, Ethel Merman, Carl Reiner and a lot of great character actors. I've only seen this a few times as it doesn't seem to get much air time on TV and I don't know why because this is a funny movie. Norma Jewison directs this forgotten gem. It's a good escapist romantic comedy and gives Van Dyke a lot of room to display his comedic skills. James Garner hold the whole thing together. If it shows up on TV again sometime try to check it out, some good comedy situations here. I would give this an 8 on a scale of 10 and recommend it.

I would have to totally agree with some of the other comments, that this is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, Elke Sommers, Ethel Merman and others make this movie so hilariously hysterical. Yes it is not an Oscar winning plot, but the story still is so funny that I am hard pressed not to include this in my list of top ten 'Funnist Movies to see' only problem is that unless you find it on the TV as an old movie you cannot see it at all. Which leads me into my question to you 'Imdb'and The Hollywood Moguls how can we solve this horrible oversight. Yes I can play it again in my mind but to watch and hear again especially the hysterical old lady who is cackling "Guillotine! Ha Ha! Guillotine!" would be so awesome, on DVD with lots of bloopers would be a dream come true. Please do not fail us. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE, (an E for each year of this oversight, let's hope you don't want FFFFFFFFFFFFF's)