THE LOVED ONE

US, 1965, 117 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Morse, Anjanette Comer, Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger, Robert Morley, John Gielgud, Liberace, Dana Andrews, James Coburn, Tab Hunter, Milton Berle, Margaret Leighton, Roddy McDowell?, Lionel Stander. Directed by Tony Richardson.

The Loved One is Tony Richardson's iconoclastic version of Evelyn Waugh's famous novel. Waugh's book was considered iconoclastic in its day, and, although the satire is strong, it nevertheless seems fairly restrained to-day. It has literary merit and uses some literary ideas to make its points. Mark Twain and Henry James wrote of American ‘Innocents Abroad’ who, fresh from the new world, were taken in by the old Europeans. Instead an old world man comes to the new world of Los Angeles here and wins. The film keeps this basic structure, but concentrates fully on attacking America from the national anthem at the beginning to the commercialisation of the space programme. It is advertised as the film that has something to offend everyone and this is probably true.

But there is a snarling, adolescent, vitality in this all-out attack on America that impresses and rings true despite the exaggeration. The Whispering Glade sequences are very funny indeed. Many guest stars appear in amusing cameos. The principals do well enough, but it is Rod Steiger as a mincing Mr. Joyboy (his range is certainly extraordinary) and his mother, absolutely repulsive, that make an impression.

Tony Richardson is a director of erratic talent - the excellence of Look Back in Anger, A Taste of Honey, Tom Jones to the mediocre Ned Kelly. Here he has everything in the one film.

1. The Loved One was advertised as the film that has something to offend everyone. How true is this? Is offending people the goal behind the screenplay and the director's treatment of the situations? (Did Evelyn Waugh intend to offend everyone?)

2. The film was accused of being in bad taste - crude and offensive situations, overdone. Do you agree e.g. Mrs Joyboy, Salesman - Liberace, the erotic shrine of the dead, the rocketing of Aimee 's corpse to space, etc. (Evelyn Waugh, for example, made Mrs. Joyboy a fanatic on political broadcasts, not food.)

3. Why could The Loved One be called an all out attack on the American way of life as well as of death?

4. Was Dennis Barlow a satisfactory hero for the film and Aimee (literally 'The Loved One') a satisfactory heroine?

5. What was being satirised in both their characters, note Aimee 's pathetic background and her dedication to her work? - and Dennis' lack of dedication to his,

6. What was being satirised in the Hollywood sequences - the artificiality, the tycoons, the unwanted artist, the phoniness etc?

7. How were the English satirised -e.g. Sir Ambrose Abercrombie?

8. What aspects of American character and sentiment were satirised by the pet cemetery. Dennis’s job there (and casualness towards the whole thing) and the couple grieving over the dead dog?

9. How effective was Dennis' visit to Whispering Glades - the attendants, the caskets etc. Liberace, the grounds, the snobbery sections and the all-functional chapel? The guide with the. tourists and the words of the Blessed Reverend?

10. Did Dennis love Aimee? Did she love him?

11. Did you enjoy Rod Steiger's interpretation of Mr, Joyboy? Why? What was morbid about his love of his work (adjusting Sir Francis' smile)? Did he love Ainee?

12. Was the attack on American Momism too heavy-handed? "Momma's little Joyboy"!

13. Dennis's use of the English poets was meant to satirise American culture. Did this come across?

14. What was the point of Aimee’s consulting of the Guru Brahmin and his turning out to be a drunkard?

15. What was being satirised by the Blessed Reverend and his deals with the military - the girls in the coffins?

16. Why did Aimee commit suicide? Were you sorry?

17. What was Mr. Joyboy's reaction to her death? How selfish was he?

18. What Was Dennis's reaction? - and his blackmailing of Mr. Joyboy?

19. Was the space launching ("Resurrection Sow") of Aimee too ludicrous? How did it compare with Waugh's ending?

20. What is the effect of heavy satire? Do people learn from it? Or what is its purpose?