A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - 7 stars out of 10

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - 7 stars out of 10

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is a riot!  This perfect cast delivers laugh after laugh after laugh.  I nearly busted a gut during the song "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" and that chariot chase sequence at the end was absolutely hysterical.  I understand that this version is very different from the stage show but, being unfamiliar with the stage version, I really enjoyed this film as its own entity.  Any discussion of the actors must begin with Zero Mostel, whose wit is a perfect fit for the role of Pseudolus.  The bantering dialogue between him and Jack Guilford (as Hysterium) is genius, while Phil Silvers often hops into the dialogue as Lycus at all of the perfect moments.  The other role that I really enjoyed was Michael Hordern as Senex, the miserable husband who is desperate to be with anybody other than his dominating (literally) wife.  This story manages to throw in just about every joke in the book in a quick-witted, fast-paced dialogue.  As the plot grows thicker and thicker, resolution seems impossible... but in a matter of 35 seconds, the entire story is turned on its head and every loose end finds its place.  If you are looking for a hysterical look at the historical Roman Empire, this is the movie for you!