What a Way to Go! (1964)

Small town girl Shirley MacLaine marries a string of men for love and the simple life, but each ends up wealthy, successful, and dead. Comedy by Singing in the Rain screen writers Betty Comdin and Adolph Green, has a few songs by Jule Styne, a half million dollars worth of dresses by Edith Head (this point is emphasized in the movies publicity material), and a top flight cast including Dick van Dyke, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum and Gene Kelly as four of the five husbands (the fifth one being something of a surprise at the end). The best thing about the film are the creatively stagged flash back sequences which send-up various movie styles (silent, French romantic, Hollywood musical). Look for Marx Brothers leading lady Margaret Dumant in a restaurant scene. MacLaine quite sexy. A good film with enjoyably offbeat sensibilities. 3 out of 5.