A Lovely Way to Die ** (1968, Kirk Douglas, Sylva Koscina, Eli Wallach) – Classic Movie Review 10,144

Director David Lowell Rich’s 1968 mystery crime drama A Lovely Way To Die [A Lovely Way to Go] is an interestingly peculiar pot pourri of a film, in which wily district attorney Tennessee Fredericks (Eli Wallach) hires honest Joe gumshoe Jim Schuyler (Kirk Douglas) to nanny the sexy broad Rena Westabrook (Sylva Koscina) accused of murder.

It scores some laughs and some suspense thrills, but not too many. Interesting though it is, it is all a bit flimsy. The actors are good but not cool enough to try to be so laid back, Sixties style, and thus can’t make too much of it.

It is MacGraw’s first film role, in an uncredited bit part as Melody, on her way to stardom in Goodbye, Columbus (1969).

Also in the quality cast are Kenneth Haigh, Peter Gordon, Martyn Green, Sharon Farrell, Philip Bosco, Ralph Waite, Dana Elcar, Ruth White, Meg Wyles, William Roerick, Dolph Sweet, Dee Victor, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Doris Roberts, Carey Nairnes, John Rogers, Alex Stevens, Conrad Bain, Robert Gerringer, John P Ryan, Jay Barney, Marty Glickman, Gino Piserchio, Leslie Charleson, Richard Woods, Sydney Walker, Ron Hale, David Huddleston and Ali MacGraw.

Pot pourri is firstly a combination of incongruous things, as well as a miscellaneous anthology or collection, and also a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to scent the air.

RIP Kirk Douglas (1916–2020).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,144

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