Suggested for mature audiences? - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) Discussion

[–] 21bostoncalifornia 19 years ago

Not really.
Especially by today's standards.
It was released before movies had ratings, but if it were rated today it would probably be a PG...maybe a PG-13.
There's a bit of crude humor, most of it sexual in nature. A lot of talk about "virgins". The main character is in love with a "courteson" which means a prostitute. Some of the courtesons do belly dances, and there's some healthy cleavage, but nothing really that bad.
There's also an "orgy" but it's not what it sounds. It's just a bunch of soldiers sitting around eating food.
Trust me, it's pretty tame. And it's very funny.

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[–] MinervaMoon 19 years ago

There's also an "orgy" but it's not what it sounds. It's just a bunch of soldiers sitting around eating food.

Haha! That's right. And it's funny.

There are a lot of sexual innuendoes, but not in a tasteless way. There's one scene where the courtesans are trying to get Pseudolos to pick them, so the do a lot of strange dances, but they're all clothed (even if only something bra-like on top). And you see a lot of legs, but mostly of men in togas.

If released today, I'd go for the PG rating, but with an aim toward adults. The jokes would go right over the heads of little kids. Maybe "mature audiences" means that you have to be smart enough to think it's funny, because if you don't understand the jokes, it wouldn't be.

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[–] forgetaboutme 19 years ago

Thanks guys for your replies! I was beginning to think no one would come to this board :)
I'll be sure to look for it, I just wasn't sure whether or not I should let my sister watch it with me (she's 12).
Thanks again!

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[–] Phillip Marlowe 19 years ago

I saw this in the theater back in 1966 or 1967, and it was considered fairly risque for the time, but it's pretty tame by today's standards. Just much funnier than almost anything made today. One of the two classic film preformances (along with The Producers) of the immortal Zero Mostel, who was primarily a stage perfomer (partly because of the dreadful blacklist).

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[–] 21bostoncalifornia 19 years ago

Speaking of the blacklist, how could you forget to mention Zero Mostel's performance in Woody Allen's "The Front"!!!???? Certainly, that qualifies as the 3rd of his classic film performances!

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[–] Gustave5436 19 years ago

also talk of 'eunuchs' :p

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[–] netstvdvs 19 years ago

I played Senex in a community theater production of "Forum" in conservative Brigham City, Utah, in 2001. Even though the dialog might be considered tame by contemporary standards, it had to be considerably "cleaned up" so as to not offend the sensibilities of our largely Mormon audience.

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[–] ceebeegee 14 years ago

Are you serious?! I can't imagine a show that has the number "Everbody Ought to Have a Maid" could even be considered for a Mormon community!

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[–] vpilutis 13 years ago

OH please they haven't grown up yet? If you have to make such cuts no point in having the play in the first place

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[–] Howlin Wolf 17 years ago

It was recently aired on 'Sky Classics' in the U.K, and they gave it a PG rating, if that helps...

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[–] Phillip Marlowe 16 years ago

I've loved this film since I saw this over forty years ago when it got to my neigborhood theater (which no longer exists physically or conceptually). As as another poster noted, it was a pretty risque film for 1966

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[–] vpilutis 13 years ago

I saw this film when I was in the army in 1967.
One time they had a war film (Beach Red)which had scenes from both the American and Japan sides.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061389/

Rip Torn played a SGT who use the word CRAP which back then was as bad as using the word S**T.

The scenes from back in Japan had a few of the women topless

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[–] mam13143 10 years ago

By today's standards it would get a G rating. And I am not kidding! But when it first came out it must have been very risqué.

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[–] steely3000 10 years ago

I might be slightly reluctant to let my kid see this film, because of the "Maid" song, the slave sale and the orgy scenes. They were a bit risqué for 1966, but then again I saw it as a kid back then, and it didn't stunt my growth any. The movie was on TCM tonight, and it's frankly a great silly harmless movie.

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