User reviews

Pretty mid-1960s sex comedy set in Paris, filmed on Universal's back lot, but extremely well faked. It's a rather dark-hearted farce about two buddies, an artist (Dick Van Dyke) and writer who doesn't write much (James Garner) who fake Van Dyke's death to raise the price of his paintings. That in itself is pretty tired satire, and it gets more tired when we're introduced to the two men's ladies, a suicidal local girl (Elke Sommer) and Van Dyke's wealthy fiancee (Angie Dickinson), who faints a lot and gets passed between the two guys like a soda. There's also a cabaret-owner-and-probable-madam (Ethel Merman in a series of bizarre wigs), a Jewish deli owner (Irving Jacobson), a fervent private investigator (Pierre Olaf), and a fair amount of slapstick. Van Dyke's expert and does some cute pratfalls; Garner, playing a real rotter, is atypically shrill and charmless. Dickinson hasn't much to offer but a series of eye-popping fashions, and Sommer is unaffected and delightful. A few laughs, but Carl Reiner and Norman Jewison, having recently delivered "The Thrill of It All," were capable of far better.

I saw this movie once a long time ago and never forgot it.It has several funny lines and wierd situations in it as well as Dick Van Dyke fakes his suicide, but survives to get even with the friend played by James Garner who is getting rich off his phony death. Not that I condone suicide, but it's unreal as the phony murder that Van Dyke sets up takes up a life of its own. Ethel Merman is the dance hall owner keeping them from killing each other as she is unaware of the extra duties of her female dancers.Beautiful Elke Sommar and lovely Angie Dickinson are Van Dyke's and Garner's love interests as "Star Trek's" Roger C. Carmel and Van Dyke's TV boss Carl Reiner provide some comic relief in this black comedy.

This is a decent comedy starring Dick Van Dyke and James Garner (boring as usual), Angie Dickenson, lovely, and the beautiful Elke Sommer who makes it worthwhile. The premise (faking suicide to sell paintings) is pretty ridiculous, but Ms. Sommer's presence lights up the screen. This totally undervalued actress was stuck in too many dumb comedies and is a very intelligent woman who speaks many languages.

A 7 out of 10. Best performance = Elke Sommer. This type of comedy was on it's way out in 1965, but with the fascinating Ms. Dickenson and Elke Sommer it's worth your while. James Garner should re-evaluate the roles he takes. He just never seems believable.

"Paul Sloane" (Dick Van Dyke) is an American artist living in Paris, trying to sell his paintings. His roommate, "Casey Barnett" (James Garner), a writer, is also facing difficult times. One night, after a particularly frustrating day, Paul tells Casey he has decided to quit painting and return to the United States to marry his fiancée, "Laurie Gibson" (Angie Dickinson). Naturally, since he heavily relies on Paul's financial support, Casey disapproves of this plan. Just before Paul's departure from Paris, the two decide to get drunk one last time. During this time, Casey suggests Paul fake his own death to increase the value of his paintings. To assist with this, Casey has Paul sign a quick suicide note to enhance the situation. After contemplating it, Paul suddenly notices a woman named "Nikki" (Elke Sommer) trying to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge into the river below. Being quite chivalrous, he decides to jump into the river to save her. However, instead of actually hitting the water, Paul lands on a passing barge, giving him the chance to locate Nikki and bring her back to safety on the barge. The next morning, once the barge docks further down the river, the two become better acquainted, and Nikki falls in love with Paul. For his part, however, Paul still feels committed to Laurie and heads back to Paris to prepare for his departure to the United States. Meanwhile, unaware of what has happened, Casey is convinced that Paul leapt to his death in the river and, because of this newfound popularity, decides to profit greatly from the paintings Paul has left behind in their apartment. So much so that, once Paul returns and learns of his success, the two of them agree to continue the ruse. However, it isn't until Laurie suddenly arrives in Paris that things become much more complicated for everyone involved. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an entertaining comedy that benefited from solid performances from all the actors mentioned. Admittedly, the comedy wasn't nearly as sharp as it could have been, but even so, I enjoyed it for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

How could you take several Hollywood stars at the peak of their success - Dick van Dyke had just made Mary Poppins, Ethel Merman had just made It's a Mad, Mad... World, etc. - and turn out something so lame? I don't know, but that's what happened here.

Some of these actors, all BIG names in the 1960s, must have been downright embarrassed to do what they were asked to do here, especially the women. Angie Dickinson, who was never more beautiful than here, is reduced to little more than a slinky body with no brain. Elke Sommer. Little more than that.

It's not much better on the male side. Van Dyke is constantly bumping into things and people. Garner starts the movie without a shirt, and isn't given much more than that in the scenes that follow.

The basic premise - that art sells better once the artist is dead - was a cliché even then, disproved by artists such as Picasso whom the movie mentions more than once.

Things move from one cliché to the next.

It just isn't funny, unless you can laugh when someone hits their head on the same ceiling beam for the tenth time.

Watch it if you want. All of these performers gave much better performances in other movies. It's no wonder it was a flop at the box office in the 1960s, even with all this star power and several very attractive actresses.

I wasn't aware of this movie when it was initially released and probably didn't see it for several years after it came out when I saw it on TV. This is a bright, witty charming movie loaded with a talented cast in James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, Angie Dickenson, Elke Sommer, Ethel Merman, Carl Reiner and a lot of great character actors. I've only seen this a few times as it doesn't seem to get much air time on TV and I don't know why because this is a funny movie. Norma Jewison directs this forgotten gem. It's a good escapist romantic comedy and gives Van Dyke a lot of room to display his comedic skills. James Garner hold the whole thing together. If it shows up on TV again sometime try to check it out, some good comedy situations here. I would give this an 8 on a scale of 10 and recommend it.

This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen, and I can not, for the life of me, understand why it STILL isn't out on Tape or DVD. Its premise is hysterical and the acting is pure Academy Awards! Especially the old lady who sits by the Guillotine and cackles nothing but "Guillotine! Ha Ha Ha! Guillotine!" I swear; everyone in this film is GREAT! James Garner; Dick Van Dyke; Elke Sommer: Angie Dickinson; They're all hysterical, and the last 15 or 20 minutes of the film is is a total riot! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE, Hollyweird Moguls, Get this one out to us!!!! With all the celluloid effluvia out nowadays, let's get this CLASSIC out as soon as possible!!!

A struggling American painter in Paris (Dick Van Dyke) fakes his death so his paintings will sell. His buddy (James Garner) helps him along. However Van Dyke's girlfriend (Angie Dickinson) believes he's dead and falls for Garner. Then there's Elke Sommer (who's great) as an innocent down on her luck girl and Ethel Merman as a madam (in a wholesome PG sort of way).

Frantic and somewhat amusing comedy. It moves at a fast clip and has a great cast. The main problem is that it just isn't that funny. Dickinson fainting at everything gets old real quick and Garner is a real jerk. However I kept watching and the fast pace kept me interested. This was not a hit when it came out and is kind of difficult to see now. Look for it on TCM.

This nineteen sixty five offering from Norman Jewison violates two very sensible rules of film making. The first is that if you are going to set a movie in Paris (or New Orleans, San Francisco and Hawaii) then you had best shoot it there and not, as here, on the Universal back lot. The other is that if it is a screenplay by Carl Reiner then it should have at least some intermittent laughter. There was none, at least in the twenty minutes I spent before pulling the plug on this hearty, mirthless dog. Unless, that is, your funny bone is aroused by delicatessen owners complaining of gas and an art dealer telling an employee to shut up. And the cinematography by Russell Metty is among the most undistinguished of that fine DP's long career. Solid C.

Theowinthrop: "There is also a short story by Mark Twain entitled "IS HE DEAD?" about a plot to make a reputation for a prominent 19th Century artist, Gustave Courbet, by him pretending to be dead, and his paintings being sold for larger and larger amounts of cash so that the still living Courbet and his friends make a huge profit." It was Millet, the artist responsible for THE GLEANERS and other works, who faked his death in order to raise the value of his art. Twain later turned the scam into a play, IS HE DEAD?, which finally got discovered in 2002 and produced on stage in 2007.

That said, THE ART OF LOVE has long been one of my "Favorite Films I Haven't Seen in a Long Long Time." The lack of video release is depressing. Hopefully Universal will start a cable movie channel dedicated to its own films, much like Fox Movie Channel (a great place to see long-forgotten flicks like PRUDENCE AND THE PILL).

Dick Van Dyke and James Garner for comedy, Elke Sommer and Angie Dickinson for sex, Carl Reiner writing, Norman Jewison directing, and this is the stinker they stirred up. The plot, a painter pretending to be dead to sell his paintings, recalls some of the contrivances of IRMA LA DOUCE, but ART completely lacks the eye winking Gallic quality Wilder brought to his script. Poorly lit studio sets, frantic overacting, and don't forget Ethel Merman as a PG madam who run's a "Girl's Club." There's barely a laugh in it. Perhaps the whole thing collapsed under the production of Ross Hunter, the clutzy, schmaltzy producer who made Universal millions with Sirk soap operas. ART OF LOVE followed the moderatley amusing THRILL OF IT ALL, with Garner, Reiner and Hunter on board, and suggests that they were tying to follow one hit with another one. But Reiner's scrips sounds like he had it in a desk drawer since the 50s. The oo-la-la acting of ART OF LOVE, in these politically correct times, comes close to racism.

DICK VAN DYCK is a struggling artist in Paris in the straining to be funny THE ART OF LOVE. Lots of slapstick that just doesn't hit the mark, no matter how furiously cast tries. VAN DYCK'S character Paul fakes his death believing that his paintings will sell like hotcakes ! When friend and rival JAMES GARNER gets sentenced to be guillotined for his murder, Paul must decide whether or not to put an end to his charade. Gorgeous ELKE SOMMER & ANGIE DICKINSON are the love interests. A few laughs are provided by ETHEL MERMAN as brothel owner Madame Coco, otherwise this movie is dull and uninteresting.

The separate talents of James Garner and Dick Van Dyke should have guaranteed a better film than The Art Of Love. Still the considerable legion of fans both those guys have should be pleased. Not to mention that Angie Dickinson and Elke Sommer are along for the girl watchers.

The guys are roommates in a Paris flat Garner an aspiring writer and Van Dyke an aspiring painter, neither of whom has made their mark. But in Van Dyke's case as is pointed out painters only become legends after their demise.

Which while both are in a drunken stupor gives Garner a brilliant idea, especially when Van Dyke jumps into the Seine. He sells whatever he can find for a bundle and then when Van Dyke shows up they keep the fiction going. After that romantic complications set in and other kinds of complications set in as the gag goes way too far.

I really expected better. Garner's charming conman gets a bit hard to take. Van Dyke's gift for physical comedy and pantomime are served better in The Act Of Love. Ethel Merman has a part as a brothel madam and she's about as French as Anna May Wong. And what were a husband and wife pair of Jewish Delicatessen owners Irving Jacobson and Naomi Stevens doing here. More suggestive of Flatbush than the Left Bank.

Not the best work for any of the quartet of stars.

I would have to totally agree with some of the other comments, that this is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, Elke Sommers, Ethel Merman and others make this movie so hilariously hysterical. Yes it is not an Oscar winning plot, but the story still is so funny that I am hard pressed not to include this in my list of top ten 'Funnist Movies to see' only problem is that unless you find it on the TV as an old movie you cannot see it at all. Which leads me into my question to you 'Imdb'and The Hollywood Moguls how can we solve this horrible oversight. Yes I can play it again in my mind but to watch and hear again especially the hysterical old lady who is cackling "Guillotine! Ha Ha! Guillotine!" would be so awesome, on DVD with lots of bloopers would be a dream come true. Please do not fail us. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE, (an E for each year of this oversight, let's hope you don't want FFFFFFFFFFFFF's)

Although I haven't seen this film in many years, it was so funny that 99% of it is still in my mind and I look forward to the day it is put on video-though I don't know why it isn't out now, as funny as it is. If you get a chance to see it-DO IT! You won't be sorry!!!

What a cute movie! I thought it was going to be enormously silly, but I ended up really liking The Art of Love and laughing all the way through. Dick Van Dyke and James Garner seem to really enjoy playing up their comic elements, and their energies balanced each other well. With the romantic setting of Paris as its backdrop, the movie can take off on any number of ridiculous situations and it doesn't even feel ridiculous.

Dick is a starving artist, renting a room from his pal James. When they get drunk and muse about how if Dick committed suicide, his paintings would sell like hotcakes. Dick falls in the river, James can't find him, and the hypothetical appears to have come true. All of a sudden, his paintings do sell like hotcakes! But Dick has to stay hidden, so he seeks refuge in a burlesque run by Ethel Merman. As he battles his attraction to new employee Elke Sommer, James falls for Dick's fiancé, Angie Dickinson.

Believe it or not, that's the simple version of the plot. This Carl Reiner screenplay is very funny, with jokes around every corner and surprises no matter how much you think you know what's going to happen. The humor is a perfect element of tongue-in-cheek, obvious set-ups, and classic situational comedy. There's even a throwback to A Tale of Two Cities with the crazy old lady crying "guillotine!" Try this one out if you like the two leads, even if you think it might be too silly. It won't be, and it'll keep you laughing from start to finish.

This one needs to be out on DVD, with all the violent stuff Hollywood is putting out nowadays, this needs to come out so that we can laugh again. As one other poster commented, PLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEE! get this one out. Dick Van Dyke is just hilarious and the way he gets back at his long time friend James Garner is terrific. They don't come up with plots like this in Hollywood anymore. I hope more people can get their votes out on this fabulous movie. Its one of the classics that has been forgotten again, just like some of Danny Kayes classics like "KNOCK ON WOOD" or "MERRY ANDREW" or Bob Hope's "OFF LIMITS".