The Gazebo (1960)

Memorable, crazy movie

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It's a good movie and I was surprised at several points but I wouldn't have been if I'd read the reviews so please be more considerate of others who still want the same experience you had when you first saw it.I was impressed by the intelligence of this movie. What mystery writer doesn't think how he or she would handle things in real life? The physical comedy was excellent. I knew Reynolds was that good but Ford was a revelation. The costars were wonderful and always engaging when they were on screen. Because we later saw so many of them on TV shows this movie has a rather made-for-TV air about it, if those were this high in quality. And dragging in Hitchcock was terrific. What more could a mystery writer ask for in his own murder plot? Not the best movie I've ever seen but a lot of fun. How would YOU get rid of a body? :)

Unfortunately I'm in the minority when it comes to "The Gazebo," a 1959 comedy starring Glenn Ford and Debbie Reynolds and directed by George Marshall. As I correctly guessed, this film is based on a play. The premise is that a TV writer (Ford) is being blackmailed over "art" photos of his now Broadway-star wife (Reynolds) and is growing desperate as the financial demands of the blackmailer grow bigger. He lures the man to his house, kills him, and buries him at the site of the couple's new gazebo. Problems ensue, such as rain.I'm a big fan of Glenn Ford's, and I thought he and Debbie Reynolds made a wonderful couple. At the time the film was made, I think both were at the height of their popularity -- Ford was the #1 box office star in 1958, and Debbie graced the cover of every fan magazine. Then there was all the Eddie-Liz stuff. I mostly thought that Ford was too heavy-handed with the comedy and that he was too forced. I would have liked to have seen an actor with a true comic flare do the role like Jack Lemmon.For me, a misfire. Loved Herman the pigeon, though.

7 out of 10 Fun time filler involving Ford and his attempts at murdering a blackmailer and then burying the body underneath a newly constructed gazebo. Nothing profoundly exceptional here, but it is genuinely and consistently offbeat. There are some good laughs and a couple of uniquely comical moments. Ford and his rather timid delivery really carries the picture. In many ways he was much better at comedy than drama and this film not only proves it, but takes full advantage of it. The very nervous way he proceeds with the murder is a real riot alone. The very high strung way he tries to direct a live on air broadcast, that is shown at the beginning of the film, is not only funny but completely on target. Their are a lot of twists and turns here and they all become much quicker in pace near the end. None of it is predictable. The best sequence may actually be the one involving a pigeon named Herman. Also don't miss the comment by the police chief at the very end as he is leaving the house. Reiner adds good energy in support playing a lawyer that never stops deliberating. Character actor McGiver is pretty good also playing against type. Usually he plays very stuffy type characters who enjoy pontificating. Here he plays a gruff laborer who speaks sparingly.

I remembered this movie from when I would sit on my moms lap and watch Sunday afternoon movies with her. I remembered it being funny when I was 5 and watched it when I was 40....It is still a great tribute to what Ford can do...So funny...and Debbie was so great, and Reiner at his best..Just see it and enjoy.