tbsuta
Why does this movie have such a low rating? This is a really good comedy. The acting is great, the characters are well developed, the story-line(plot) is very original, funny and well executed. I'd say this is a better comedy than any Jerry Lewis movie I've seen and I'm a Jerry Lewis fan. Dick Van Dyke was such a great comedic actor, James Garner and Elke Summers also, such great acting.
JohnKaneLA
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.
preppy-3
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.
leisg
Simply stated, I enjoyed this movie decades ago when it rain on TV, and I cannot believe it has yet to be released on DVD. Look at the cast. It's quirky, funny and mostly sweet with great location shots. I don't even recall seeing it on TCM, which is really strange. Does anyone out there know if it was ever even released on VHS? James Garner and Dick Van Dyke play off each other beautifully. The female characters are colorful and endearing to say the least. If you love the sixties, and crave a comedy that is original and just a little risqué, this movie is for you. Please! The DVD! Does anyone know what entity to contact to get this movie out there for fans to experience again?