Many people have referred to The Gazebo as a "black comedy." I would disagree with that classification and let me explain why. A black comedy is a sub-genre of farce, which has been defined as a type of comedy in which we're "permitted the outrage without the consequences." Black comedy on the other hand also permits the outrage but there are consequences (albeit they are of a mitigated variety).
For example, in a farce a man may be thrown out the window but is never killed by a sympathetic protagonist-instead he'll land on some garbage cans below which break his fall (the victim however can be killed by a suitably unsavory individual). But in a black comedy, the man is intentionally thrown out the window and IS killed. However, in both cases we won't see the actual death (or it's done in such a way so that it's not taken seriously).
In addition, the previously alluded to "mitigation" in black comedy takes place when the victim is depicted as either a buffoon or someone who deserves some kind of comeuppance (usually due to an unpleasant aspect of their personality such as narcissism, arrogance, failed social standing, etc.). Films such as Kind Hearts and Coronets or We're No Angels come to mind.
The Gazebo is a tale of a TV Writer/Director Elliott Nash (Glenn Ford) who's being blackmailed by a character named Shelby who has gotten hold of some nude photos of Elliott's wife Nell (Debbie Reynolds)-a Broadway star-taken when she was 18 while attempting to break into the modeling business.
We learn later on that Shelby initially approached Nell directly and tried to blackmail her first. Nell ended up calling his bluff by refusing to pay any money, pointing out that such a scandal would probably end up promoting her career. Elliott on the other hand truly loves his wife and will do anything to prevent the scandal from enveloping her.
At first he tries to think of ways of raising the $25,000 (equal to $225K in today's money) that the blackmailer demands. Finally he settles on murdering Shelby after agreeing to pay the requested amount and enticing the man to come over to his house. He gets the idea of burying the body under the recently purchased gazebo which Nell found to be a neat, quaint addition to their suburban home.
Elliott goes through a completely goofy routine in preparation to commit the murder and at this juncture one prays that there won't be anymore of this silliness for the rest of the picture. After Elliott shoots an intruder who appears to be the blackmailer, he soon learns from his DA friend Harlow Edison (Carl Reiner) that Shelby actually was murdered in the city in his home.
So who did Elliott end up shooting? This twist propels us into unexpected territory and our interest is piqued for the rest of the film. However killing an innocent person would violate the sacred canon of farce in which the outrage is permitted but without the consequences. So how do the film scenarists get around this? They reveal first that Elliott's victim was Joe the Black, one of Shelby's associates who made off with the blackmailer's money, only seemingly cut down inadvertently by the hapless TV writer.
It's also revealed that Shelby was killed by two of his other associates, The Duke (Martin Landau) and Louis the Louse (Dick Wessel), who kidnap Nell, looking for the stolen loot. They find it after The Gazebo's foundation crumbles during a rainstorm along with Joe the Black's body which they drag into the Nash household.
Elliott however is not completely off the hook as he could still be held legally responsible for the man whom he gave permission to enter his house and subsequently shot. The farce is preserved when Elliott discovers he missed shooting the intruder, with the bullet lodging in a book and the confirmation received from the coroner that the victim died from a pre-existing heart condition.
The police are unable to find the bullet which ends up in the possession of a pigeon who flies away with it without the knowledge of any of the investigating team of law enforcement.
Despite some goofy shenanigans in the first half, things pick up in the second in which the plot actually turns out to be quite clever. Some say Jack Lemmon would have been better in the role of Elliott than Glenn Ford who puts in a decent enough performance (despite being a bit too whacky at times). Debbie Reynolds doesn't have much to do although she performs a nice song and dance routine toward the beginning of the picture.
The Gazebo is worth a look and fulfills its promise as genuine farce, a superior brand of humor than the more distasteful and less effective genre of black comedy.
For example, in a farce a man may be thrown out the window but is never killed by a sympathetic protagonist-instead he'll land on some garbage cans below which break his fall (the victim however can be killed by a suitably unsavory individual). But in a black comedy, the man is intentionally thrown out the window and IS killed. However, in both cases we won't see the actual death (or it's done in such a way so that it's not taken seriously).
In addition, the previously alluded to "mitigation" in black comedy takes place when the victim is depicted as either a buffoon or someone who deserves some kind of comeuppance (usually due to an unpleasant aspect of their personality such as narcissism, arrogance, failed social standing, etc.). Films such as Kind Hearts and Coronets or We're No Angels come to mind.
The Gazebo is a tale of a TV Writer/Director Elliott Nash (Glenn Ford) who's being blackmailed by a character named Shelby who has gotten hold of some nude photos of Elliott's wife Nell (Debbie Reynolds)-a Broadway star-taken when she was 18 while attempting to break into the modeling business.
We learn later on that Shelby initially approached Nell directly and tried to blackmail her first. Nell ended up calling his bluff by refusing to pay any money, pointing out that such a scandal would probably end up promoting her career. Elliott on the other hand truly loves his wife and will do anything to prevent the scandal from enveloping her.
At first he tries to think of ways of raising the $25,000 (equal to $225K in today's money) that the blackmailer demands. Finally he settles on murdering Shelby after agreeing to pay the requested amount and enticing the man to come over to his house. He gets the idea of burying the body under the recently purchased gazebo which Nell found to be a neat, quaint addition to their suburban home.
Elliott goes through a completely goofy routine in preparation to commit the murder and at this juncture one prays that there won't be anymore of this silliness for the rest of the picture. After Elliott shoots an intruder who appears to be the blackmailer, he soon learns from his DA friend Harlow Edison (Carl Reiner) that Shelby actually was murdered in the city in his home.
So who did Elliott end up shooting? This twist propels us into unexpected territory and our interest is piqued for the rest of the film. However killing an innocent person would violate the sacred canon of farce in which the outrage is permitted but without the consequences. So how do the film scenarists get around this? They reveal first that Elliott's victim was Joe the Black, one of Shelby's associates who made off with the blackmailer's money, only seemingly cut down inadvertently by the hapless TV writer.
It's also revealed that Shelby was killed by two of his other associates, The Duke (Martin Landau) and Louis the Louse (Dick Wessel), who kidnap Nell, looking for the stolen loot. They find it after The Gazebo's foundation crumbles during a rainstorm along with Joe the Black's body which they drag into the Nash household.
Elliott however is not completely off the hook as he could still be held legally responsible for the man whom he gave permission to enter his house and subsequently shot. The farce is preserved when Elliott discovers he missed shooting the intruder, with the bullet lodging in a book and the confirmation received from the coroner that the victim died from a pre-existing heart condition.
The police are unable to find the bullet which ends up in the possession of a pigeon who flies away with it without the knowledge of any of the investigating team of law enforcement.
Despite some goofy shenanigans in the first half, things pick up in the second in which the plot actually turns out to be quite clever. Some say Jack Lemmon would have been better in the role of Elliott than Glenn Ford who puts in a decent enough performance (despite being a bit too whacky at times). Debbie Reynolds doesn't have much to do although she performs a nice song and dance routine toward the beginning of the picture.
The Gazebo is worth a look and fulfills its promise as genuine farce, a superior brand of humor than the more distasteful and less effective genre of black comedy.