"What a Way to Go" and "Splendor in the Grass"
10/02/12, 6p
Miami Tower
100 SE 2nd St
Miami FL 33131
19th Floor Auditorium
http://www.miamijazzsociety.com
Free Enty
 
What a Way to Go –
This lavishly produced, big-budget comedy stars Shirley MacLaine as Louisa, a widow who is worth $200 million dollars. However, she’s convinced that her fortune is cursed, and she wants to give all her money to the IRS. As she explains her sad tale to her psychiatrist, Dr. Stephanson, it seems that when Louisa was young she had the choice of marrying rich playboy Leonard Crawley or poor but decent Edgar Hopper. She chose Edgar, but soon he became obsessed with providing a fine home and fortune for her; he got rich but worked himself to death in the process. Despondent, Louisa flies to Paris, where she strikes up a romance with expatriate artist Larry Flint. When Larry invents a machine that creates paintings based on sounds, he becomes wealthy and famous — and dies. Louisa returns to America, where she figures to break her streak by marrying Rod, a business tycoon who already has lots of money. He resolves to take life easier and becomes a farmer, only to die in a strange ac
cident with a bull. Louisa is drowning her sorrows one night at a sleazy night spot when she falls for second rate entertainer Jerry. They marry, and a now-wealthy Jerry develops a relaxed, carefree quality to his act that makes him a huge star, which leads to his being crushed by a mob of his biggest fans. (Comedy)
 
Splendor in the Grass -  
It’s 1928 in oil rich southeast Kansas. High school seniors Bud Stamper and Deanie Loomis are in love with each other. Bud, the popular football captain, and Deanie, the sensitive soul, are "good" kids who have only gone as far as kissing. Unspoken to each other, they expect to get married to each other one day. They also face pressures from their parents who have their own expectation for their offspring. Bud’s overbearing father, Ace Stamper, the local oil baron, does not believe Bud can do wrong and expects him to go to Yale after graduation, which does not fit within Bud’s own expectations for himself. And the money and image conscious Mrs. Loomis just wants Deanie to get married as soon as possible to Bud so that Deanie will have a prosperous life in a rich family. When Bud makes a unilateral decision under these pressures, it leads to a path which affects both his and Deanie’s future. (Drama/Romance)