Marilyn Monroe had been selected to star in the film adaptation 'What a Way to Go!' before her death in August 1962 at age 36. The project, based on a novel and helmed by director J. Lee Thompson, represented one of several unfulfilled professional ambitions cut short by her passing. Following her death, Shirley MacLaine inherited the lead role as the film proceeded to production.

When the movie premiered in 1964, it failed to achieve the commercial success producers had anticipated, despite featuring a prominent ensemble cast including Paul Newman, Gene Kelly, Dick Van Dyke, and Robert Mitchum. MacLaine herself later reflected critically on the film's disappointing reception, describing it as "a dud" despite generating $11.1 million in box-office revenue. In the decades since its release, however, the film has undergone a critical reassessment and now enjoys appreciation as a cult classic, suggesting its campy sensibility may have been ahead of its time.