The movie features Shirley MacLaine in the lead role of Louisa Foster, who is tired of being rich and wants to donate all her wealth to charity. She reminisces about her first husband, Edgar Hopper (played by Dick Van Dyke), who was an artist but became a successful businessman after Louisa convinced him to quit painting. He died when he fell off a building while building an office tower in his hometown.
Louisa then married Leonard Crawley (played by Paul Newman), who was an investment banker. He died of a heart attack while on a ski vacation in Switzerland. Her third husband, Rod Anderson (played by Robert Mitchum), was a Texas oil tycoon. He died in a plane crash while trying to land his private jet.
Her fourth and final husband, Pinky Benson (played by Gene Kelly), was a Hollywood producer. He died during the opening night of his biggest blockbuster movie, which Louisa had funded. Louisa realizes that all her marriages were a failure because of her obsession with money, which ultimately led to the deaths of her husbands.
The movie also features an all-star cast, including Dean Martin, who appears as a quirky playboy named Larry Flint, and Robert Cummings as Louisa's psychiatrist. The film is a satire on the American dream and the pursuit of wealth at any cost, with witty dialogue, colorful costumes, and extravagant sets. What a Way to Go! is a classic example of a black comedy, with a surreal, exaggerated plot and a dark, ironic tone.