Who's Minding the Mint?

1967 "With a cast of thousands - in hundreds, tens and singles!"
7| 1h37m| G| en| More Info
Released: 26 September 1967 Released
Producted By: Columbia Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A bumbling government employee accidentally destroys a small fortune and decides to break into the US Mint to replace it, but before long everyone wants a slice of the action - and the money.

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Reviews

Holstra Boring, long, and too preachy.
Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
classicsoncall Notwithstanding all the positive comments for this movie by other reviewers, nobody else mentioned all those stacks and stacks of money during the early tour at the Bureau of Engraving. I went on one of those tours once and seeing all those sheets piled up and ready to be cut into bills is a mind blowing experience.Well this is a farcical comedy that's as implausible as one can imagine but it's a fun romp with a fine cast of comedians from the Sixties. Attempting to replace a fifty thousand dollar bundle of hundred dollar bills he accidentally took home and destroyed, Harry Lucas (Jim Hutton) hits upon a plan to replace the money before it's missed. Problem is, each character he brings into his scheme comes up with a reason he'll need another 'partner'. On top of that, their participation in the caper comes with a gradually increasing fee until the initially reluctant Harry tops it out at a million bucks apiece! If you're paying attention you'll wind up wondering why Harry's crew winds up completely dry right after they all get soaked in the sewer system on the way to the engraving vault. Speaking of which, no one mentioned the odor down there seeing as how Washington, D.C. produces it's fair share of you know what with all the politicians working there. You know, I think the producers for the film missed a casting opportunity by not hiring Art Carney for his 'Honeymooners' experience as an underground sewer worker. He would have fit right in with Berle, Gilford, Brennan and all the rest.One more goof - when Captain Victor Buono comes to the rescue with his fleet of kiddie boats, he's seen arriving in a miniature tugboat pulling five additional small boats for the rest of his 'crew'. However upon leaving, there are seven boats, one each for Harry, Verna, Luther, Dugan, Ralph, Pop Gillis and beagle Inky with her newborn pups. I guess no one made a head count on the way in.You know what really got my attention though? When Harry tries to rationalize printing seven million dollars to admirer Verna (Dorothy Provine) and she balks at the idea, he actually uses what would come to be known as the Hillary Clinton defense four decades later - 'What difference does it make'? Well if you like to take in a mindless comedy every now and then this can be an enjoyable flick. The unintended consequences unleashed by the printing scheme multiply like falling dominoes and when it's over, the players have to endure their own 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre' moment when all their cash goes bye-bye. The hardy troopers didn't even seem all that upset about it.One last thing - if you stayed to the closing credits, you'll note that Inky the beagle was played by Peanuts. Why not just let the poor dog use it's own name?
funkyfry This is the kind of comedy that basically disappeared after the 60s... a kind of lower wattage version of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", with a pair of "appealing" young stars (Jim Hutton and Dorothy Provine) backed by mostly aging but still beloved comic support. The plot concerns a treasury employee who accidentally steals and destroys $50,000, and who decides to break into the mint to print it up again so nobody will notice.The first friend he enlists is a retired printer, played by Walter Brennan. It's always fun to see Brennan in films, but he isn't given as much to do here as he should be. Eventually the two end up enlisting a huge gang to help them, and everybody wants some more of the money. Milton Berle provides some good humorous moments as a selfish pawn shop owner. Joey Bishop is largely forgettable as, I guess, an expert on sewers. Bob Denver provides his usual clowning as an ice cream truck driver (trying to figure out why he is essential to the heist is beyond ordinary reason... but at least it provides a nice small role for the wonderful Jackie Joseph from the original "Little Shop of Horrors"). Victor Buono gives the film's strangest performance, as a psychotic would-be sea captain who must pilot them through the sewers. Jack Gilford is, of course, the funniest of all the support as a deaf safecracker.I found Jim Hutton totally unappealing and not funny. Provine is a very talented woman, and had a few good scenes, but her character was under-developed and certainly not given enough laugh lines. This is the kind of movie that certain people will feel nostalgic about, and try to justify as some kind of great comedy, but there's very little in the script to laugh at. The great supporting actors (OK, great with the exception of Bob Denver) do their best to give it some life.
wes-connors Enterprising United States Mint worker Jim Hutton (as Harry Lucas) accidentally shreds $50,000 of freshly minted cash down his sink's garbage disposal, thinking it's the awful homemade fudge given to him by pretty co-worker Dorothy Provine (as Verna Baxter). Big oops! With restless and retired Walter Brennan (as "Pop" Gillis) itching to print money again, Mr. Hutton decides to sneak into the U.S. Mint, and round up $50,000 to replace the missing money… They enlist help from deaf safe-cracker Jack Gifford (as Avery Dugan), pawn shop owner Milton Berle (as Luther Burton), gambling sewer worker Joey Bishop (as Ralph Randazzo), portly boatman Victor Buono (as "The Captain"), and ice cream truck salesman Bob Denver (as Willie Owens). Mr. Denver is fresh off "Gilligan's Island". An expert at cutting sheets of bills, Ms. Provine agrees to help Hutton, who is the man she loves. Things get greedy and out-of-hand... On the night of the heist, talky Mr. Bishop arrives with his non-English speaking cousin Jamie Farr (as Mario), a long way from "M*A*S*H" and needing a job; and, Mr. Brennan must take along his expectant dog "Inky", who is about to deliver her pups. Director Howard Morris gives the comedy some good suspense, and lets his comedians peddle their wares. It's a slow-starter, but builds nicely. Yet, nothing approaches the comedy crescendo anticipated. ****** Who's Minding the Mint? (9/26/67) Howard Morris ~ Jim Hutton, Dorothy Provine, Walter Brennan, Milton Berle
Lee Eisenberg On one level, "Who's Minding the Mint?" is one of those zany comedies that they cranked out in the '60s. But I will assert that it is a real laugh riot. Portraying a nervous employee (Jim Hutton) of the US Mint accidentally losing $50,000 and having to hire a gaggle of people - all of whom want to get paid - to help him reprint it, I get the feeling that they had a lot of fun filming the movie. It would certainly look funny to have the police wonder why an employee, plus George Washington (Milton Berle), a sea captain (Victor Buono), a boy scout (Joey Bishop), a ballerina (Dorothy Provine) and a deaf man (Jack Gilford) have broken into the Mint. Not to mention Bob Denver as an ice cream man having to occupy a nosy woman (his character has a slight tinge of Gilligan).So, the movie is more than just silly fun. Like Milton Berle and Dorothy Provine's previous cooperation ("It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"), it shows greed taking over in what was supposed to be something simple. Speaking of Dorothy Provine, I would like to assert that we have not given her the credit that she deserves. True, she retired from the screen years ago, but with "WMTM?" and "IAMMMMW" and "The Great Race" to her resume, she has earned her recognition.So, I definitely recommend the movie. Knowing how Dorothy Provine looked in that ballerina outfit, I wonder how she felt (or what she looked like underneath).

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