bombersflyup
Who's Minding the Mint? is a very amusing comedy with unforgivable flaws.The entire portion of the film of them going into the sewer till they're out of the sewer is absolute gold, haven't found a film so funny in a quite a while. However, the Harry character was really obnoxious and at times annoying. How it all started with Harry knocking the fifty thousand dollars into the bag, then taking the bag home and putting it in the garbage disposal thinking it is fudge cannot be forgiven. Then once you have stolen the money and are home free, everybody going and sitting in a room leaving the money outside for the foreign guy they don't know to move it, is too stupid to be funny and really ruins the end for me. If they had just lost it by some accident or random occurrence it would be so much better. All the other characters are terrific, especially the captain played by Victor Buono. I absolutely love the beagle being carried around on the heist, reminding me of my little buddy that has passed. A good film, despite its flaws.
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
monk-18
Why doesn't this get more respect? Each time I see this (now going on #8) it gets better as surrealism in commercial 1960s America. The cast is stellar and performances are memorable. The plot is sufficiently twisted to make this late-night TV movie a classic of one error that leads to many more errors at ridiculous lengths. I have too many favorite scenes here to claim one as a favorite. The straight man Jim Hutton is more patient than required by the role of the straight man. His attempt to rescue cash lost in a garbage disposal leads to an unlikely but ever-growing payroll of a deaf safe-cracker (Jack Gilford),pompous toy boat captain Victor "My only aversion to vice is the price" Buono, Bob Denver, Milton Berle with a face of green ink mistaken for George Washington by a drunk staring down a sewer, and a pregnant dog in scuba gear.Whatever can go wrong will, including the place of this farce amongst other American farces.
johnsoro
It's a smaller-scale "Mad Mad Mad etc World" with some crafty veteran gagsters (Gilford, Berle, Buono, Brennan, Bishop et al) doing their shtick. Small improbabilities build and build until you end up with a string of boats with wildly-costumed characters sailing in an improbable location from an impossible caper. Total on-screen madness, yet it made sense at every small plot step along the way. Tightly-constructed and very much a late-60s comedy. It's one of those favorites you're slightly ashamed of.
AD
