Main Cast: Jim Hutton, Dorothy Provine, Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, Walter Brennan
Release Year: 1967
Country: US
Run Time: 97 minutes
Plot
Harry Lucas (Jim Hutton) is a U.S. Mint employee who scrambles to recover $50,000 he accidentally destroyed in this underrated comedy of errors. After he mistakenly throws the money down the garbage disposal, a frantic Harry recruits retired mint employee Pop Gillis (Walter Brennan) to cook up a hot new batch of cold cash. The two have to hire a bunch of colorful crooks to pull off the caper. Soon the money paid out far exceeds the total of the original loss. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Review
Very much in the vein of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Who’s Minding the Mint? is a far-fetched, densely-plotted heist comedy that features a large cast of familiar comic talents. Although largely unknown, Mint is a surprisingly engaging bit of silliness, the kind of film one approaches with low expectations and which pleasantly surprises one. Director/screenwriter Frank Tashlin had a lot of experience working in cartoons at Warner Bros., and it shows in the screwy but careful build of improbable situation upon improbable situation. The pace is fast and lively, rarely pausing long enough to let one ponder the unlikely nature of the story or of the characters’ actions. The cast is a delight, with Jim Hutton turning in a sweet and appealing performance as the harried employee. The roster of comedians involved also shines, with special mention going to Jack Gilford and Victor Buono; the sight of the latter sinking into the sewer, holding onto a miniature American flag, is especially memorable. Mint is finally too silly to amount to much, but it’s silly in an endearing and charming way. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Victor Buono - Captain; Jack Gilford - Avery Dugan; Jamie Farr - Mario; David J. Stewart - Samson Link; Corinne Cole - Doris Miller; Jackie Joseph - Imogene Harris; Robert Ball - Grayson; Dodo Denney - Bertha; Mickey Deems - Drunk; Cordy Clark - Woman in Window; Thom Carney - First Guard; Khalil Bezaleel - Guard; Lennie Bremen - Man in Window; Bob Denver - Willie Owens; Bryan O'Byrne - Maxwell
Credit
Roland Anderson - Art Director, John Beckman - Art Director, Hal Pereira - Art Director, Al Y. Roelofs - Art Director, Edith Head - Costume Designer, Howard Morris - Director, Frank Tashlin - Director, Adrienne Fazan - Editor, John M. Woodcock - Editor, Joseph Lilley - Composer (Music Score), Lalo Schifrin - Composer (Music Score), Wally Westmore - Makeup, Ben Lane - Makeup, Joseph Biroc - Cinematographer, W. Wallace Kelley - Cinematographer, Paul Jones - Producer, Norman Maurer - Producer, Budd S. Friend - Set Designer, James W. Payne - Set Designer, Morrie Hoffman - Set Designer, Paul K. Lerpae - Special Effects, Richard Albain - Special Effects, Robert Martin - Sound/Sound Designer, Frank Tashlin - Screenwriter, Harry Tugend - Screenwriter, R.S. Allen - Screenwriter, Harvey Bullock - Screenwriter
