WHO'S MINDING THE MINT?

US, 1967, 97 minutes, Colour.
Jim Hutton, Dorothy Provine, Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, Bob Denver, Walter Brennan, Victor Buono, Jack Gilford, Jamie Farr.
Directed by Howard Morris.

Who’s Minding the Mint is an entertaining variation on a heist? Jim Hutton, a popular leading man and comedian of the 1960s (and father of Timothy Hutton), is a worker at the mint who accidentally destroys fifty thousand dollars worth of cash. His idea is to break into the mint to rectify the situation. However, there are a number of oddball characters and sinister characters lurking in the background who all want to be part of the deal and complicate the execution of the plan.

The supporting cast is made up of a lot of veterans from movies of the 40s, but especially from television – many of their names very recognisable from their popular series.

Direction is by actor Howard Morris, a comedian who began to appear on television in the early 50s and continued for many decades. He also directed material for television and directed three films at this time: Who’s Minding the Mint, Don’t Drink the Water and With Six You Get Egg Roll (Doris Day’s last film).

Lightly and undemandingly entertaining.

1. The humour of the title and its tone? An indication of the American style of the comedy?

2. What appeals to audiences in films about large robberies? The style, the amount, the detailed plans? The linking of comedy and robbery? How well done in this case? The quality of the comedy?

3. The focus on Washington and the American way of life? The American way of life as seen in the sixties, as satirised In the sixties? The attention to detail about the Mint? The characters who worked there? The role of money?

4. Audience response to money and their wanting to have it? The attraction of stealing? Of seeing so much money literally made?

5. The theme of greed and the lengths to which people will go for money? How ugly is this kind of greed? The humour? The final irony with the money disappearing? The moralising at the end? (The postscript humorous touch of the diving for the money?)

6. How well were the characters established? Harry and his work, his techniques to present himself as a playboy? His being victimised and harassed by the boss?

7. How did the film establish Verna as heroine? Her love for Harry? Her trying to feed him? Her devotion and loyalty?

8. The conception of the plot? How ingenious? How enjoyable?

9. Were the characters well established or were they caricatures? How funny were they? Comment on each in terms of their personality, foibles, role in the plot, attitude towards money? Harry as leader? Pops and his old skill and wanting to work? His sequence with the dog being lost, and having pups? Luther as the greedy man and the pressuriser? His being disguised? The milkman and his entanglement with the girl? The Italian and his Italian cousin? The Captain and his ship? Verna and her going along with it?

10. How important was timing for the comedy? The fact that the robbery was a day early, the costumes in which the people went, sailing along the sewers in order to get the money? The inter-?relationship of the plot and the guards walking about? All the humour in the Mint itself during the robbery? the dog being lost and wandering? The printing of the money and the shirt entanglement? Luther in the historical tableau etc?

11. How did the film make humour out of the ludicrous aspects, clothes, fog, statues, the final boats for getting out?

12. How successful were the chase sequences? The Revival van? The money and the garbage?

13. How appropriate the final moralising? The happy ending for all? How Ingenious an American comedy? Critics praised the film in retrospect. What characteristics of American comedy were best illustrated?