HOT MILLIONS

UK, 1968, 105 minutes, Colour.
Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, Karl Malden, Bob Newhart, Robert Morley, Caesar Romero, Melinda May, Ann Lancaster.
Directed by Eric Till.

Hot Millions is delightful comedy, another showcase for Ustinov's talents. Besides acting in it, he co-authored the script with Ira Wallach, and it is full of the wit and quietly uproarious situations we have come to expect from Ustinov. 'What's assets?' asks his slow secretary. 'Female Donkeys', says he. In this age of the computer, the machine makes its presence felt in films - ominously in 2001, as central to the thriller, The Billion Dollar Brain; but now it's comedy.

Uproarious at times, Hot millions will keep you happy all the time.

1. Critics praised this comedy very strongly. Why? As an example of the robbery genre, the satire on computers, characters, situations, the quality of the dialogue?

2. How effective was the satire on computers and big business? Whose side was the audience on? Do computers and big business, especially American business, deserve this kind of satire? why?

3. The attractiveness of the colour, musical themes, comic situations, humorous dialogue, character types, eg. the satire on the English at the club?

4. The introduction to Pendleton doing the prison books, his release, search for work and lodging? The qualities of Peter Ustinov’s performance and his eliciting of audience sympathy? Keeping this, even when he was doing criminal work?

5. The attractiveness of Maggie Smith in the role of Pattie? The humour in presenting her in her various jobs and her not holding them down? Her daftness? Her inability to do things properly, to compromise herself eg. the typewriter ribbon and the dress?

6. The visual presentation of the world of computers, the pride in computers, the redundancy of work personnel? Klimper and the details of the typical American businessman and his pride in his machine? The satire in the presentation of Gnatpole, his name, his efficiency, his acid comments, pursuit of Pattie, antagonism towards Caesar Smith? The fact that these two men were Americans?

7. The humorous sequences with the real Caesar Smith at the beginning and end? Robert Morley's contribution?

8. The humour of the transformation of Pendleton into Caesar Smith? His studying up Smith, his finding out that Smith was the best computer man, playing cards at the club etc.? His interviews and references? His learning computers, testing his supposition about embezzling the computers? Raising suspicions yet eluding them? The humour of his encounter with Pattie, her working for him, her secretarial work? The inevitability of their marriage?

9. The way that Klimper was impressed? Caesar Smith's missions and the suspicions of Gnatpole? The building up of humour and suspense for the discovery?

10. How well handled were the humorous scenes of Smith's foreign investment, his visiting the various lands and the satire on the national style? The reality of his building up money by fraudulent accounts? His use of the computer? The irony of his money at the drycleaners?

11. The build-up to the showdown and his rapid collecting of the money, the move to South America?

12. Comment on Pattie's transformation, her experience in South America, her summoning Klimper and Gnatpole, the revelation of the millions that she had made? Was this a satisfactory ending for this kind of film? A non-moral solution? And a happy financial ending for everyone?

13. What moral stances did the film take? Did this matter? The importance of quizzing traditional moral stances?

14. The ability of comedy to make this kind of social comment.