Die Heiratsmaschine

An amusing and charming comedy about two American sailors : Steve McQueen , Jack Mullaney and a computer generator scam . The crew aboard the USS Elmira warship is testing the Magnetic Analyzer Computing Synchotron called Max . As navy lieutenant McQueen and Mullaney hook up with computer expertise: Jim Hutton to use his ship's computer to beat the gambling odds at a Venetian Casino . The principal issue of the movie is that the hi-tech computer on board the ship can predict the winning numbers on an Italian roulete wheel based on knowledge of the former winning numbers . But their commander : Dean Jagger, misinterprets the signals and thinks the warship is being attacked . Meanwhile , the Admiral's daughter : Brigid Bazlen falls in love for Steve MacQueen and Jim Hutton finds his old flame : Paula Prentiss about to marry her new boastful boyfriend . First either sex ...and makes nothing but laughter !

Entertaining , attractive , bemusing and agreeable comedy , it is an enjoyable film , fast-paced and the computer was new territory in 1961 . Based on the play The Golden Fleecing written by Lorenzo Semple Jr and script by George Welles . It contains the ordinary premise , a peculiar hold-up , but the novelty this time by winning a fortune using an electronic brain. The main and support cast are pretty good . Steve McQueen again boasts his certain hilarious skills -like he did in The Reivers- what a dab hand could be at comedy genre . However , Steve McQueen hated this film that he considered to be one of his worst . Steve McQueen and Jim Hutton are nice , while their gorgeous partenaires , the young Brigid Bazlen and the treacle-voiced Paula Prentiss are gorgeous . Sympathetic support cast with plenty of notorious secondaries as Dean Jagger in a strange comedy film character , Jack Mullaney, and the usually comical Jack Weston adds immeasurably to the fun , here stealing the show as a drunk sailor.

This zany romp motion picture was professionally directed by Richard Thorpe , though it has some flaws and some very silly comical situations, being a mild hit at the box office, getting profit enough . This filmmaker Richard Thorpe was a veteran Hollywood craftsman who directed a lot of films of all kinds of genres , drama, musical , Western , adventure , Historical, Comedy , such as : "Huckleberry Finn, Night must fall, Above suspicion, Black Hand , Malaya or East of the Rising sun, Vengeance Valley, Prisoner of Zenda, Ivanhoe, Knights of the Round Table, Quentin Durward , Jailhouse Rock, Killers of Kilimanjaro, The Last Challenge" , among others . The filick will appeal to Steve McQueen fans . Rating : 6/10. Passable and acceptable .

In an era when the portrayal of the stumbling drunk hadn't become tragic and offensive, this movie has Jack Weston working his versatile magic with just such a role. He creates some moments of real humor.

McQueen gives it a hard try at being comedic and succeeds much of the time with his own style. Dean Jagger is a great foil for all the madcap goings on. For hot rod T-bucket fans there's Norm Grabowski, so called 'father of the T-bucket', working the on-board blinker.

A lightweight, silly comedy not to be viewed as anything else.

Okay, it didn't win any awards, but it IS funny! Jack Weston is a hoot. Do yourself a favor and watch this. It is just brainless fun!

This is the first movie I have ever seen that starred Steve McQueen(and it looks like it won't be the last). I loved this movie because it has that innocent but silly comedy that movies nowadays lack. I have looked for it in all the video stores but can't seem to find it. It is one of those movies that can cheer you up if you feel down. So, I will recommend watching it.

Basic plot: A couple navy guys figure out a way to use the government's newest super-computer to predict numbers on a roulette wheel at a Venice casino. To do so, they must send signals to and from the computer on a ship in the harbor. The signals are intercepted by an Admiral who misinterprets their meaning. He believes the city of Venice is at risk of falling into enemy hands. Hilarity ensues.

I haven't agreed with a lot of ratings on IMDb recently, but usually, I'm rating films lower than the IMDb average. It's the opposite here. I seem to have enjoyed The Honeymoon Machine (what an unfortunate title) more than most. For me, the comedy worked almost flawlessly. I found myself entertained throughout and actually laughing out loud on several occasions. Comedy is highly subjective, so I realize that what works for me may not work for someone else and vice versa. The comedy here works for me because I found the writing witty and smart and the direction snappy. The movie has a good flow and never for a moment gets dull. It's a fun little movie.

But the real highlight is the acting. If I'm not mistaken, this was Steve McQueen's only comedy. I wish he had done more. He shows outstanding comedic timing. He's joined by a very capable cast that included Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss, and Brigid Bazlen. I can't say I was familiar with Bazlen, but she really impressed. I'm shocked to see that her filmography is so short. The cast also includes memorable performances from Jack Weston and Dean Jagger. As usual, Weston steals every scene in which he appears. His drunk act may be un-PC today, bit I found it hysterical. As for Jagger, is there anyone who could play an Admiral or a General with the kind of command he exhibited? Really nice performances all away around.