Die Heiratsmaschine

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.

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.

Sure it's a little formulaic, but not deserving of the excoriation which precedes this mini-review. McQueen is just fine in the role, not so much a pure comic character as the fast-talking con-man Lieutenant, rather the sort of the role Tony Curtis used to play. And to keep the record straight, McQueen did other comedies, such as _Soldier in the Rain_, and the semi-comedic _Reivers_.

McQueen comes up with the idea of using a high-speed electronic computer to beat the roulette wheel and enlists Hutton and another sailor into the scheme.

Hutton, as the computer scientist doesn't have much to do, since he can't also play the fast-talking con-man. (And besides, he's a computer scientist!) But he does get to woo Prentiss, who amuses as the beautiful near-sighted heiress who talks to statues.

Weston up on the ledge with the blinker makes for a quite funny interlude as the others have noted.

But McQueen does not deserve the invective heaped upon him by the other reviewers of this film.

I turned this on in the middle or perhaps toward the end of the movie, not knowing what I was watching. I was immediately struck by Jack Weston's hilarious performance. He is priceless as a staunch obey-the-orders Naval grunt sent out on a mission that turns into a stunt worthy of Harold Lloyd. I really think he deserved an Academy Award just for the way he poured and downed glasses of bourbon, let alone his arabesque on the hotel lech -- I mean ledge (that's an inside joke -- watch the movie). Dean Jagger is admirable as always and the role of Admiral suits him to a T, er, an A; Steve McQueen is cool as the wisest smart Aleck in movie history; there's near-sighted Paula Prentiss and Jim Hutton along for the laughs. The scintillating dialog, tinged with Cold War obsessions, the breakneck pace reminiscent of Preston Sturges at his maddest -- gee, I wonder if the WHOLE movie is this good or I just lucked out and caught it at its best! But from the moment Weston attempts to search McQueen's hotel suite to the wacky end, it's a hoot.

This film works -- at least this vastly entertaining segment -- for me. And I'm a tough customer to please. Based on a play by Lorenz Semple, Jr. and he's no slouch!

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!