Des ennuis à la pelle

Nothing of earth-shattering significance here, but Tony Curtis is an ace in his role as McCluskey (do you buy him as a chip off the old Blarney Stone? Not I), a workaholic, alimony-dodging, anal-retentive manager of a casino who seems to be frenetically sleepwalking through his life -- until the blase munchkin of a destitute gambler is left to his care. The beautiful Pleshette, who plays convincingly (albeit not as a singer) as a slumming singer and the casino owner's niece, slides conveniently into place as the mother figure of this atypical family unit.

The little girl is mildly funny and already a little world-weary in a manner only a screenwriter might make a child, thanks to her old man saddled by gambling debts and a life bouncing from one casino hotel room to the next. She seems to handle herself a little too expertly no matter what life throws her, but has a tender side that tenderizes Curtis' heart and sets up a few too many close-ups of Curtis smiling sweetly at the wee bairn. Still, she doesn't wisecrack too hard and manages a few good and funny moments on camera.

When the trio lights off to Disneyland - and to California, the epicenter of earthquakes and his mounting legal troubles - this sets up a fun series of scrambles around Uncle Walt's dreamscape to avoid arrest from a bumbling cop who strangely seems to be at the beck-and-call of McCluskey's vindictive ex-wife and her attorney.

The ending is no surprise, but, then again, that's what we all tend to like in light-hearted movies of this type and era. A nice, fun movie to rent and spend a lazy afternoon watching.

Tony Curtis finally scores a bull's-eye! I've lost count of all the poor movies (comedic or otherwise) that Curtis made in the 1960s, but this one and the later "The Great Race" are his winners. Here, Tony (happily animated throughout) plays a swinging casino manager who comes to love a cute little orphaned girl left in his care. He also has his hands full of Suzanne Pleshette (groomed to look like an old-fashioned movie star, but still with her deep, husky voice--as if it were being channeled from beyond). This unofficial remake of 1934's "Little Miss Marker" has an exceptional supporting cast including Phil Silvers, Kevin McCarthy, Howard Morris and Edward Andrews, slick production, a funny slapstick chase through Disneyland. A good family movie and a happy surprise for Curtis buffs. *** from ****

40 Pounds Of Trouble casts Tony Curtis as a somewhat jaded manager of one of Las Vegas's gambling palaces owned by Phil Silvers who has told him to find a singing spot for his niece Suzanne Pleshette. But he's got another crisis on his hands. One of his regular players has left a marker in the form of his daughter while he's out raising a bankroll. The daughter is little Claire Wilcox the 40 Pounds Of Trouble in the title.

It doesn't look like he's coming back this time and the little girl does work on melting the heart of this gambler. Suzanne Pleshette's working on her end as well. It might be working out if it weren't for the fact Curtis has an ex-wife in Mary Murphy whom he's into for a lot of back alimony and she's got a good attorney in Kevin McCarthy who is a one man collection agency.

This is a pleasant almost G-rated comedy with a climax in that most G-rated of places, Disneyland. It's where Wilcox has always wanted to go and Curtis and Pleshette plan on a day there. Only Murphy's bloodhound McCarthy sniffs them out and then it's a mad Keystone Kops like chase through Walt's Magic Kingdom to get the papers served.

Besides those mentioned there are a lot of familiar faces that line the cast of 40 Pounds Of Trouble which always makes for great viewing. In many ways Curtis is playing a comic version of the role Robert DeNiro did as the manager in Martin Scorsese's Casino.

I wonder how Ace Rothstein would have handled all this?

Here I was, clicking away on the remote control, looking for something vaguely interesting, when I come across a movie called 40 Pounds of Trouble. The title sounded cute so I watched it. It made my day. They just don't make movies like that anymore. The end of the movie at Disneyland was just hilarious and I was laughing the whole way through. Such an enjoyable movie on such a boring day.

With the recent passing of Tony Curtis, I'm revisiting this review of this simple and sweet film. I agree w/ other favorable reviews for this movie. I didn't expect much from a 'Curtis Productions' film, but found the story enjoyable and watchable. My first impression is that any screenplay that revolves around a precocious, lil orphaned girl has to reflect Christian values, and the film didn't disappoint. The kid is funny. However, some of the characters, while humorous, are on the periphery of the Christian-American community.Gambling is a way of practicing dishonesty. It is a form of taking what does not rightfully belong to a person. This story did not have to be set in that environment.

Equally important, and on a lighter note, the movie is a great time capsule of an era (Camelot) gone by. My fav scene is when the three leads are in the park having lunch and wearing the masks of Kennedy, Krushchev, and Castro! The one over-the-top performance is Phil Silvers who shouts and sucks the air out of the room. Overall, Lake Tahoe and Disneyland film beautifully and the supporting players are fine. To think Ms. Pleshette went from this saccharine to the subversive 'Hot Stuff' a decade later is amusing.