Who's Minding the Mint?

A fast-paced heist comedy, so innocent that nothing is even "stolen". When Jim Hutton, harrassed employee of the Bureau of Engraving, already on the outs with his boss, inadvertently takes 50,000 dollars and shreds them in his garbage disposal, he breaks back in to reprint the money. However, one thing leads to another and he eventually ends up with a gang of misfits, each of whom needs something and jumps at the opportunity to print their own money. Jack Gilford and Victor Buono grab their roles by the throat and they provide a great balance, each singlehandedly preventing the other from stealing the movie altogether out from under the others' noses. Everyone does a good job. The script is solid and plot-driven. Some of the laughs are diluted by appearing in so many other places in movies or tv in the last three decades, but the movie still remains fresh and funny, and makes a good diversion for a dull afternoon. It's too bad movies like this aren't made any more.

I saw this movie in the movies as a kid. When it came out on VHS I bought it and my kids became fans. I still have it on VHS and wish I had it on DVD. Everyone is superb and all the gags are great. I love the end where they're in the van with the church music playing.

Jim Hutton was a great actor and this is one of the funniest things he did. He is surrounded by an absolutely hilarious supporting cast. It's a well-made farce and the premise is so ridiculous that everything becomes even funnier as the movie goes on.

I've asked countless people in my life if they've ever seen this movie and they say they haven't even heard of it. It's a pity because it's really a delightful movie. I loved it, my kids loved it and I hope my grandkids love it. I just wish it would come out on DVD!!!

"Who's Minding the Mint?" is a hysterical comedy-"heist" movie in the classic tradition, as U.S. Mint worker Harry Lucas (Jim Hutton) accidentally destroys $50,000, and endeavours to sneak back into the place and reprint the money so the books will balance. Things start to snowball when he gets his old friend "Pop" (a delightful Walter Brennan) to help out, and more and more individuals get involved in the complicated scheme. Naturally, they want to get something out of this, so the amount of bills to be printed escalates in number.... Harry also gets the co-worker (Dorothy Provine) who is sweet on him to do the job of cutting the bills.

Sadly neglected at the time of its release, "Who's Minding the Mint?" is quite an engaging comedy over 50 years later, benefitting a lot from the efforts of a large cast: Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, Bob Denver, Jamie Farr, David J. Stewart, Jackie Joseph, Mickey Deems, etc. Hutton is wonderful as he mostly does "straight" acting, reacting with increasing weariness to the avarice and bungling of his compatriots. But the ones who tend to steal the show are Jack Gilford as the veteran safe cracker who happens to be hard-of-hearing, and a hilarious Victor Buono as the pompous ex-skipper who's drafted to build the participants a boat. (They need a boat, of course, to navigate the sewers.) There are some truly priceless farcical moments, all brought breathlessly to life by these fine performers and the director, Howard Morris, himself a comic character actor whom you may recognize from his work with Mel Brooks.

It's gratifying to see that the movie does have its admirers, which has presented it from being totally forgotten. It's extremely well paced, pushes some buttons in an endearing manner (Pop actually brings along his female pet beagle, who's about to give birth), and leads to a classic manic finale.

We root for our unlikely heroes all the way, even though we expect, and chortle at, those moments when it seems that everything is going to go up in smoke.

Paul Winfield has an uncredited bit near the end as a garbage man.

Eight out of 10.

A staple of the 4:30 Movie I haven't seen this film for many years until I came across a long out of print Columbia Video copy in my local video store. And what a find! Here is a sweet fast paced comedy that really works. US Mint worker Jim Hutton accidently destroys a fortune and must replace it in a short time or else! With the help of some friends Hutton must break into the Mint and print the missing millions. This film owes a lot to ITS A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD but has enough clever plot twists and antics to call its own. Definetly worth a look at and hopefully Columbia will rerelease it on VHS or even put it on DVD.

It's a smaller-scale "Mad Mad Mad etc World" with some crafty veteran gagsters (Gilford, Berle, Buono, Brennan, Bishop et al) doing their shtick. Small improbabilities build and build until you end up with a string of boats with wildly-costumed characters sailing in an improbable location from an impossible caper. Total on-screen madness, yet it made sense at every small plot step along the way. Tightly-constructed and very much a late-60s comedy. It's one of those favorites you're slightly ashamed of.