Irie212 A butler so competent he puts Marmaduke Ruggles to shame, Claude "Fitzwilly" Fitzwilliam is also a crook and con man who robs from the poor to fill the coffers of his dowager employer, Miss Vicky. It's hard to even begin to calculate the ethical problems in this movie, or to untangle the motivations.Fitzwilly is played by the multi-talented Dick van Dyke at the height of his powers, which are in evidence here, but even his talent can't carry this mess of a movie. Fitzwilly's white-collar crimes are intended to be both comical and admirable, but they are neither. Nor are they victimless. They include: (1) Conning dutiful and/or dim employees, sales clerks and middle managers and etc., out of goods and cash-- people who will probably be fired as a result. (2) Reneging on donations to charities by stealing back the checks that Miss V. issued. (3) Setting up his own fake charity, "Serenity through the Word," which sends lachrymose letters of condolence to mourners and receives donations in return. (4) Spending his ill-got loot on maintaining Miss Vicky's household-- which includes the whole staff (his gang) "living well." Champagne is the most common libation downstairs.None of the characters could be called admirable, let alone consistent. Barbara Feldon, playing an intellectual hired by Miss Vicky to help research her "Dictionary for Dopes," starts by idealistically defending servants, butlers, and secretaries against charges of inferiority. But when she takes a liking to Fitzwilly, she harasses and then dumps him because he isn't ambitious enough to rise above the status of a butler. Then of course, this being a putative romantic comedy, she reverses herself again to marry him, "I don't care if you're a butler or a chiropodist." As for the wonderful John McGiver, I won't detail his character, but trust me, his motivations twist into a Gordian knot that Hercules couldn't untangle.There is one redeeming feature in this Christmas casualty: Miss Vicky is played by the magnificent Dame Edith Evans. Her too few scenes are too, too fabulous. I offer a sampling of her best lines, but reading them without her pungent aristocratic delivery is like reading lyrics of "I Got Rhythm" without the music: "A psychiatrist is a doctor to whom you tell things you wouldn't tell your mother, and if you did she would have the common decency not to believe you.""He thought I needed a new interest in life after father died, because hating father had been my chief interest up to then, and I was lost without it."Here's to you, Dame Edith. Would that I'd seen you on the London stage...

bugmouthga First, let me just point out to one reviewer (bop pop, or something like that) that Fitzwilly is NOT a Disney film, so if you find it immoral, well, don't blame them.Secondly, it IS just a movie, and considering some of the horrible junk that has been brought out by Hollywood over the years- some of which was intended for children, some not- it's hard to even think of this charming, little film as immoral, disgusting or anything else.I initially sought out this movie- and bought it before seeing it- simply because I'm a huge "Get Smart" fan, and therefore, adore Barbara Feldon. I've read a few of the male reviewers saying they had big crushes on her. I didn't get to witness this miracle comedy until my late teens during the early 90s when Nick @ Nite began showing it, but as a young woman, Barbara Feldon became an iconic role model to me- and to many others I know.After viewing this movie, I was thankfully not disappointed, which sometimes can happen when you watch or buy a film simply because someone you like from another show is in it. Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon had wonderful chemistry. There were also quite a few supporting roles played by sometimes veteran character actors and some just starting out (including a very young Sam Waterston- before his incredible "Law & Order" days).The humor was witty and sweet, and the premise was (and I think most people should know this) not to be taken seriously. I think we all know it's wrong to steal or to lie or to break the law, but there are quite a few films that create heroes out of anti-heroes and most people aren't complaining about them. (For instances here are a few I pulled off the top of my head- "Chicago", where the main characters are murderers, dishonest lawyers and bribe taking wardens; "Thelma & Louise", where two women start out on a fun trip, but through unfortunate circumstances, become outlaws on the run; and even "Pirates of the Caribbean", where the audience is rooting for Jack Sparrow, a fun-loving guy with a good heart, but who is, after all, still a pirate.) Some have said this is a children's movie. I certainly think it's safe for a child to watch it, but sometimes the subtle humor might go over their heads. I think it's just a fun, lovely movie, with wonderful actors, having a good laugh, and creating an enjoyable couple of hours.

moonspinner55 Dick Van Dyke plays head butler to New York society matron Edith Evans. She's actually penniless but doesn't know it; he leads a merry band of thieves whose main task is to keep Evans from giving away money she hasn't got--and to keep her living in style. The exposition at the start of the movie is immediately wearing (we know what's going on before the filmmakers are finished explaining, and the continual set-ups are not only redundant but less and less interesting). Barbara Feldon (looking, especially in her glasses, like Liza Minnelli in "The Sterile Cuckoo") plays a secretary hired from the outside who may help or hinder the plans, but she too is given such a lengthy introduction, we know more about her than is necessary. The script isn't witless or colorless, but it is definitely dry, with opportunities for big laughs that simply do not arrive. Van Dyke keeps whatever interest there is going, but this vehicle for him is extremely mild, exceptionally mundane, and filled with a kind of Jolly Roger merriment that doesn't translate to the viewer. Everyone on-screen seems to be having a high time, but the results are so heavy, and so obvious, that the end result is rather depressing. *1/2 from ****

Pfunn When people ask me my favorite Christmas movies, I include "White Christmas," the George C. Scott "Christmas Carol" and "Fitzwilly." The latter film usually brings a perplexed response. In fact, much of the film takes place during the holidays, and the climax (if I remember correctly), occurs on Christmas Eve. This film has been a favorite since my childhood, and I'm disappointed that it doesn't get more TV airings during the holiday season.