LCShackley Rowan and Martin's "Laugh-In" was one of the cultural icons of the late 1960s, the "don't-miss" show if you wanted to be considered cool at the water cooler (or the playground, in my case). I never saw this movie when it was released. My parents would have found it scandalous. These days, it's much tamer than the majority of prime-time comedy shows, even those for "family viewing." It opens with a funny stand-up routine by Dan and Dick, commenting on the credit roll. This is the closest the movie gets to capturing the spirit of the TV show, and R&M are the ONLY cast members from the series to appear. So it's not really a "Laugh-In" movie; as others have pointed out, it's more like an Abbott and Costello monster film, or a racy episode of "Scooby-Doo." The plot is paper-thin, but that's OK, because the screen is always brimming with 60s goodness, especially in the forms of Carol Lynley and Julie Newmar. How can you miss with character actors like Mildred Natwick, Fritz Weaver, David Hurst, Dana Elcar, and 60s TV staples Leon Askin (Hogan's Heroes) and Robert Reed (Brady Bunch)? The ending has a Pythonic twist to it (a few years before 'Holy Grail'), with a funny version of the "who shot the gun" film cliché.All in all, this is probably a film that only veterans of the 60s will enjoy. It's mindless, but an entertaining way to spend an evening.

Clay Loomis Another late 60's entry into Hollywood's attempt to answer the question, What kind of movies/TV shows do these drug-addled kids want to see? Older producers never did really figure it out. The Maltese Bippy is a cross between Head (by the Monkees), an episode of Laugh-In, and any horrible "comedy team meets danger" movie. Poor Rowan & Martin. Born in the early 20's with no chance to engage in all the free love and drugs they saw going on around them in the 60's and 70's. They tried to get in on it with hair dye, bad rugs, sideburns and plaid sport coats (and in the case of Rowan, even taking up the Hefner-like pipe).You don't see Laugh-In in reruns for a reason. I enjoyed the show as a kid. But it was highly topical and the humor just doesn't translate well into the 21st century. Not a lot to irritate anyone in The Maltese Bippy, but it's all been done before, better, by others.Much like Bob Hope movies, you just can't see many of today's kids getting into it. Then again, I don't think anyone will be rushing to watch Napoleon Dynamite in 30 or 40 years either.

sultana-1 This was designed to capitalize on the run-away popularity of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In during the late 60's, but it was neither fish nor fowl. And many of the jokes today are badly dated. What is left is Dick Martin's absurdist slapstick and a very clever ending that tries hard to salvage the film, If you wish to re-visit the 1960's, this is a great film for you. Otherwaise, it's just mediocre.

yenlo So what's a Bippy? Well if your old enough to remember Rowan and Martins Laugh-In you'd know. This film actually goes no where but does feature the gorgeous Julie Newmar. It's terribly dated like Laugh-In but in a weird sort of way it's entertaining.