Scott LeBrun "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.

JasparLamarCrabb As bubbly as a movie can be without being a Disney film...and it's a lot of fun. Jim Hutton stars as an employee of the US Mint who plots to "un-rob" the place with a rag-tag assortment of helpers. Hutton is terrific as always. Nobody played light comedy like him in the sixties...he's clearly a lot more comfortable at it than counterparts like James Garner and Rock Hudson. It's directed by Howard Morris so it has an almost burlesque quality to it. Morris has a comic touch that's like a less edgy Mel Brooks. The supporting cast could have easily made up a late 60s episode of "Hollywood Squares": Bob Denver, Joey Bishop, Jack Gilford, Milton Berle, Walter Brennan. The love interest is played by the effervescent Dorothy Provine. Harmless entertainment to be sure.

monk-18 Why doesn't this get more respect? Each time I see this (now going on #8) it gets better as surrealism in commercial 1960s America. The cast is stellar and performances are memorable. The plot is sufficiently twisted to make this late-night TV movie a classic of one error that leads to many more errors at ridiculous lengths. I have too many favorite scenes here to claim one as a favorite. The straight man Jim Hutton is more patient than required by the role of the straight man. His attempt to rescue cash lost in a garbage disposal leads to an unlikely but ever-growing payroll of a deaf safe-cracker (Jack Gilford),pompous toy boat captain Victor "My only aversion to vice is the price" Buono, Bob Denver, Milton Berle with a face of green ink mistaken for George Washington by a drunk staring down a sewer, and a pregnant dog in scuba gear.Whatever can go wrong will, including the place of this farce amongst other American farces.

Ephraim Gadsby 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.