Hot Millions (1968)

Director: Eric Till

Writers: Ira Wallach, Peter Ustinov

Composer: Laurie Johnson

Starring:  Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, Karl Malden, Bob Newhart, Robert Morley, Cesar Romero, Lynda Baron, Sean Barry-Weske, David Bedard, William Burleigh, Bob Todd, Wilfred Carter

More info: IMDb

Tagline: This is a picture of a perfect embezzler.

Plot: Marcus is just out of prison for embezzlement but discovers that it is no longer a world of ledgers but has become one of computers. Looking for an angle, he convinces Caesar Smith, noted computer whiz to follow his life long desire, to hunt butterflies in the Amazon. Using Caesar's resume, he finds employment in the corporate world and begins a very large operation under the noses of his superiors. On this journey, he meets Patty, who seems to have no real talents at all. Marcus marries her, as Ceasar and now has the problem of hiding his hot cash.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Maybe.

This is pretty damn funny.  Why haven't I heard of this before?  I got this off of TCM eons ago and I just now got around to watching it.  I'm a big fan of the principle actors and this just solidifies it further.  Ustinov is hilarious and Maggie Smith equals him.  The dialogue is funny and the story is enjoyable and just keeps getting better until the hilarious ending.  There's just so many cute little scenes that made me giggle like the one where Willard C. Gnatpole (Newhart) has designs on Patty (Smith), who doesn't want anything to do with him, and he gives her a lift home.  He starts in with some suggestive talk and once she realizes what he's after we see the road signs they're driving past and their reactions to each one; signs like yield, slow/children, stuff like that.  It's quite funny.  Nothing dates a film like technology, right?  You should see how they use computers back then.  That'll get a chuckle out of you.  The performances are fun and the jokes are ample and funny enough to keep you interested from start to finish.  Don't get too excited about seeing Morley and Romero billed so highly as they're barely in it and only show up at the end for about a minute.  Shenanigans, I say, but it's still a great little picture.