Hot Millions Movie Review

This very funny sleeper came and went in the summer of 1968. Within six months Maggie Smith would become an international star, but no one knew that yet. Those who did see Hot Millions in theatres or who catch it now on cable television can see what stage buffs knew very early on: that Maggie Smith is among the funniest comediennes of her generation. She certainly has plenty of chances to show her flair for comedy here as Patty, a hopeless muddler who screws up one job after another. She is befriended by Marcus Pendleton (Peter Ustinov), who gets her a job where he works, but she muffs that, too. Fellow office worker Gnatpole (Bob Newhart) has an eye on Patty, too, but she only has eyes for the kindly Marcus and they get married. Marcus has big plans involving computers, none of which are legal, and Klemper (Karl Malden) is on his trail. But Patty has a few big (and extremely clever, considering her employment history) plans of her own, all of which she keeps to herself. Robert Morley and Cesar Romero are on hand for the fun, and Ustinov co-wrote the screenplay. Well worth a hunt and/or setting the alarm for Red Eye Theatre.

1968 106m/C GB Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, Karl Malden, Bob Newhart, Robert Morley, Cesar Romero, Melinda May, Ann Lancaster, Margaret Courtenay, Lynda Baron, Billy Milton, Peter Jones, Raymond Huntley, Kynaston Reeves; D: Eric Till; W: Ira Wallach, Peter Ustinov; C: Ken Higgins. VHS, Closed Caption