It's very sly for all of the 60's look to the movie. The humor is quite gentle, but it grew on me much more than I expected. The cast is first-rate and they appear to be having a wonderful time. Ustinov wanders through the film muttering some quite funny things under his breath, and it's all very inconsequential; I'll buy the movie as soon as it comes out on DVD. The plot is that Ustinov as an embezzler released from prison posing as a computer whiz and embezzling money from an American company with an office in London. Maggie Smith is his secretary for a while, and watching her get fired from many different jobs is part of the fun. Bob Newhart is his usual deadpan self, and Karl Malden has fun as the dense and sleazy executive running the London office. The ending is funny and nicely cynical.
40 Reviews
A Nifty Caper Movie
dgz7822 March 2006
Okay, for those that dislike this movie, I agree this ain't Olivier doing Shakespeare. But it is a charming little caper movie that could only have been made in the sixties.
Peter Ustinov plays a charming embezzler and Maggie Smith plays a not-so dumb-in-the end secretary that he marries. It doesn't have any roll on the floor laughs but then again it doesn't try to. Made before the blockbuster era of Jaws and Star Wars and even before the crass but extremely funny humor of M.A.S.H., simple movies like this could be made for a modest cost without being expected to be the next Gone With The Wind.
If you come across this movie, just enjoy it without looking for any deep underlying message.
Peter Ustinov plays a charming embezzler and Maggie Smith plays a not-so dumb-in-the end secretary that he marries. It doesn't have any roll on the floor laughs but then again it doesn't try to. Made before the blockbuster era of Jaws and Star Wars and even before the crass but extremely funny humor of M.A.S.H., simple movies like this could be made for a modest cost without being expected to be the next Gone With The Wind.
If you come across this movie, just enjoy it without looking for any deep underlying message.
Computing 101
jotix1002 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"Hot Millions" is a delightful comedy that is made even better by the presence of the marvelous cast assembled for it. The movie is a tribute to the genius of Peter Ustinov, who wrote the screen play and appears as the key figure of an enterprising embezzler. The movie, directed by Eric Till, doesn't show signs of having dated as terribly, as some others from that period.
At the center of the action is a friendly man, Marcus Pendleton, who, before being released from prison, fixes the income tax forms for the warden, who is amazed of the refund he is owed by the government. Marcus, who is a genius at numbers, sees opportunities where others wouldn't. He starts working for a firm that uses the latest computer for its accounting, but Pendleton is a resourceful man who finds a way to take advantage of the system and establishes different phony accounts in different parts of the continent.
Marcus is assigned a secretary, who also happens to have a flat in his building. The inept Patty is seen working as a bus fare taker who manages to make a mess of everything. How she lands a job as a secretary is beyond comprehension, but things are never the same in the office when the creepy Willard Gnatpole decides to go after her, but have no fear, Patty's heart belongs to Marcus, who is an accomplished pianist and she is a flutist and they make beautiful music together.
The best thing in the film is Peter Ustinov. He clearly understood how Marcus should be played and runs away with the film. Mr. Ustinov gives an assured account of the embezzler. The excellent Maggie Smith is also at her best with her take on Patty, the kind woman who adores Marcus and who proves to be a genius herself when it comes to investing the money she finds in Marcus' pockets.
Karl Malden is perfect as the American in charge of the corporation. Bob Newhart also appears as Gnatpole, the man who desires Patty, but can't get her to reciprocate. The marvelous Robert Morley is seen as Caesar Smith, whose identity Marcus has assumed. Cesar Romero appears also in a cameo role as an airport customs inspector.
"Hot Millions" will delight everyone looking for a fun time in the company of that unsavory, but charming character, Marcus Pendleton.
At the center of the action is a friendly man, Marcus Pendleton, who, before being released from prison, fixes the income tax forms for the warden, who is amazed of the refund he is owed by the government. Marcus, who is a genius at numbers, sees opportunities where others wouldn't. He starts working for a firm that uses the latest computer for its accounting, but Pendleton is a resourceful man who finds a way to take advantage of the system and establishes different phony accounts in different parts of the continent.
Marcus is assigned a secretary, who also happens to have a flat in his building. The inept Patty is seen working as a bus fare taker who manages to make a mess of everything. How she lands a job as a secretary is beyond comprehension, but things are never the same in the office when the creepy Willard Gnatpole decides to go after her, but have no fear, Patty's heart belongs to Marcus, who is an accomplished pianist and she is a flutist and they make beautiful music together.
The best thing in the film is Peter Ustinov. He clearly understood how Marcus should be played and runs away with the film. Mr. Ustinov gives an assured account of the embezzler. The excellent Maggie Smith is also at her best with her take on Patty, the kind woman who adores Marcus and who proves to be a genius herself when it comes to investing the money she finds in Marcus' pockets.
Karl Malden is perfect as the American in charge of the corporation. Bob Newhart also appears as Gnatpole, the man who desires Patty, but can't get her to reciprocate. The marvelous Robert Morley is seen as Caesar Smith, whose identity Marcus has assumed. Cesar Romero appears also in a cameo role as an airport customs inspector.
"Hot Millions" will delight everyone looking for a fun time in the company of that unsavory, but charming character, Marcus Pendleton.
What a great Tutorial
agitpro28 April 2003
I thought I'd enjoyed Sneakers until I saw Hackers. I thought I'd enjoyed AI until I saw Circuitry Man. I thought I enjoyed Demon Seed until I saw Dungeon Master. I thought I'd enjoyed Johnnie Mnemonic until I saw the Matrix, but this movie set them all back on their heels.
Sir Peter's depiction of the archetypal Hacker is phenomenally well done, and how they managed to predict that Social Engineering skills would be brought to bear in the world of hacking was a phenomenal display of foresight. If Kevin Mitnick's life were ever to be fictionalized more than it has been by the Media and released as a comedy I'd suspect this is what the script would turn out to be like.
Karl Malden and Bob Newhart both provided excellent portrayals of the archetypal 60's executives who still seem so prevalent in today's business world, showing where much of the security concerns of today should be focused.
View this if you're a computer geek, and if you're involved in computer security this movie should be required.
Sir Peter's depiction of the archetypal Hacker is phenomenally well done, and how they managed to predict that Social Engineering skills would be brought to bear in the world of hacking was a phenomenal display of foresight. If Kevin Mitnick's life were ever to be fictionalized more than it has been by the Media and released as a comedy I'd suspect this is what the script would turn out to be like.
Karl Malden and Bob Newhart both provided excellent portrayals of the archetypal 60's executives who still seem so prevalent in today's business world, showing where much of the security concerns of today should be focused.
View this if you're a computer geek, and if you're involved in computer security this movie should be required.
A nice movie
rcraig6227 May 2003
Warning: Spoilers
There is a scene in "Hot Millions" that sort of typifies the relaxed attitude and the level of humor in the film. Peter Ustinov plays an ex-con trying to break into the computer of a giant American corporation in order to reprogram it to mail out phony checks which Ustinov, ultimately, will collect for himself. But he can't figure out how to crack the security system. Then one day, one of the secretaries opens a panel on the top of the mainframe (remember, this is 1968, the computers were the size of refrigerators) and sets a pot of boiling tea atop the heat generated by the machine, and this gives Ustinov the answer. "Hot Millions" is in the vein of this type of charming, urbane English humor that most suits its creator, Ustinov himself. The plot is devilishly simple, as I described. Ustinov defrauds the corporation and heads for the tropics with bumbling secretary Maggie Smith, although there's a bit more that happens at the end. It is a nice movie. It has nice people in it, and tells a nice story that will please everyone at the end. Ustinov is wonderful as always, as are Maggie Smith and Karl Malden and Bob Newhart, who has some genuinely funny moments as a disgruntled office clerk who also has an eye for Maggie. That said, I can recommend "Hot Millions" not as a zany laugh-out-loud comedy, but a well-mannered bit of fluff that has all the ease and comfort of lighting up a cigarette in a holder while wearing a smoking jacket or of the great Ustinov conducting a symphony orchestra, which, he does, in fact, do, in the final minutes of the film. 3 *** out of 4
Deliberate Comedy Rewards Patience.
rmax3048233 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
It's about an embezzler, Peter Ustinov, who infiltrates a British company, Texa-Conn or something like that, posing as a computer whiz and security expert. He secretly learns to hack into the computer, while gathering the admiration of his boss, Karl Malden, the enmity of his office rival, Bob Newhart, and the love of his inept secretary, Maggie Smith.
Some of the business details were a little murky to these non-business-oriented eyes but they're believable enough and I got the general idea. Ustinov, the peculating Peter, establishes phony businesses in Paris, Rome, and Stuttgart, and uses Texa-Conn's computer to send all kinds of money to these ersatz establishments. The overseas companies, of course, consist of nothing more than himself, Ustinov, and the addresses are an abandoned artist's loft in Paris, a barber shop in Rome, and a bakery in Germany. He simply visits them to collect the checks he's sent himself.
I didn't think I'd like it for the first few minutes because it seemed rather on the slow side. I was expecting something with a faster tempo and more outrage, along the lines of "The Pink Panther" or "The Lavender Hill Gang." But this film insinuates itself into your good graces as you come to appreciate the understated humor in the plot, the characterizations, and the dialog.
Probably it would be a bad idea to give away too many of the relatively subtle gags but here are some examples of the more noticeable.
Ustinov to Secretary Smith: "Let me have the assets of these companies." Smith: "Assets? What are they?" Ustinov: "Little female donkeys." Now, nothing is made of this little exchange. There's a quick cut and no delay for any laughter, which is appropriate because one's reaction is more likely to be a smile than a laugh.
Ustinov searches out that crummy loft in Paris. It's covered with cobwebs. Bricks are strewn around and a couple of the former occupant's paintings have been left behind. The landlord doesn't speak English and Ustinov knows no French. Ustinov points to a child-like painting of a nude woman and chuckles, "Ah. A fam fye-tal, eh?" Landlord chuckles too, replies: "Vous le prenez pour une anee?" Ustinov: "Oh -- ANNIE, so that's her name!" Landlord: "Oui?" Ustinov: "Entente cordiale!" (Mes amis, if I got those genders wrong, je m'excuse.) Bob Newhart as Willard Gnatpole (!) has the hots for Maggie Smith and is supposed to be driving her home but tells her he's taking "the scenic route." There is an immediate sequence of suggestive traffic signs. "Caution." "Lay-By." "Give Way." "Yield." Ending with the imperious "STOP/CHILDREN." There's another montage when Ustinov's scheme is about to be discovered by the board of directors -- blurry rooftops, police cars, a farewell embrace from Maggie, ending with a sign: PRISON, Wormwood Scrubs.
Well, maybe one more. I still can't get over Malden as the boss, declaring decisively, "I never agonize over decisions," then gulping a handful of pills and washing them down with a glass of water.
The acting is unarguably fine. It's Bob Newhart's best role, for instance. Not that he had that many, and not that his range wasn't limited, but he's perfect in this part. The musical score by Laurie Johnson obviously had a good deal of effort put into it. She seems to have written a brief concerto for flute. Ustinov's passion is music and his overseas establishments are headed by false names like Claude Debussy and Giacconino Rossini. Stuttgart's phony president is somebody named Schmidt, and he's an anomalous clinker. Maggi Smith is pretty, sexy, bourgeois, and turns out to be not nearly so dumb as she seems.
Delightful, in its own quiet way, but don't expect comic fireworks.
Some of the business details were a little murky to these non-business-oriented eyes but they're believable enough and I got the general idea. Ustinov, the peculating Peter, establishes phony businesses in Paris, Rome, and Stuttgart, and uses Texa-Conn's computer to send all kinds of money to these ersatz establishments. The overseas companies, of course, consist of nothing more than himself, Ustinov, and the addresses are an abandoned artist's loft in Paris, a barber shop in Rome, and a bakery in Germany. He simply visits them to collect the checks he's sent himself.
I didn't think I'd like it for the first few minutes because it seemed rather on the slow side. I was expecting something with a faster tempo and more outrage, along the lines of "The Pink Panther" or "The Lavender Hill Gang." But this film insinuates itself into your good graces as you come to appreciate the understated humor in the plot, the characterizations, and the dialog.
Probably it would be a bad idea to give away too many of the relatively subtle gags but here are some examples of the more noticeable.
Ustinov to Secretary Smith: "Let me have the assets of these companies." Smith: "Assets? What are they?" Ustinov: "Little female donkeys." Now, nothing is made of this little exchange. There's a quick cut and no delay for any laughter, which is appropriate because one's reaction is more likely to be a smile than a laugh.
Ustinov searches out that crummy loft in Paris. It's covered with cobwebs. Bricks are strewn around and a couple of the former occupant's paintings have been left behind. The landlord doesn't speak English and Ustinov knows no French. Ustinov points to a child-like painting of a nude woman and chuckles, "Ah. A fam fye-tal, eh?" Landlord chuckles too, replies: "Vous le prenez pour une anee?" Ustinov: "Oh -- ANNIE, so that's her name!" Landlord: "Oui?" Ustinov: "Entente cordiale!" (Mes amis, if I got those genders wrong, je m'excuse.) Bob Newhart as Willard Gnatpole (!) has the hots for Maggie Smith and is supposed to be driving her home but tells her he's taking "the scenic route." There is an immediate sequence of suggestive traffic signs. "Caution." "Lay-By." "Give Way." "Yield." Ending with the imperious "STOP/CHILDREN." There's another montage when Ustinov's scheme is about to be discovered by the board of directors -- blurry rooftops, police cars, a farewell embrace from Maggie, ending with a sign: PRISON, Wormwood Scrubs.
Well, maybe one more. I still can't get over Malden as the boss, declaring decisively, "I never agonize over decisions," then gulping a handful of pills and washing them down with a glass of water.
The acting is unarguably fine. It's Bob Newhart's best role, for instance. Not that he had that many, and not that his range wasn't limited, but he's perfect in this part. The musical score by Laurie Johnson obviously had a good deal of effort put into it. She seems to have written a brief concerto for flute. Ustinov's passion is music and his overseas establishments are headed by false names like Claude Debussy and Giacconino Rossini. Stuttgart's phony president is somebody named Schmidt, and he's an anomalous clinker. Maggi Smith is pretty, sexy, bourgeois, and turns out to be not nearly so dumb as she seems.
Delightful, in its own quiet way, but don't expect comic fireworks.
Sir Peter Ustinov as a hacker, Dame Maggie Smith as a dolly bird - what's not to like?
robin-2211 May 2004
Those who only remember the late Sir Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot or a professional raconteur would do well to seek out this charming piece of late '60s satire. Ustinov stars as a convicted embezzler (we first see him during his last day in gaol where he is preparing the prison governor's tax return) who, sensing that the future is in computers, poses (by means of a deft piece of identity theft) as a computer expert and sets out to infiltrate an American multinational.
Ustinov (who co-wrote the script) is on top form, as is the delightful Maggie Smith, here unusually cast as an accident-prone cockney-sparrow dolly bird. Bob Newhart also puts in an amusing performance as a suspicious executive who has designs on Maggie Smith. In addition, Karl Malden is satisfyingly sleazy as Ustinov and Newhart's womanising boss.
What do I particularly like about this film? Not only is it a well-thought-out 'caper movie' but it's also a touching little love story; Ustinov and Smith are very convincing as the two misfits stumbling into love (the whole scene involving the deck of cards is particularly effective.)
So, what is there not to like? Well, the script is no more computer-literate than most films (that is, hardly at all) even though it captures the feel of late '60s 'big iron' business computing quite well. Also there are a couple of small plot glitches that you're not likely to notice until the second or third viewing, but I consider these to be minor niggles.
As I said, this is a film which is well worth seeking out, and after you've seen it once you'll want to see it again at regular intervals.
Ustinov (who co-wrote the script) is on top form, as is the delightful Maggie Smith, here unusually cast as an accident-prone cockney-sparrow dolly bird. Bob Newhart also puts in an amusing performance as a suspicious executive who has designs on Maggie Smith. In addition, Karl Malden is satisfyingly sleazy as Ustinov and Newhart's womanising boss.
What do I particularly like about this film? Not only is it a well-thought-out 'caper movie' but it's also a touching little love story; Ustinov and Smith are very convincing as the two misfits stumbling into love (the whole scene involving the deck of cards is particularly effective.)
So, what is there not to like? Well, the script is no more computer-literate than most films (that is, hardly at all) even though it captures the feel of late '60s 'big iron' business computing quite well. Also there are a couple of small plot glitches that you're not likely to notice until the second or third viewing, but I consider these to be minor niggles.
As I said, this is a film which is well worth seeking out, and after you've seen it once you'll want to see it again at regular intervals.
It twists and connives its way to a happy ending...but the early scenes are best
moonspinner552 May 2008
Co-writer and leading actor Peter Ustinov has never been more ingratiating and wily (and handsome) than he is here playing a paroled ex-con who is an expert with numbers; he studies up on the burgeoning computers field and gets a job with a firm that, once he cracks the main code, will allow him to embezzle his way into a million pounds. Although the plot set-up is both cheeky and creaky (partly because we've been in this territory before), Ustinov's nonchalant genius parlays itself into a wonderful character; never depraved or insulting, he seems to catch himself off-guard with his successes, of which each is followed by another in the actor's repertoire of funny faces. The direction is hectic and perfunctory, and the editing is nervous, but there are some lovely scenes such as when Ustinov is invited up to ex-secretary Maggie Smith's flat and begins playing beautiful piano (she reciprocates with a duetting flute in the picture's finest moment). Once the mechanisms of the story have unfolded, there isn't much point going on, though the film has several more scenes which are upbeat but unessential. As Ustinov's boss, Karl Malden modulates (somewhat) his irascible nature, but Bob Newhart's nerdy associate is the proverbial egghead and schnook. Smith's Cockney working girl is fun until she marries Ustinov, which is just about the time the movie starts darting about, looking for a finish line. **1/2 from ****
A bloody miracle
joe_gillis_200021 August 2002
Warning: Spoilers
If there were two more charming performers than Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith appearing together in a more charming movie in 1968, I don't know who they were. I first saw this delightful little satiric gem 25 years ago at the age of 16, and I consider any year in which I have failed to sit down to watch it again a wasted one. It's intelligent, quirky, neat, wistful, sweet, gently subversive, and utterly enchanting. The romance of these two social misfits is both richly comic and terribly moving - never more so than in Maggie Smith's desperate attempt to bring up the right card in the deck, a scene that's both ruefully funny and a perfect thumbnail portrait of heartbreaking loneliness. And that final freeze-frame on the anxious, concerned, loving face of Ustinov as he asks, "Are you all right?" - has anyone ever made the look and sound of devotion so perfectly and nakedly honest? I would never want to know anyone well who didn't love this movie.
For Peter Ustinov fans, this comedy's story (co-written by the actor) was Oscar nominated
jacobs-greenwood20 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by Eric Till, with a story & screenplay written directly for the screen that earned Ira Wallach and lead actor Peter Ustinov their only Writing Academy Award nominations, this dated comedy has an ironic conclusion. Fans of Ustinov's characterizations, complete with fumbling mannerisms intended to make one wonder if he (e.g. his character) is bumbling idiot or a genius pretending to be one, will certainly enjoy it while others may find that they wear thin to the point of being tiresome, especially during this film's slow moving plot. Plus, Bob Newhart's comedic capabilities are wasted in his role.
Ustinov plays Marcus Pendleton who, upon his release from jail (presumably for a "white collar" crime) where he did the warden's taxes, steals the identity of (wannabe moth explorer &) computer expert Caesar Smith (Robert Morley) to get a job in the I/T (information technology) department at Ta Can Co, a concrete & cement corporation. He's hired by Tacanco's executive vice president Carlton Klemper (Karl Malden); Newhart plays VP Willard Gnatpole. Maggie Smith plays Patty Terwilliger who, with seemingly no skills, can't keep a job until she's hired as a Tacanco secretary that's assigned to work for Smith. She knows him as Pendleton, because he lives in the same apartment building, but is otherwise clueless that her boss is about to embark on an elaborate embezzlement scheme. Cesar Romero appears late in the story as a customs inspector (in two scenes which seem unnecessary).
It's the 1960's, so the executives we see in the London offices of this American conglomerate are on the make (e.g. out for sex) AND are apparently able to kick up their feet & look out their office windows in lieu of doing any real work. By throwing around a few acronyms here & there and hiring an outside consultant to write some management recommendations for him, Ustinov as Smith has Klemper completely fooled as to his competency whereas Gnatpole is suspicious. Both, however, are impressed by what they think is their new hire's sexual prowess. Since he keeps unqualified secretary Patty employed, they assume she's meeting his "other" needs. Gnatpole's attraction to Patty keeps him off balance and his suspicions somewhat at bay. Meanwhile, accountant trained but computer novice Pendleton/Smith reads a few technical manuals and, after learning an important trick from a housekeeper, is able to figure out how to defeat the corporation's computer security in order to drain one million pounds from the company's 290 million dollars in assets over the course of his year's employment. He does this by establishing dummy companies around the European continent; when the computer prints its checks, one goes to each of them.
The plot bogs down, necessarily as it turns out, when Patty is fired by personnel for being late. She and her former boss & neighbor Pendleton then discover that they're both lonely, and begin a relationship that leads to marriage and even her pregnancy. Eventually, of course, the crime is uncovered and Patty learns the truth about her husband and their sudden need to flee the country for Rio de Janeiro, but this comedy's payoff is when the truth about Patty is discovered.
Ustinov plays Marcus Pendleton who, upon his release from jail (presumably for a "white collar" crime) where he did the warden's taxes, steals the identity of (wannabe moth explorer &) computer expert Caesar Smith (Robert Morley) to get a job in the I/T (information technology) department at Ta Can Co, a concrete & cement corporation. He's hired by Tacanco's executive vice president Carlton Klemper (Karl Malden); Newhart plays VP Willard Gnatpole. Maggie Smith plays Patty Terwilliger who, with seemingly no skills, can't keep a job until she's hired as a Tacanco secretary that's assigned to work for Smith. She knows him as Pendleton, because he lives in the same apartment building, but is otherwise clueless that her boss is about to embark on an elaborate embezzlement scheme. Cesar Romero appears late in the story as a customs inspector (in two scenes which seem unnecessary).
It's the 1960's, so the executives we see in the London offices of this American conglomerate are on the make (e.g. out for sex) AND are apparently able to kick up their feet & look out their office windows in lieu of doing any real work. By throwing around a few acronyms here & there and hiring an outside consultant to write some management recommendations for him, Ustinov as Smith has Klemper completely fooled as to his competency whereas Gnatpole is suspicious. Both, however, are impressed by what they think is their new hire's sexual prowess. Since he keeps unqualified secretary Patty employed, they assume she's meeting his "other" needs. Gnatpole's attraction to Patty keeps him off balance and his suspicions somewhat at bay. Meanwhile, accountant trained but computer novice Pendleton/Smith reads a few technical manuals and, after learning an important trick from a housekeeper, is able to figure out how to defeat the corporation's computer security in order to drain one million pounds from the company's 290 million dollars in assets over the course of his year's employment. He does this by establishing dummy companies around the European continent; when the computer prints its checks, one goes to each of them.
The plot bogs down, necessarily as it turns out, when Patty is fired by personnel for being late. She and her former boss & neighbor Pendleton then discover that they're both lonely, and begin a relationship that leads to marriage and even her pregnancy. Eventually, of course, the crime is uncovered and Patty learns the truth about her husband and their sudden need to flee the country for Rio de Janeiro, but this comedy's payoff is when the truth about Patty is discovered.
Possibly the worst caper film in history
cutter-1216 February 2006
A good cast is appallingly wasted in this slower than molasses and haphazardly connived comedy. Peter Ustinov tries hard here to bring something to life but the result is a dour bore that misses all the right beats that might have made it watchable. Regardless of the favorable comments here, this film is awful. Badly directed. Badly edited. Badly acted. Badly written. You need to sit through a hundred movies to come across one this bad.
The muddled and excruciatingly laggard plot concerns Ustinov conning his way into an American insurance company in order to hack their computer and embezzle millions of pounds. How he does it is beyond lameness and credibility (he just learns his computer skills seemingly overnight by reading some pamphlets, and hoodwinks computer expert Robert Morley into going to South America and stealing his identity).
As a side plot, Ustinov romances fellow loner Maggie Smith, who just happens to become his secretary by chance after he gets a flat in her building. She ends up sharing scenes that have sexual undertones with Bob Newhart that go nowhere, while Ustinov goes about grafting the money bit by bit and trying to keep one step ahead of Newhart and Karl Malden. Then he Marries Smith and they fly off to Brazil, which has become the staple finale of almost every British caper comedy since (Nuns on the Run? A Fish Called Wanda?)
The surprise twist of an ending is more laughable than everything that came before. By the end I was thinking I must be truly off my rocker to stick out drivel like this. Even a cameo by Cesar Romero didn't help it. One of the most unfunny, poorly paced 'comedies' I've ever seen, and certainly the worst caper. Don't waste your time. If you love this you need to see better films.
The muddled and excruciatingly laggard plot concerns Ustinov conning his way into an American insurance company in order to hack their computer and embezzle millions of pounds. How he does it is beyond lameness and credibility (he just learns his computer skills seemingly overnight by reading some pamphlets, and hoodwinks computer expert Robert Morley into going to South America and stealing his identity).
As a side plot, Ustinov romances fellow loner Maggie Smith, who just happens to become his secretary by chance after he gets a flat in her building. She ends up sharing scenes that have sexual undertones with Bob Newhart that go nowhere, while Ustinov goes about grafting the money bit by bit and trying to keep one step ahead of Newhart and Karl Malden. Then he Marries Smith and they fly off to Brazil, which has become the staple finale of almost every British caper comedy since (Nuns on the Run? A Fish Called Wanda?)
The surprise twist of an ending is more laughable than everything that came before. By the end I was thinking I must be truly off my rocker to stick out drivel like this. Even a cameo by Cesar Romero didn't help it. One of the most unfunny, poorly paced 'comedies' I've ever seen, and certainly the worst caper. Don't waste your time. If you love this you need to see better films.
Way ahead of it's time.
mikemoto12 June 1999
I first saw this film about 11 years ago when my former college Accounting professor recommended it to me. I was amazed that a movie from 1968 could so coherently and hilariously portray computer crime. Maggie Smith is delightful and Ustinov plays the "retro hacker" perfectly. "O Nolo Mio"!!!!!
A pretty good film but some might find the ending a bit confusing.
planktonrules24 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Peter Ustinov plays an embezzler who is just getting out of prison when the film begins. As soon as he walks out the gates, he immediately begins working on a scheme to once again make a bundle by stealing, though this time he has his sights set pretty high. This is actually one of the weak points about the film, as he apparently knows nothing about computers (few did back in 1968) but manages to become a computer genius literally overnight! Yeah, right. Anyway, he comes up with a scheme to impersonate a computer expert and obtain a job with a large American corporation so he can eventually embezzle a ton of cash. Considering his knowledge of computers is rudimentary, it's amazing how he puts into effect a brilliant plan AND manages to infiltrate the computer system and its defenses. But, it's a movie after all, so I was able to suspend disbelief. By the end of the film, he and his new wife (Maggie Smith) are able to run away with a million pounds.
At the very end, though, it gets very, very confusing and Smith announces she's managed to actually accumulate more than two million by shrewd investing in the companies that Ustinov started (though she didn't realize they were all dummy companies). This should mean that eventually these stocks she bought were worthless. What they seem to imply (and I could be guessing wrong here) is that Ustinov and his new partners quickly cashed in the stocks before this became known and the stocks would thereby then become worthless. Either way, the film seems to post on a magical ending whereby no one is hurt and everyone is happy--and this just didn't make much sense. It's a shame, really, as the acting and most of the writing was great. Karl Malden, Bob Newhart, Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith were just wonderful.
If I seem to have interpreted the end, let me know, as the film seemed very vague in details at the end.
At the very end, though, it gets very, very confusing and Smith announces she's managed to actually accumulate more than two million by shrewd investing in the companies that Ustinov started (though she didn't realize they were all dummy companies). This should mean that eventually these stocks she bought were worthless. What they seem to imply (and I could be guessing wrong here) is that Ustinov and his new partners quickly cashed in the stocks before this became known and the stocks would thereby then become worthless. Either way, the film seems to post on a magical ending whereby no one is hurt and everyone is happy--and this just didn't make much sense. It's a shame, really, as the acting and most of the writing was great. Karl Malden, Bob Newhart, Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith were just wonderful.
If I seem to have interpreted the end, let me know, as the film seemed very vague in details at the end.
Comedy Heist Film Works as Neither
gatsby6012 May 2008
I was excited to discover this late sixties comedy staring some of my favorite people - Maggie Smith, a very young Bob Newhart and, of course, Peter Ustinov. My disappointment was thus compounded to discover the film doesn't work as either a comedy or a perfect heist film. Ustinov plays a small time crook just out of prison who sets his sites on a large American corporation based in London. Bluffing his way past dimwitted CEO Karl Malden and tech geek Newhart, Ustinov passes himself off as a computer expert and immediately plans the 'perfect heist' part of the film. To do this he needs to get passed a tamper proof security system that guards the corporation mainframe. And here is problem one. His perfect plan only works because everyone else in the film is remarkably trusting and stupid. His lame excuses are taken at face value and this must be the only computer center anywhere not to bother with video cameras. The second problem is the heist (fraud really) happens within the first 30 minutes of the film robbing the rest of the picture of much in way of dramatic tension. Maggie Smith is sadly miscast as Ustinov's ditsy next door neighbor/secretary who just can't keep a job. I love Maggie Smith but she just seems too together here, too composed, the part called for more of a wacky, physical comedian. Furthermore, Ustinov and Smith have no chemistry together, maybe it's the age difference, but the later romantic relationship, as devoid of actual romance as it is, still comes off a little creepy. Ustinov co-wrote the script, and it was thought well of at the time, but I found it unfunny, meandering and a sad waste of a great cast.
Kicky Little 60s Flick
tdewey4311 March 2002
I rented this mainly to see Maggie Smith, and she proved to be enjoyable as always. Interesting to see Dame Maggie oogled as a pretty babe by Ustinov and Newhart. Overall, a charming, frothy little comedy-definitely a product of its time- with tacky 60s pop music & choppy 60s editing- it all seems to work somehow.
HOT HEIST...!
masonfisk19 November 2018
Peter Ustinov, already a two time Oscar winner in the 60's (for Spartacus & Topaki) decided to become a writer/director to fulfill his artistic dominance as an auteur to be watched. Along comes Hot Millions where Ustinov plays a reformed ex-con who did his bit for an embezzling beef & upon release & being we were in the midst of the burgeoning computer age, he decides to try his hand at embezzling again. Also starring Karl Malden, Bob Newhart & Miss McConagle herself, Maggie Smith. The by play of the leads is what makes the film most enjoyable while the caper itself is merely window dressing.
Gentle Romantic Comedy
atlasmb18 May 2022
This is really a love story about two individuals who are socially inept and extremely lonely. They eventually unite over a shared passion.
But it is also a heist film of a sort, though the planning and the action are not overt parts of the story. Marcus Pendleton (Peter Ustinov) is a very intelligent man who harbors a grudge and uses that as motivation for his caper. We do see him trying to work out the bugs in his revenge plan.
Karl Malden and Bob Newhart play coworkers who stand in the way of Pendleton's plan. Much of the comedy comes from the interaction between these two and Pendleton. It's a gentle kind of humor, which gains momentum as the film progresses.
The end of the film is a nice surprise. Without it, the entire film would be much less worthy of watching.
But it is also a heist film of a sort, though the planning and the action are not overt parts of the story. Marcus Pendleton (Peter Ustinov) is a very intelligent man who harbors a grudge and uses that as motivation for his caper. We do see him trying to work out the bugs in his revenge plan.
Karl Malden and Bob Newhart play coworkers who stand in the way of Pendleton's plan. Much of the comedy comes from the interaction between these two and Pendleton. It's a gentle kind of humor, which gains momentum as the film progresses.
The end of the film is a nice surprise. Without it, the entire film would be much less worthy of watching.
Magic moments
benbrae7628 August 2006
This movie is now appearing on digital TV at least once a month, I've watched it a dozen or more times, and it never ceases to delight me. If it was on tomorrow I'd watch it again. Such is the artistry that Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith, two great magicians of the acting profession can create, helped in no small way by the superb supporting trio of Karl Malden, Bob Newhart and Robert Morley. Not forgetting others in minor roles.
It is a simple tale, simply told, of an ex-con, a lovable embezzler, battling and succeeding with the then "new age technology" i.e computers, and finding affection in the process. Even if it is a tad (tongue in cheek) implausible, even unbelievable, the characters are not. There is no violence, no sex, no bad language, and best of all no awful method acting which is so prevalent today. A real lesson to modern movie-makers on how to make a great show from, and with, virtually nothing...except outstanding talent.
It is a simple tale, simply told, of an ex-con, a lovable embezzler, battling and succeeding with the then "new age technology" i.e computers, and finding affection in the process. Even if it is a tad (tongue in cheek) implausible, even unbelievable, the characters are not. There is no violence, no sex, no bad language, and best of all no awful method acting which is so prevalent today. A real lesson to modern movie-makers on how to make a great show from, and with, virtually nothing...except outstanding talent.
Enjoyable Caper Comedy
evanston_dad21 November 2023
Did Peter Ustinov make a living out of playing bumbling criminals in caper comedies?
A few years after winning an Oscar for "Topkapi," he was at it again in "Hot Millions," co-writing and starring in this pretty funny movie about a man using computers to embezzle money from his company. Maggie Smith is young and fetching as the woman he marries and who ends up having more brains than her sex kittenish demeanor would suggest. Karl Malden and Bob Newhart are also in the cast, as Ustinov's boss and arch rival, respectively, and Newhart, though playing a straight man and not really given any jokes, manages to make his character hilarious nonetheless.
But it's Ustinov who's the star of the show here, and you're either going to find his brand of mumbly, muttering comedy -- and by extension, the movie -- funny or you're not.
Ustinov shared a Best Original Story and Screenplay Oscar nomination with co-writer Ira Wallach.
Grade: A-
A few years after winning an Oscar for "Topkapi," he was at it again in "Hot Millions," co-writing and starring in this pretty funny movie about a man using computers to embezzle money from his company. Maggie Smith is young and fetching as the woman he marries and who ends up having more brains than her sex kittenish demeanor would suggest. Karl Malden and Bob Newhart are also in the cast, as Ustinov's boss and arch rival, respectively, and Newhart, though playing a straight man and not really given any jokes, manages to make his character hilarious nonetheless.
But it's Ustinov who's the star of the show here, and you're either going to find his brand of mumbly, muttering comedy -- and by extension, the movie -- funny or you're not.
Ustinov shared a Best Original Story and Screenplay Oscar nomination with co-writer Ira Wallach.
Grade: A-
An All-Time Great Movie
Trombonehead20 January 2010
Hot Millions is a great movie in every way. A fun, offbeat story with wonderful performances by four of the best professionals ever to work in the business. Peter Ustinov is brilliant, as usual, and Maggie Smith---definitely one of the greatest actresses of all time--- is a total delight. Karl Malden and Bob Newhart round out the cast and are also perfect. If you want a movie that has perfect casting, this is it. What is so impressive is the way these people work off each other in such a natural and effortless way, creating lots of laughs and fun moments throughout. Peter Ustinov was a genius with a wonderful sense of humor and this is one of his most memorable performances. The direction, photography, and editing are also first-rate, and it's a great time capsule of London in the '60s. It's definitely on my all-time favorites list.
Early Hacker Heist Flick
aramis-112-80488023 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
"Hot Millions' is something I never thought possible: a quiet heist movie.
Superb cast. Peter Ustinov is a con-man just out of prison. Ustinov is an Oscar-winning supporting character actor but he always feels stretched thin, like chewing gum, as a lead.
The aging con man decides to go into the nascent world of . . . Computers! This is back when they were the size of refrigerators and worked reel to reel. And they are photographed ominously, as they were considered back then.
Maggie Smith, using an accent not much better than van Dyke's Cockey, is his incompetent secretary.
Then there's Bob Newhart. He's the nemesis. The quiet nemesis. Ustinov, who apparently learned programming overnight, shows him up and Newhat is determined to get him . . . And his secretary.
The firm Ustinov decides to bilk is American, the English arm run by Karl Malden playing his dumbest character ever.
Under the boss' nose Ustinov sets up dummy corporations to embezzle tons of money. But then Newhart gets suspicious . . .
Slow, underwhelming film, even when a host of notable British supporting actors make brief appearances. But it has some clever ideas, I won't reveal.
If you want to see a real dinosaur of computer heist movies, try this.
Superb cast. Peter Ustinov is a con-man just out of prison. Ustinov is an Oscar-winning supporting character actor but he always feels stretched thin, like chewing gum, as a lead.
The aging con man decides to go into the nascent world of . . . Computers! This is back when they were the size of refrigerators and worked reel to reel. And they are photographed ominously, as they were considered back then.
Maggie Smith, using an accent not much better than van Dyke's Cockey, is his incompetent secretary.
Then there's Bob Newhart. He's the nemesis. The quiet nemesis. Ustinov, who apparently learned programming overnight, shows him up and Newhat is determined to get him . . . And his secretary.
The firm Ustinov decides to bilk is American, the English arm run by Karl Malden playing his dumbest character ever.
Under the boss' nose Ustinov sets up dummy corporations to embezzle tons of money. But then Newhart gets suspicious . . .
Slow, underwhelming film, even when a host of notable British supporting actors make brief appearances. But it has some clever ideas, I won't reveal.
If you want to see a real dinosaur of computer heist movies, try this.
Reasonable Effort.
peteranderson30 December 2005
A reasonable effort is summary for this film. A good sixties film but lacking any sense of achievement. Maggie Smith gave a decent performance which was believable enough but not as good as she could have given, other actors were just dreadful! A terrible portrayal. It wasn't very funny and so it didn't really achieve its genres as it wasn't particularly funny and it wasn't dramatic. The only genre achieved to a satisfactory level was romance. Target Audiences were not hit and the movie sent out confusing messages. A very basic plot and a very basic storyline were not pulled off or performed at all well and people were left confused as to why the film wasn't as good and who the target audiences were etc. However Maggie was quite good and the storyline was alright with moments of capability.
4.
4.
My brief review of the film
sol-24 December 2005
Peter Ustinov received an Academy Award nomination for the script that he co-wrote for this film, and it was a nomination well deserved because if not particularly witty or laugh-out-loud funny, the film still has a number of amusing moments and it is a delight to watch. Ustinov is perfect as a charismatic conman, and Maggie Smith is excellent as a ditsy bimbo in a role very atypical for her repertoire. There are also some interestingly edited sequences and great music too. The scams that Ustinov devises are a bit overly complicated, as is the science behind is the hacking that he carries out, but a full understanding of everything that is going on is not required to enjoy the film. It is interesting to watch and often amusing.
The swingin' sixties
HotToastyRag13 March 2021
Welcome to the 1960s! In Hot Millions, you'll see black eyeliner, white lipstick, ratted out hair, skinny ties, minidresses, bubble furniture, orange throw pillows, and a fascination of computers. And let's not forget the swingin' sixties music that permeates every scene. It's hilarious and horrible at the same time.
Peter Ustinov, star and co-writer of the comedy, plays a professional fraudster. Recently released from prison, he decides to get to know the new computer world, since he only got caught embezzling by a computer. He give fake name after fake name until he ends up giving himself glowing references to get a job under Karl Malden in a big computing company. Bob Newhart isn't too happy with Usti, since he liked being the expert in the office. Soon, Usti has the boss's trust and the affection of the hot, new, young secretary Maggie Smith. Yes, you read that correctly. Maggie Smith was young in the 1960s. She's so adorable in this movie, with her cute accent, fluffy red hair, ditzy persona, and coy smile. If you can't imagine Professor McGonagall stripping down to her underwear at the office so she doesn't get typewriter ink all over her clothes while she changes the ribbon, you've got to rent this movie. Can't imagine the Dowager Countess of Grantham playing the flute or prancing around in a minidress? Rent Hot Millions.
Peter Ustinov is also adorable in this movie. With his quiet humor, mispronunciation of famous people's names (Pu-see-nee instead of Puccini), and incredible intelligence, you can't help but admire him and hope he gets away with it. This is a crime comedy, after all. Usti's goal is to embezzle from Karl's company, and he sets up a very elaborate (and complicated) plot. This is a very sophisticated comedy, not for the faint of mind. If it goes over your head, just hold tight until the end and enjoy the ride. It's okay if you don't understand everything (I certainly didn't); it's still funny. And you'll still get to see Cesar Romero and Robert Morley for about five minutes each, as if they each owed Usti a favor and gave him a cameo.
Peter Ustinov, star and co-writer of the comedy, plays a professional fraudster. Recently released from prison, he decides to get to know the new computer world, since he only got caught embezzling by a computer. He give fake name after fake name until he ends up giving himself glowing references to get a job under Karl Malden in a big computing company. Bob Newhart isn't too happy with Usti, since he liked being the expert in the office. Soon, Usti has the boss's trust and the affection of the hot, new, young secretary Maggie Smith. Yes, you read that correctly. Maggie Smith was young in the 1960s. She's so adorable in this movie, with her cute accent, fluffy red hair, ditzy persona, and coy smile. If you can't imagine Professor McGonagall stripping down to her underwear at the office so she doesn't get typewriter ink all over her clothes while she changes the ribbon, you've got to rent this movie. Can't imagine the Dowager Countess of Grantham playing the flute or prancing around in a minidress? Rent Hot Millions.
Peter Ustinov is also adorable in this movie. With his quiet humor, mispronunciation of famous people's names (Pu-see-nee instead of Puccini), and incredible intelligence, you can't help but admire him and hope he gets away with it. This is a crime comedy, after all. Usti's goal is to embezzle from Karl's company, and he sets up a very elaborate (and complicated) plot. This is a very sophisticated comedy, not for the faint of mind. If it goes over your head, just hold tight until the end and enjoy the ride. It's okay if you don't understand everything (I certainly didn't); it's still funny. And you'll still get to see Cesar Romero and Robert Morley for about five minutes each, as if they each owed Usti a favor and gave him a cameo.
Disappointing in so many ways
peterwcohen-300-94720018 April 2017
Yes, Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith are lovable creatures, but that's where the charm ends for this movie. The rest of the casting is inexplicable -- Why are the other 2 major roles cast with Americans Karl Malden and Bob Newhart? Their positions as executives in a British firm make no sense. Bob Newhart is particularly disappointing, as none of his inherent humorousness is on display. Caesar Romero makes what amounts to a cameo appearance, and would have lent this movie more interest with a bigger role. The computer hacking portion of the plot is not ahead of its time, but rather makes no sense and is impenetrable even by 1968 standards. The implausibility of Ustinov's instant education is just the beginning of a string of ruinously mishandled plot mechanics related to the technical aspects of the story. But they do save the worst for last, where Smith pulls a deus ex machina to resolve a lost plot that never warranted being found in the first place.
If you want a quirky British ex-convict caper story from the era that works, try The Italian Job.
If you want a quirky British ex-convict caper story from the era that works, try The Italian Job.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
