Sadly Over-hyped

Highly Overrated But Still Good

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Okay, i'll admit i watched this on Youtube because it was free, and the first thing that LEAPED out at me was Skipper the dog -- i took one look at this animal and said to my husband, "I will bet you five dollars that Frank Inn trained that dog." By that time the dog was showing major dog-acting talent and he said, "I won't take that bet." The dog looks just like a larger version of Higgins, the dog that played Benji, also trained by Frank Inn, but it was not just the look, it was the way the dog was cued by the actors that shouted "I am a Frank Inn dog."And then we saw Herb Vigran -- a guy who has been in practically every movie and TV show for which Frank Inn trainedbanimals, from Petticoat Junction to Hawmps! Major AHA moment there. So we stopped the film and looked it up. Bingo. Frank Inn trained Skipper. Case solved!Meanwhile., back at the movie, Secret Service agent Burt Lancaster is snooping around and falling in love with the delightful United Nations translator Dorothy McGuire. What a delightful couple they are -- and she is so witty and smart -- a great role for this under-appreciated actress. Will Lancaster let his monomaniacal desire to catch Mister 880, the counterfeiter, ruin his chances at love? Will McGuire solve the crime before he does? This is a cute and touching story, with Edmund Gwenn in the title role, displaying both his native proper English, and a flawless German accent as well.

Despite the toothsome grin and shock of wavy hair, the youthful Burt Lancaster is badly miscast in this gentle comedy which provides no real laughs as such, but does possess a light-hearted tone and a terrific performance from Edmund Gwenn.Gwenn plays Skipper Miller, a kindly old man beloved by all his neighbours who, whenever money gets tight, prints off a few (misspelled) one dollar bills on an old hand press to make ends meet. He's been doing it for over a decade, but the treasury department has always been too busy chasing organised counterfeit rings to go after small fish like Mister 880. That is, until they draft in hot-shot agent Steve Buchanan (Lancaster) in the vague hope that he might be able to track the elusive counterfeiter down. It's difficult to see why Lancaster would have chosen to play such a role as he does here. He doesn't really have that much to do other than woo a young female friend of Skipper's (Dorothy Maguire) who was briefly in possession of one of the old man's dud notes. Lancaster had the type of frame and character that demanded roles with some action and vitality, but here he's bound within the confines of a collar and tie and he rarely looks comfortable.With Hollywood still under the thumb of the Hays Code, there's never any doubt that the whimsical Skipper will one day have to face the music, and it's a surprise that the film's finale follows pretty closely the punishment meted out to the real counterfeiter upon whose story this film is based. It seems it's OK if a sweet old guy only steals from you one dollar at a time.The film is OK, but it's nothing memorable, and it will fade pretty quickly from your memory.

Edmund Gwenn (best known as Santa Claus in "Miracle on 34th Street) portrays another charming old man who makes ends meet by a little counterfeiting on the side. Burt Lancaster is the treasury agent set to track down the mysterious "Mr. 880," as the Secret Service calls him, but who has time for a little romance. Gwenn, as usual, is delightful and Lancaster, at the beginning of his career, shows the softer side that became more apparent toward its end. The film is a forgotten gem.

Very Enjoyable film. Too bad Burt Lancaster didn't make more comedies - as he displays a very nice touch here, making fun of his macho image.I didn't know anything about this film before I watched it and was pleasantly surprised. The characters are a little more "loose" or natural acting than is seen in most Hollywood fare of the time. The story concerns a secret service agent looking for counterfeiters, a translator at the United Nations, and a beloved old man. A very nice, original story.All the actors are good - Burt, Dorothy McGuire is quite radiant and Edmund Gwynn is dynamite. I'd say he is better in this than in "Miracle on 34th Street". If you are looking for a nice movie that will put a smile on your face - you can't go wrong with this one. It'll stick with you.