WHO’S MINDING THE MINT?, a cute, good-natured comedy from 1967 was one of a batch of the year’s offerings that were spun around heists of one sort of another—Bonnie And Clyde, The Honey Pot, The Caper Of The Golden Bulls, The War Wagon, Robbery, Jack Of Diamonds. Howard Morris directed a pro cast in a script written by R.S. Allen and Harvey Bullock.

Victor Buono, 1938-1982

‘Harry Lucas’ (Jim Hutton) breezes thru his job in D.C. at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, while in private life he manages to play at ‘living big’ by juggling free trials that let him use swanky apartments and sporty new cars. His snitty boss suspects him of pilfering bills, but Harry isn’t a crook, just a clever skate on his  own time. He fends off advances from enamored co-worker ‘Verna Baxter’ (much missed fave Dorothy Provine) who continually leaves him packages of home-made fudge (not very good) that he discreetly disposes of. On one occasion Harry accidentally plops a $50,000 packet of bills into a fudge bag and dumps it down the garbage disposal. Up against the wall after this goof he conceives a plan to stealthily enter the Bureau at night and do a run of bills to cover the loss. He can’t do this alone, so a crew takes shape. It keeps getting bigger until Verna and eventually seven other partners join the scheme, with the added proviso that extra ‘free’ money is churned up as payment for their help. This skyrockets into millions of bucks.

Amiable Hutton and delightful Provine are backed up by Milton Berle (hamming expertly), Walter Brennan, Joey Bishop, Victor Buono (really good, with an absurd Scottish brogue), Jack Gilford, Bob Denver (not enough to do but he gets a funny segment with effervescent Jackie Joseph, 34—she should’ve been a bigger star) and Jamie Farr.

Enjoyably silly, with a lot of good throwaway bits and sight gags, but for some reason (marketing?) it didn’t make a ripple, let alone a wave, at the ticket booths, and Hutton’s once-promising run as a leading man dried up at 33. After this he did supporting work (The Green Berets–with a famously icky death scene—and Hellfighters) then moved into TV, where with few exceptions he stayed, plugging away until his untimely death at the age of 45. Provine, 32, did one more movie after this (another heist comedy, Never A Dull Moment)  and then retired into married life. Bright lights of the 1960s, fondly remembered.

Also present in small parts are David J. Stewart (the ratfink boss), Corinne Cole (a former Playboy Playmate–as one of Harry’s sexy playmates, before he wises up to Dorothy), ‘Peanuts’ (Brennan’s pregnant dog), Bryan O’Bryne, Joel Fluellen, Erin Moran (6, debut) and Emil Sitka. Paul Winfield, 28, has an early uncredited bit. Our snooping can’t locate any boxoffice stats. 97 minutes.