The comedy: Who’s Minding the Mint
The hair: MINE!
Okay, so it’s not the worst my hair has ever looked (that honor goes to my third grade perm OR any time I’ve ever tried to wear it straight on a humid day), but really, it’s just a mess in this vlog.
But that shouldn’t matter because what’s important is that Clay Morgan and I are discussing a 1960s comedy that’s pretty much the epitome of “zany.” Not many people know about Who’s Minding the Mint and it’s not what you would call, well, a shining example of amazing writing or cinematography or anything.
But it is indicative of 60s humor, 60s music, even 60s TV as both the writers and the actors were all more well-known for their television credits than their film credits…and it’s one in a string of heist or caper-type movies that was popular in that decade.
Among its ensemble cast is actor Jim Hutton, who I really like and who I think would’ve gone on to have a much bigger acting legacy if he’d lived longer than he did. Classic movie lovers might remember him from Cary Grant’s last movie, Walk Don’t Run…in which Hutton wears incredibly short shorts.
This vlog’s excitement includes:
- My messy hair. Oh wait, already said that…
- Hints at future fun to come from the Gush
- Clay making fun of Sound of Music at the end. Surprise, surprise.
Comments 20
I LOVE this movie! It is so cute, and Cary Grant and Jim Hutton are just adorable in it. I don’t know that I’ve ever read whether or not it was intended as a remake of The More the Merrier, but there are a ton of similarities between the two.
I meant I LOVE Walk, Don’t Run. I can’t type. Haven’t seen Who’s Minding the Mint…yeesh Ruth, get it together. 😉
Author
Haha, it was Monday when you wrote that comment…no one has it together on Mondays. 🙂
Walk Don’t Run IS cute. First time I saw it, I was SO curious about what Olympic sport Jim Hutton’s character played and then when they revealed it, I was like, dude, it was in the title all along.
I do, but can’t remember the name of it offhand. He’s a firefighter and she’s a psychologist talk show host with a new book out…ring any bells? Most movies I can’t remember if I watched them or not except from the cover and even then if I remember having watched them, I usually don’t remember much of the story. Oh, but I just remembered a totally different movie that was cool, The Village. Can’t give away why it’s cool or it’ll spoil the movie. The director likes to pull the Alfred Hitchcock show up in his movies trick, too.
Author
Are you talking about The Accidental Husband? Don’t know if I’ve ever seen it…
I’ve seen The Village. That is, if you’re talking about the M. Night Shyma-I-can’t-spell-his-last-name one. 🙂
I don’t know what you mean. Your hair looks adorable!!
Author
Haha, thank you. I think if I’d been going for messy-cool, it would’ve been great, but really…it was just a ponytail gone wrong. 🙂 Also, I miss you and I miss Arizona!
A movie called Strictly Ballroom, it is a Australian romantic comedy from 1992. I kept my VHS a lot longer then I would like to admit because of this movie.
Author
I’ve seen Strictly Ballroom. Quirky and fun. 🙂
Quirky is a nice word for it. Anytime I would pull it out my husband would roll his eyes and leave the room. I guess its not made for everyone.
Ya’ll have made me want to watch this movie, but I can’t seem to find any way of seeing it, unless I randomly catch it on TCM while visiting my grandparents or something! =) It’s not available on Netflix (as a DVD, anyway)…
I don’t love a ton of 60s movies, but I’ve started watching more of them in the past few years. Still, they’re one of the most under-represented decades in my DVD collection (the 70s would be the decade I watch the least amount of movies from: I only own a few made in the 70s and they’re all either Disney live action or musicals, ha).
My two favorites from the 60s would definitely be Charade and How to Steal a Million, though I know I’ve mentioned them before. Love them both so much, and I feel like they’re not as popular as they should be! I’ve also watched and enjoyed: The Nutty Professor (it’s completely weird but it’s the only Jerry Lewis movie that I’ve seen so far that really makes me laugh…I’m used to the hilarity of Martin and Lewis in the Colgate Comedy Hour) and To Kill a Mockingbird, plus lots of cheesy live action Disney movies (The Parent Trap, Never a Dull Moment, That Darn Cat, The Love Bug, etc.), and a couple of musicals: The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and Bye Bye Birdie…So it seems like most of the 60s films I love, with about three exceptions, are pretty cheesy and goofy. Hm. (Oh, I do like Ocean’s 11 and Psycho, too!)
A few classic movies that I love that seem to be lesser known (though it’s likely more people know about them than I expect): The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, In the Good Old Summertime, Summer Stock, Titanic (1953), The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Key Largo, and Never a Dull Moment (a silly Disney comedy about a case of mistaken identity that also stars Dorothy Provine, along with Dick Van Dyke and Edward G. Robinson).
Also: Walk Don’t Run! That’s one of the next films in my Netflix queue. I can’t believe I haven’t seen it before…I’ll watch anything that includes Cary Grant. =)
(Sorry for the too-long comment. I just get really excited about old movies…)
Author
Kristin, I think we were meant to be friends. We have a lot of the same movie loves. To me, 60s movies movies can be some of the most hit-and-miss out there. There are ones I love and ones I really don’t.
I agree with you that the Nutty Professor is one of the only really funny ones that Jerry Lewis did alone. I think he was funnier when he had a straight man to play off. I loooove both Charade and How to Steal a Million. OH Key Largo…I haven’t watched that forever. I love Lauren Bacall, and both Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson are awesome in it. Ahh, I want to rewatch it now. Never a Dull Moment–I’ve totally seen that but it totally didn’t click with me that Dorothy Provine was in it. I should rewatch it.
Hope you enjoy Walk Don’t Run. It’s a little different sort of role for Cary Grant solely because he’s much older in it and isn’t the main romantic lead…but he’s a great as ever.
And your comments can never get too long…not when we’re talking movies. 🙂
Never heard of this one, however Melissa’s synopsis makes it sound fun! And oh my goodness, I adore the Ocean’s movies plus LOVE another caper-like film called The Italian Job (the newbie), so this film sounds like I really need to snag a DVD somewhere. Plus that title? What could be better!
Hmm… a movie not everyone knows about, not sure what that’d be! I adore quirky, small films like Penelope though I don’t know my obscure oldies as well.
Leverage was fun. Sometimes silly, but always fun.
Ha! My blogger/writer friends and I have often joked that if we band together, we could write some of these movies/series better. Hey, it could be fun. 😉
The Great Race has Peter Falk in it, so obviously I NEED to see that one, too.
…and Clay, really, more poking fun at Sound of Music?! 😉
Author
The Italian Job…I haven’t seen that in SO long. I should rewatch it. I love talking movies with people–it always has me walking away with a list of movies to watch or rewatch. I haven’t seen The Great Race in years, either, so that’s another one to rewatch. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen Penelope…I say this ALL the time, but really, sometime I want to take like two weeks of vacation just to watch movies and read books.
Sorry to jump in, but I second the recommendation of Penelope. I absolutely love that movie…it’s my favorite modern movie that’s not a period drama (I feel the need to make that distinction because technically my favorite “modern” movie is the 2005 Pride and Prejudice). It is so quirky and charming and sweet. And I want Penelope’s clothes and room. Seriously, you should watch it as soon as possible. =)
*High Five*
Yay, Kristin! I remembered you were a fan of ‘Penelope’ too – and you’re ALWAYS welcome to jump in. 🙂
…and Melissa, yes! I’d jump on board – can we have a movie/book vacation. Please, people-who-make-the-holidays!? 😉
LOL! You guys make me laugh:) And your hair is just fine. My worst hair day was back in 6th grade. I kid you not, long story, but I had pin straight hair and my mom had the lady perm my short layers in the front into tiny poodle tight curls. Yep. They shrunk up until I had a square patch of tight curls on top and the rest of my hair was bone straight. No lie. I still have hair trauma till this day and Hubby has my 6th grade graduation picture held on ransom:)
Author
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, PLEASE let us see your hair photo. PLEASE. Because I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard of a better/worse hair predicament…ever. Did you wear hats until the perm wore off? I feel like there are a lot of awful “Melissa with bad hair” photos out there, but I’m not sure any could compete with the one you’re describing.
Melissa, you hair looks fine.
Poor Susan, I can’t top that. But my parents sent me to stay with my grandparents who lived in a tiny rural town when my brother was born. Mom had to stay in the hospital for a week. I guess my grandmother ran out of things for us to do, and I got my first permanent when I was two years old. Mom said she almost cried when she saw me for the first time with all that curly hair.
I always enjoy seeing Jim Hutton in movies.
Author
Yay another Jim Hutton fan!
Whoa, your first perm at two years old? I hope you have some photos of that. 🙂