The only reason I saw this film is because Edward G. Robinson was in it. However, had I known that it was actually a dopey Disney film, I probably would have skipped it. While the studio today is well-respected, in the late 60s and 70s their output was, to put it charitably, crap.
The film begins with Dick Van Dyke playing a character actor who has played, among other things, a lot of gangster roles in movies and TV. However, he's not a particularly famous actor, so when he's mistaken as a REAL gangster he's stuck. They expect him to kill security guards and help them in an art heist--and he just wants to run away and save himself. Can he somehow get out of this alive? While the premise is pretty cute, the execution of the film was pretty bad. Too many broadly acted scenes (like Van Dyke's VERY exaggerated drunk act) really brought the film to a grinding halt--as did the terribly slapsticky and ridiculous ending. Even the kids must have groaned at this one! A total waste of talent and a film I had a hard time finishing.
The film begins with Dick Van Dyke playing a character actor who has played, among other things, a lot of gangster roles in movies and TV. However, he's not a particularly famous actor, so when he's mistaken as a REAL gangster he's stuck. They expect him to kill security guards and help them in an art heist--and he just wants to run away and save himself. Can he somehow get out of this alive? While the premise is pretty cute, the execution of the film was pretty bad. Too many broadly acted scenes (like Van Dyke's VERY exaggerated drunk act) really brought the film to a grinding halt--as did the terribly slapsticky and ridiculous ending. Even the kids must have groaned at this one! A total waste of talent and a film I had a hard time finishing.