When Miss Vicki's father dies, she becomes the world's greatest philanthropist. Unfortunately, she is flat broke! Her loyal butler, Claude Fitzwilliam, leads the household staff to rob from various businesses by charging goods to various wealthy people and misdirecting the shipments, all to keep Miss Vicki's standard of living.
Dick Van Dyke
Claude R. Fitzwilliam
Barbara Feldon
Juliet Nowell
John McGiver
Albert
Edith Evans
Miss Victoria Woodworth
Harry Townes
Mr. Nowell
John Fiedler
Mr. Morton Dunne
Anne Seymour
Grimsby
Norman Fell
Oberblatz
Cecil Kellaway
Buckmaster
Stephen Strimpell
Byron Casey
Helen Kleeb
Mrs. Mortimer
Paul Reed
Prettikin
Albert Carrier
Pierre
Nelson Olmsted
Simmons
Dennis Cooney
Assistant D.A. Elliot Adams
Noam Pitlik
Charles
Anthony Eustrel
Garland
Sam Waterston
Oliver
Karen Norris
Kitty
Patience Cleveland
Dolly
Lew Brown
Frank
Monroe Arnold
Goldfarb
Robert Williams
Ryan
Laurence Naismith
Mr. Cotty (uncredited)
Barbara Morrison
Mrs. Mudge (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Fletcher Allen
Reporter (uncredited)
Merie Earle
Elderly Shoplifter (uncredited)
John Alban
Customer (uncredited)
Ruth Foster
Customer (uncredited)
Meg Wyllie
Saleswoman (uncredited)
Arthur Peterson
Liquor Store Clerk (uncredited)
John Daheim
Man Who Gets Slapped (uncredited)
Gary Dubin
Kid (uncredited)
Ethelreda Leopold
Customer (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Dick Cherney
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Director
Delbert Mann
Novel
Poyntz Tyler
Writer
Isobel Lennart
December 17, 2021
7
With Dick Van Dyke in the lead, its lack of naughty language and the movie’s 60s look (which is of course when it was filmed), I hope I can be forgiven for wondering if this was a Disney film. I have lost track of many of them over the years. But no, apparently not. It was released in Canada by the crazy title A Garden of Cucumbers, which sounds less crazy when you know that was the title of the novel it is based on, which in turn is based on a bible quote.
This is a pleasant and lighthearted comedy, one you can watch both with both family and friends as the plot is simple enough so as not to require much concentration. There is also some romance baked into it, though it is not what we think of as rom-coms these days. So there you are.
And I guess after you get past Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon, the excellent ensemble cast of character actors also contributed to my wondering if Disney had made this film. Most movies don’t do this great a job choosing actors for the lesser roles.
We watched this as a holiday movie, though for 90% of the movie it doesn’t feel like one. But near the end they start mentioning Christmas and the climactic scenes take place at Gimbels on Christmas Eve.
I can’t say I would seek out this movie to watch again, but it was amusing enough so that I wouldn’t root around for the controller if it came on while I was doing something else with the TV on. Sitting chatting with friends and family, for example.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00