Siflutter
It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Abbigail Bush
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
Mathilde the Guild
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Catherine Yronwode
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.
daris3
My parents took me to see this movie when I was 6. All I remembered was that the old man was a lovable, kind person who counterfeited one dollar bills to help others. For 20 years he produced only a handful of bills each year, often spending the money on the kids in the neighborhood. The title comes from the fact that all the serial numbers end in 880. I remember being so sad at the end. For years I talked about this movie without remembering the title. No one seemed to have seen it. Now, 60 years later, I know the title and have had the opportunity to see and enjoy it again. Knowing the title, I can now purchase a copy to enjoy over and over. Having just seen it 15 minutes ago I am still teared up. The ending is very emotional and speaks to the goodness in people's hearts.
MartinHafer
This is an odd movie, as it concerns a very successful counterfeiter but not in a way you'd expect. In other words, while the guy printed horrible quality money, he managed to get away with it for a decade. Why? Because instead of printing higher denominations or trying to get rich, he was just an old guy who passed phony $1 bills here and there. Oddly, he never really had much desire to hurt anyone or become a big-time crook--just do it on odd occasions to make ends meet. And, because of this odd m.o., he managed to evade detection so long. And, what makes this even more interesting is that it's all based on a true story.The film is told mostly from the viewpoint of a Secret Service agent--played by Burt Lancaster. He was an incredibly determined agent and worked hard to capture the crook (Edmund Gwenn). But, because Gwenn plays such a nice and seemingly harmless old guy, the case drug on and on and on--as no one suspected the cute old man.The film is very well-made and although it's not a film noir picture, it has similarities. Mostly, it's reminiscent because the story is very straight-forward--though the sentimental musical score and sympathetic telling of the story is about as far from noir as you can get! Well made and interesting.
Chuck Rothman (crothman)
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.
