Stars: James Garner, Lee Remick, Jim Backus, Phil Harris, Louie Nye, Chill Willis
Best Quote: Women shouldn't be allowed to have lunch clubs. We gotta keep 'em off-balance, disorganized, clawing and scratching at each other. Otherwise they might turn on us like mad dogs!
The Wheeler-Dealers has a great cast. They improve the stock characters and somewhat silly story - but not enough to make it more than an enjoyable time-waster. We get some funny scenes and lines, here and there, but the script needed more attention. At 107 minutes - its about 15 minutes too long.
The Actors. They're the reason to watch. Garner expertly riffs off his Maverick con-man character and Remick is charming and lovely. Backus and Nye have small parts - but steal the show.
The Story. Anyone expecting 2018 sexual attitudes in a 1963 movie will be disappointed. Women in the workplace and male chauvinism are both played for laughs. We're supposed to cheer Remick's desire to be a successful Wall Street analyst - but think its a little strange too. Meanwhile, Garner's border-line tax fraud is portrayed as funny because he only cheats the IRS! Today, we all have 401K's and the financial shenanigans seem less funny.
Summary: Almost forgotten (962 IMDB votes) The Wheeler-Dealers is a mediocre comedy - but if you like the actors - you might enjoy it. Rating ** 1/2
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