Mister 880 (1950)

The Skipper is a charming old man loved by all his neighbors. What they don't know is that he is also Mr. 880, an amateurish counterfeiter who has amazingly managed to elude the Secret ... See full summary »

Director:

Edmund Goulding

Writers:

Robert Riskin (screenplay), St. Clair McKelway (article)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire, Edmund Gwenn

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Burt Lancaster	...	Steve Buchanan
Dorothy McGuire	...	Ann Winslow
Edmund Gwenn	...	'Skipper' Miller
Millard Mitchell	...	'Mac' McIntire
Minor Watson	...	Judge O'Neil
Howard St. John	...	Chief
Hugh Sanders	...	Thad Mitchell
James Millican	...	Olie Johnson

Storyline

The Skipper is a charming old man loved by all his neighbors. What they don't know is that he is also Mr. 880, an amateurish counterfeiter who has amazingly managed to elude the Secret Service for 20 years.

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Plot Keywords:

counterfeiter | based on article | number in title

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

29 September 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Old 880

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Walter Huston was originally to have played Skipper Miller, but he died just as production began.

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Quotes

Ann Winslow: What did you think it was? A boodle of queer?

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Connections

Featured in The Making of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' (2008)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry M. Woods
Played when the man guesses Ann's weight

User Reviews

"Mr.880" is deserved award of Edmund Gwenn.

"Mr.880" tells the story of a sweet and gentle old man who is devoted to fake dollar bills. Just do it from time to time but ten years leading police on her trail. The uniqueness of a case 880, to which no solution could be for many years by U.S. Treasury agents, is a plot interesting enough to intrigue and capture our attention. And the movie really gets much of what it claims, but not so much intrigue but virtually no way of simplicity, where a character "Skipper" (Edmund Gwenn), we find it incredible and where justice rears its apparent band to be taught with eyes wide open.

Edmund Gwenn is the actor that many viewers have enjoyed in "Calabuch" of Berlanga. But Gween is much more, he has a great acting career, primarily as a supporting actor, with illustration by legendary directors. There were films for review as "Sylvia Scarlett" Cukor, "Foreign Correspondent" of Hitchcock or "" Life With Father "of Curtiz.

Burt Lancaster working poor in characters whose significance level is not above the comedy, as is the case. But Lancaster becomes extraordinary with a profile of a hard man, hardened by blows or by life itself, for "Novecento" of Bertolucci's "Il Gattopardo" by Visconti or even "Atlantic City" of Maille.

The beautiful Dorothy McGuire, leaves us a good feeling as it did in "Friendly Persuasion" or "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", she is a great actress.

The film is between the comedy and detective novel has a slow development, the script is not brilliant, but with dialogue that enhance the end. Goulding only works, polishes and clarifies the role of "Skipper" (Edmund Gwenn) who gives all the prominence of the story covering it with an aura of innocence and goodness. Therefore, let the other actors in the background, providing them with a superficial and confused personality.