IMDb > Surprise Package (1960)

Surprise Package (1960) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
5.9/10   67 votes
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Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Stanley Donen
Writers:
Art Buchwald (writer)
Harry Kurnitz (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Surprise Package on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 December 1960 (West Germany) more
Genre:
Comedy
User Comments:
King Coward more (2 total)

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Yul Brynner ... Nico March
Mitzi Gaynor ... Gabby Rogers
Noel Coward ... King Pavel II

Eric Pohlmann ... Chief of Police Stefan Miralis
George Coulouris ... Dr. Hugo Panzer
Guy Deghy ... Tibor Smolny
Warren Mitchell ... Klimatis
Lyndon Brook ... Stavrin
Alf Dean ... Igor Trofim (as Man Mountain Dean)
Lionel Murton ... US Marshal
Barry Foster ... US Marshal
Bill Nagy ... Johnny Stettina
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
100 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11
Filming Locations:
Lindos, Rhodes, Greece
Company:
Columbia Pictures Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Whilst filming Yul, Mitzi, and other members of the crew played an improvised game of cricket in the Acropolis Lindos. more
Soundtrack:
Surprise Package more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
13 out of 19 people found the following comment useful.
King Coward, 21 April 2004
5/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

Charlton Heston in his memoirs said that when he was signing for his part in Touch of Evil it was mentioned that Orson Welles was going to be playing the sheriff, but that Universal still hadn't selected a director. Well says Heston, why don't you get Orson Welles to direct. Duh, says the studio heads, that's a splendid idea.

On Surprise Package with none other than Noel Coward in the cast, why didn't they get him to take charge of the whole thing. It is amazing to me that with all the talent in this project a better product didn't emerge.

This is a caper film involving a deported U.S. gangster played by Yul Brynner now living on a Greek island trying to steal the crown of the exiled King of Anatolia played by Coward. Along for the ride is Mitzi Gaynor as Brynner's moll and the baddie played by George Coulouris from the People's Republic of Anatolia, the gang that overthrew the king. The director is Stanley Donen from a novel by humorist Art Buchwald.

Brynner is terribly miscast in his part. A gangster I can believe him as, but he just has no flair for comedy. There were some comic moments in the King and I, but that's overall, a serious part. Coward looks bored by the whole thing, I wish he had scripted and directed it also and he probably wished he did too. George Coulouris was his usual menacing self.

Mitzi Gaynor was a fine musical talent who came along just when musical films were ending. She was probably grateful for a number or two in this film. Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn wrote the title tune which she sings as well as Noel Coward. Can you imagine if he had contributed some musical number as well?

The script has some topical references to the Cold War, the Appalachian underworld gathering, rigged quiz shows, etc. etc. that Yul and the cast comment on.

It also would have been nice since this takes place in the Greek Islands to have splurged for some technicolor.

If you see it, try to view it as a curiosity. Someone should have whispered in ears of the studio heads at Columbia the way Charlton Heston did at Universal.

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