Surprise Package (film)

Surprise Package

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Stanley Donen
Produced by Stanley Donen
Paul B. Radin
Screenplay by Harry Kurnitz
Based on A Gift from the Boys
1958 novel
by Art Buchwald[1]
Starring Yul Brynner
Mitzi Gaynor
Noël Coward
Music by Benjamin Frankel
Cinematography Christopher Challis
Edited by Jim Clark
Production
company
Stanley Donen Productions
Distributed by Columbia Pictures Corporation
Release dates
  • September 29, 1960 (1960-09-29) (USA)
Running time
 100 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $1,100,000 (US/ Canada)[2]

Surprise Package is a 1960 American comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Yul Brynner, Mitzi Gaynor, Noël Coward, Eric Pohlmann and Barry Foster.[3] An American gangster living on a Greek island and a deposed King hatch a plan to steal some crown jewels.[4]

Plot

Nico March (Yul Brynner) is being deported by the U.S. government. Not wanting his money confiscated, he orders accomplice Johnny (Bill Nagy) to hide it for now while also keeping an eye on Nico's longtime girlfriend, Gabby Rogers (Mitzi Gaynor).

Exiled to an island, Nico quickly meets corrupt cop Mirales (George Coulouris), who wants a bribe, and a banished king, Pavel (Noël Coward), who wants to sell Nico his old crown. Nico is double-crossed by Johnny, who instead of sending him the money sends Gabby instead.

Nico figures out where the king's crown is hidden inside the old castle and plans to steal it, using Gabby to distract him. Other criminals, including Dr. Panzer (George Coulouris) and strongman Igor (Alf Dean), want to get to it first. They steal it from Nico and knock him unconscious, but end up placed under arrest. Tibor (Guy Deghy), Nico's Hungarian spy friend, steals it back, and gets shot and dies in Gabby's arms, and Gabby gives it to Stavrin (Lyndon Brook), who will place the crown in a monastery, for all the people of Anatolia to see. Nico proposes, and Gabby accepts, and they get married. Nico and the king both need money, so they turn the latter's castle into a casino, where Gabby "now" works as the hat & coat check girl.

Cast

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=53302
  2. ↑ "Rental Potentials of 1960", Variety, 4 January 1961 p 47. Please note figures are rentals as opposed to total gross.
  3. ↑ IMDb.com
  4. ↑ BFI.org


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