Fitzwilly

Claude Fitzwilliam, butler to the elderly and supposedly wealthy Miss Vicki, knows his mistress is broke. To keep her habits intact he organises the household into a con operation. Juliet, the newly hired secretary, has no idea the staff are thieves. The film is not interested in the ethics of theft. It is interested in how far a servant's loyalty runs: these people commit crimes to protect their employer and nobody questions it. The film does not question it either; it simply moves on to a bigger heist. The form is the American comedy template of the sixties: neatly plotted schemes, a finale set in the crush of Christmas shopping, and a gentle romantic line. One detail for enthusiasts: the symphonic score is by John Williams, credited on screen and on the album as Johnny Williams. The love theme, Make Me Rainbows, was his first collaboration with the lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Delbert Mann directed. Dick Van Dyke plays Fitzwilly, Barbara Feldon plays Juliet. Who it is for: viewers who like light sixties comedy, Dick Van Dyke and Christmas pictures. Who it is not for: anyone expecting tension or sharp humour. The film takes no risks, stays polite, and nobody really gets hurt.