This movie tries to be funny – that is, the makers tried to make it a roaring comedy, but it fails. Even with a notable cast of some big names, "How Sweet It Is" falls flat fairly fast. Except for a couple of short scenes, the attempts at humor seem forced and heavy. The screenplay piles one situation on top of another to build the humor, but that just makes it tire the more quickly.
The premise was OK but not terribly original by 1968. The film wasn't made by a big name studio or company, and the writers seemed to give up on original humor. So, they try to drum up laughs with sexploitation. That doesn't work either. It just makes the movie seem that much dumber, without real comedy. The actors are OK but not exceptional. James Garner is Grif Henderson, Debbie Reynolds is his wife, Jenny. Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde have small roles, but even they are wasted.
This movie was based on a novel by Muriel Resnik, "The Girl in the Turquoise Bikini." One hopes that the book was much better than the film. Another reviewer noted that James Garner later said that he hated this movie. One can see why. This one isn't worth the price to rent or buy, even on the cheap.
The premise was OK but not terribly original by 1968. The film wasn't made by a big name studio or company, and the writers seemed to give up on original humor. So, they try to drum up laughs with sexploitation. That doesn't work either. It just makes the movie seem that much dumber, without real comedy. The actors are OK but not exceptional. James Garner is Grif Henderson, Debbie Reynolds is his wife, Jenny. Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde have small roles, but even they are wasted.
This movie was based on a novel by Muriel Resnik, "The Girl in the Turquoise Bikini." One hopes that the book was much better than the film. Another reviewer noted that James Garner later said that he hated this movie. One can see why. This one isn't worth the price to rent or buy, even on the cheap.