Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Melanie Bouvet The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

mrb1980 In 1969 the comedy team of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin was the hottest property in show business. Their "Laugh-In" show was enormously popular and they were instantly recognizable for their "classy smart guy" (Rowan) and "irritating dumb guy" (Martin) approach to comedy. A Rowan/Martin movie from 1969 named "The Maltese Bippy" would seem like it couldn't miss—but it misses very badly. The movie fails because it apparently was never really fully thought through and it was obviously slapped together in great haste to take advantage of Rowan and Martin's then-current popularity and their "bippy" buzzword craze.Rowan and Martin begin the movie in their familiar tuxedos while performing their usual stand-up act. The film then progresses to a story about Sam Smith (Rowan) and Ernest Gray (Martin), two inept adult movie producers who are evicted from their offices and become mixed up with vampires and various villains. Robert Reed, Mildred Natwick, Dana Elcar, Leon Askin, Carol Lynley, Julie Newmar, and Fritz Weaver are among the familiar faces who pop up during the story, which shows very little coherence or continuity. The movie ends with an extended series of shootings, some of which are fairly bloody and which are perversely played for laughs. The baffling final sequence shows Rowan and Martin holding hands while walking into the sunset.While Rowan and Martin plus the supporting cast are very appealing, the story is so weak and fractured that it's not surprising that the movie flopped. The climactic shootings, which take place in one small room, are apparently meant to be really funny but made me quite uncomfortable instead. Gray's (Martin's) dream sequence about a werewolf is painfully unfunny, and his attempts to murder his wife (Lynley) while under hypnosis are quite unpleasant. The sequence with Sam Smith (Rowan) preparing to recover swallowed gems via amateur surgery using a butcher knife is just too sick to be funny. It was good to see departed actors Robert Reed, Leon Askin, and Dana Elcar, but their roles were reduced almost to the point of irrelevancy. Julie Newmar and Carol Lynley are very beautiful and add at least a little energy to the proceedings.Anyone who remembers 1969 is familiar with Rowan and Martin and their hugely popular television comedy show. It seemed as though in 1969 the team could do no wrong but they failed miserably here. "The Maltese Bippy" is a badly missed opportunity and is a reminder that just because one or two very popular people are in a movie's cast, that doesn't mean the movie will be good or successful. Rowan and Martin never made another film. That's too bad, since with the right story, script, and director a Rowan/Martin movie from 1969 could have been good. It's an interesting time capsule, but it's unfortunately not a high-quality one.

ksf-2 I SO wanted to like this one, since i LOVED Laugh In, but the script was SO weak. None of the jokes are funny, but at least we get to see some familiar faces: Rowan & Martin, with Leon Askin (General Burkhalter from Hogan's Heroes), Robert Reed, from Brady Bunch, is the Lieutenant, and the fantabulous Catwoman Julie Newmar. So we go around the mulberry bush a few times, everyone gets a few one liners, and it ends. The funniest part of the whole movie is the last two minutes, but you'll have to watch it for yourself. Looks like Martin went on to direct a whole lot of TV, after the Laugh In days. This film directed by Norman Panama, who actually had directed many a comedy, but didn't really shine on this one. Maybe they lacked the budget for big names, or screenwriters to jazz up the script. As of today, it only rates a 4 out of 10 stars.

sultana-1 This was designed to capitalize on the run-away popularity of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In during the late 60's, but it was neither fish nor fowl. And many of the jokes today are badly dated. What is left is Dick Martin's absurdist slapstick and a very clever ending that tries hard to salvage the film, If you wish to re-visit the 1960's, this is a great film for you. Otherwaise, it's just mediocre.

larryhansen If you're like me and like the crazy comedies of the 60's, then it would be worth checking out this one. The chemistry of Dan Rowan (1922-1987) and Dick Martin (1922-date) was fantastic and at times was sorely needed to carry this film which starts out slow, but picks up laughs as it goes. The story involves Ernest Gray (Dick Martin) buying a house in Flushing, Queens, New York. There's a murder in the neighborhood, wacky neighbors who act like vampires, and it turns out everybody's looking for $2 Million worth of diamonds left in the house by the previous owner. By the end of the movie, just about everyone is dead, and in wacky '60's style, Rowan and Martin actually argue on camera as to how the movie should finish. The hysterical ending, along with beauties Carol Lynley and Julie Newmar, make this otherwise lame comedy bearable.Good for a rainy Saturday Afternoon!Recommended from the '60's: Peter Sellers in: I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968), The Party (1968), The Magic Christian (1969).