This Disney comedy is based more on situations rather than story, loosely utilizing a group of jewel thieves to create a minor conflict, overstuffed with a huge ensemble that nearly eclipses "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". Phil Silvers, from the cast of that comical blockbuster, walks away with this film, his smirking "How ya doin'" character easily stealing every scene he's in. His gang includes Norman Fell, Mickey Shaughnessy and Judith's Jordan, disguised in a geisha outfit yet obviously not Japanese.

The unofficial leads are Stefanie Powers and Robert Morse, with the later playing a rather clumsy coast guard ensign, working with commander Don Ameche to break up the jewel smuggler's operation after finding out that Silvers and his cohorts are smuggling jewelery in kosher dill pickles, huge sausages and roasted chicken. There's a bunch of zany bits concerning nerdy looking Wally Cox who appears to be getting ready to sail to Tahiti with an all girl crew, and funny bits with elderly fisherman Al Lewis and his shrewish wife Florence Halop.

The film is colorful and frequently amusing, but not in the laugh out loud way that I probably enjoyed when I saw it at a Saturday matinee when it first came out. The Balboa setting is gorgeous with tons of yachts trying to avoid collusion and a bunch of truly nutty characters that always populated these over-the-top Disney family comedies. Racial stereotypes may have some viewers cringing, but for me, the jokes mainly fall far too flat to really be offensive. Better writers and direction could have made this a lot better.

Like THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG five-years later, Disney juggles two stories in one with wacky villains and a kindheart4ed underdog in a World War II hero's son taking over a West Coast/Coast Guard headed by strict Don Ameche bossing the short, pudgy, gap-toothed Robert Morse...

Way too quickly hooked up with gorgeous sailing instructor Stefanie Powers, who rents vessels to three bumbling jewel thieves headed by Phil Silvers flanked by a cautious Norman Fell and dimwitted Mickey Shaughnessy...

Who take up most of the film, NOT in trying to sail to Mexico but attempting to recover the treasure where they accidentally dropped it in the bay...

Thus providing Morse a chance to prove he's isn't a flake, which is strange since, as the film's "jinxed" lead, he's really not all that clumsy or unlucky...

Meanwhile the best scenes ultimately become the slowest as the crooks keep ahead of their pursuers using a stolen mini submarine in a 100-minute comedy that should've been a sparse 80...

But, overall, the most enjoyable aspect is visual as in bikinis and tan shirtless souls on yachts and sailboats under So Cal's groovy 1970's sunshine: A freedom long gone.