The 1993 film "Dennis the Menace" was based on the characters in the 1950's comic strip of the same title by Hank Ketcham which is still being produced. The film has a vague 1950's setting but with modern automobiles and other devices. Dennis Mitchell (Mason Gamble) is a five-year old boy who lives with his parents in an upscale neighborhood. He is a mischievous lad whose special target is his elderly next door neighbor George Wilson (Walter Matthau). Later Dennis encounters a career criminal named "Switchblade Sam." Mr. Wilson's hobbies include gardening and coin collecting. There are several scenes with Mr. Wilson or a burglar holding gold coins. The famous numismatic reference the A Guide Book of United States Coins or "Red Book", edited by R. S. Yeoman, also appears. This is a standard numismatic work on U.S. coins and values which has been published annualy since 1947.

The house is located in a usually quiet upscale neighborhood.

The Mitchell parents, Alice and Henry, both work leaving Dennis alone or with babysitters.

Dennis likes to be with the next door neighbor Mr. Wilson although the feeling is not mutual. Mrs. Martha Wilson likes Dennis and enjoys having him visit.

Mr. Wilson is a member of a garden club and has been growing a strange orchid which blooms once and dies The flower is about to bloom and he is hosting a club party on the bloom date. Dennis and his friends Margaret Wade and Joey McDonald head for the local forest.

The villian of the film is "Switchblade Sam" (Christopher Lloyd), a career criminal who has just left a passing train and is wandering around the neighborhood.

Sam steals Margaret's doll and leaves. Both Mitchell parents have to leave on business trips and, due to Dennis's reputation, can not find a babysitter for Dennis and leave him with the welcoming Mrs. Wilson.

The weather turns rainy keeping Dennis indoors. Dennis watches Mr. Wilson examining his collection of gold coins.

The coins appear to be real US gold coins or very good imitations. Some are St. Gaudens $20 gold coins, named after their designer and minted from 1907 to 1933. The bottom of a "Red Book" page is also visible.

Dennis is bored which means that trouble is coming.

Mr. Wilson writes something in a notebook, probably the grade and value of one of his coins. Dennis goes to the Wilson garage and finds reading material.

The magazine is a real 1950's men's magazine entitled "Peep Show." The names on the magazine cover are also real. Tempest Storm was a famous striptease artist of the 1950's and Mickey Spillane was the author of the hard-boiled adult "Mike Hammer" crime novels. Mr. Wilson follows Dennis and orders him to put the magazine away. Switchblade Sam visits the Wilson's upstairs bedroom and finds a safe.

Sam sees the "treasure", steals some coins, and leaves. Mr. Wilson hosts his garden club outdoor party to watch the orchid bloom. Dennis runs outside and shouts that someone has taken the coins, distracting Mr. Wilson who misses the flower blooming and only sees it dying.

Mr. Wilson yells at Dennis who then leaves for the woods where he encounters Sam.

Sam ties up Dennis with a rope but Dennis unties himself. Dennis suggests that he show Sam how to tie someone up and then ties up Sam. A pair of handcuffs appear and these also restrain Sam.

Dennis "accidently" drops pieces of the burning campfire on Sam. Dennis then searches Sam's bag and finds a ten-dollar bill and Mr. Wilson's coins.

Some St. Gaudens $20 coins appear and Dennis examines one coin.

Dennis loads the still tied-up Sam into his wagon and takes him to town and to the police. Mr. Wilson gets his coins back and now he and Dennis are friends.

Mason Gamble as Dennis Mitchell
Walter Matthau as George Wilson
Lea Thompson as Alice
Robert Stanton as Henry
Joan Plowright as Martha Wilson
Amy Sakasitz as Margaret Wade
Kellen Hathaway as Joey McDonald
Christopher Lloyd as "Switchblade Sam"
Director: Nick Castle
Writers: John Hughes
Based on the 1950's comic strip "Dennis the Menace" by Hank Ketcham.

There was a television series which ran from 1959 to 1963 also called "Dennis the Menace" but the 1993 film makes no direct references to the television program. Mr. Wilson's coin collection appeared in some episodes of the television program. For more details please visit: "Coins on Television - Dennis the Menace"