vincentlynch-moonoi This is the greatest Western of all time! Of course it isn't, nor was it intended to be. This is the worst Western of all time. Of course it isn't. And if you think the latter, then it's been a long time since you watched very many of Hollywood's old Westerns. What this was, was a fun Rat Pack movie. Nothing more. Nothing less. Was it a rehash -- albeit not serious -- of "Gunga Din"? Yes. But for laughs.Dean, Frank, Sammy, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop do what you expect them to do in a Clan movie.But, I'll tell you what this movie has that is on the high end. Scenery -- superb, in the Zion National Park region, and, actually on the trails of Bryce Canyon National Park. And, darned good stunt work. I mean really good! In fact, last evening I watched an Errol Flynn Western, and the poor stunt work and fake horseback riding was so noticeable. Not here. Yes, you know that mostly it's not the Rat Pack on those horses (although Dean actually was a pretty fair rider), but it does look real, and the stunts in some cases are top notch.So, you've got a decent story. You've got Frank and Dean. You've got great western scenery. All that equals a fairly entertaining nearly 2 hours. Take it for what it is!

MARIO GAUCI Ever since my childhood, the Rat Pack films have been staples on Italian TV – but, curiously enough, not this one!; still, as often happens, its long absence doesn’t necessarily make it a lost gem and, actually, it can now be seen as the least of them! In any case, a legitimate DVD edition of it has just been released in time for the 10th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s passing – though I had to make do myself with a barely adequate VHS-to-DVD dub for this viewing…but which, surprisingly ran for 117 minutes when the film’s official length is given as 112! Anyway, personally produced by Sinatra, this emerges as the third version of a Rudyard Kipling story: a sort of GUNGA DIN (1939) parody in Western garb – except that the original already contained strong doses of humor! Old hand W.R. Burnett wrote the script and the necessity here to follow a proper plot renders this less freewheeling than other Rat Peck outings; however, this then results in jarring bouts of violence played alongside revue-style comic sketches! The film’s major set-piece is an extended shootout between the boys and some renegade Indians in a ghost town which culminates in an outburst of fireworks and the shooting of dynamite a' la RIO BRAVO (1959); by the way, Sinatra and Dean Martin had already proved themselves in the genre – most notably with JOHNNY CONCHO (1956) and RIO BRAVO itself respectively (Martin actually became a staple of the gun-and-saddle tradition between 1956 and 1973).With this in mind, the repartee among the stars is par for the course: Martin has the old Cary Grant role, Peter Lawford fills in for Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Sammy Davis Jr., naturally, is Din; as for Joey Bishop’s character, he usually finds himself the brunt of the boys’ jokes. Sinatra himself seems constrained by the martinet role played in GUNGA DIN by Victor McLaglen but, typically, Dino and Davis have fun with their roles. Michael Pate and Henry Silva (as father and son) feature as the rebelling Indians; incidentally, Sinatra and Silva’s next confrontation – later that year in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE – proved far more memorable. It’s also worth pointing out that three of Bing Crosby’s sons appear here as bumbling privates.Director Sturges was himself a Western expert and had already collaborated with Sinatra on the war adventure NEVER SO FEW (1959); he also did a number of Cavalry vs. Indians-type efforts such as ESCAPE FROM FORT BRAVO (1953) and THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL (1965; which was also largely played for laughs).P.S. Shortly after this film’s release, Sinatra fell out badly with Lawford (even throwing him down a flight of stairs!) after President Kennedy – who was Lawford’s brother-in-law – choose to stay over at Bing Crosby’s house rather than his (due to recent allegations of Sinatra’s connection with the Mafia being uncovered) and which explains Lawford’s disappearance from subsequent Rat Pack efforts…

JasparLamarCrabb SERGEANTS 3 is good, but be prepared...it's not a comedy. It's a fun, sometimes rollicking, adventure based (very) loosely on the Gunga Din story and updated to the post-Civil War years. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peter Lawford are the three sergeants of the title. Sammy Davis Jr. is the freed slave who befriends them. Henry Silva is the leader of a group of psychotic Indians bent on wiping out the white man and the appealing Ruta Lee is Lawford's fiancé. There are jokes (mostly provided by Martin) and the film is probably the best directed of the Rat Pack films. That should come as no surprise since the great John Sturges was at the helm. There's not a musical number to be had, but still a very entertaining film. Buddy Lester and Joey Bishop are in it too.

Norvike3 This movie has had trouble being massed reproduced in this country, thus a VHS copy is something of a rare collectible. In the style of the pre 1970 western, this is pretty typical fare, stereotypical handling of Native Americans, 2 dimensional characterization, and lots of shooting. However, aside from that, the plot develops at a nice pace, although the plot (a very rough adaptation of Gunga Dinh) runs thin at times but overall does manage to hold one's interest. Fans of the Rat Pack will note that this may be their weakest movie together, but the boys are all there and working together, so how bad can this movie really be?