vincentlynch-moonoi This film was Dean's followup to "Airport". It's not a great film, but it is a decent Western, and better than I remembered it being...perhaps because I sometimes confuse it with another of Dean's films from that era -- "Texas Across The River".Perhaps it's my age that has led to a great appreciation of this film. When it came out I was a 22 year old fan of Dean's. Now, seeing it again, I'm a 63 year old fan of Dean's. And Dean is...well, cool in this movie. But the appreciation comes with the story -- the realization as one gets older that if he never has done "something big" (fortunately I have), then there may be that desire to do "something big" before one dies. And Dean plays it pretty well here. He's the right age and has the right attitude. And, before I forget to mention it, does most of his own horse riding in it (Dean actually owned show horses and was quite good). That's not to say that Dean's character is totally likable -- after all, he is kidnapping a woman to trade her for a Gatling gun! Although, they keep it in bounds by Dean's realization that what he's doing is bothering his conscience.I've never been much of a fan of Brain Keith, but he does fine as the army colonel who wants to know what Dean is going to do that is "something big", only to find out that part of it is kidnapping his (Keith's) wife! Honor Blackman played her part as Brian Keith's wife quite well here...she gave it he gravitas needed. Ben Johnson was fun as the Army scout. Albert Salmi appropriately disgusting as a dirty character desperately in need of a woman. Joyce Van Patten good as a man-hungry woman. Denver Pyle is a totally meaningless role; why did he even take it? And Harry Carey Jr as a peg-legged cowboy was entertaining.Very watchable and a bit tongue in cheek.

mw0650 I just recently watched this movie on YouTube in 10 parts. What a fun picture. This is Dean's most lovable part of all the movies he's made. Please watch it and rate it. If you don't agree with me, I'll be surprised. The theme song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David is wonderful. It was sung by Mark Lindsey of Paul Revere and the Raiders fame. There is a cute dog who rides in the saddle with Dean. Brian Keith is great too. There are lots of funny lines. Then there is the sex girls who Brian Keith runs into. Dean is so vulnerable in this picture, which is unusual for him. Dean says he is confused about all the things he as to worry about. It's giving him a headache!

markspangler1 "Something Big" has always gotten a bad wrap from critics, but I have to disagree with them on this one.This flick is good, fun, western escapism at it's non political correctness best. Just two years later Mel Brooks was hailed for a much raunchier "Blazing Saddles", but for some reason "Something Big" was deemed way over the top in 1971. Sad, since by this point, after his "Airport" success, Dean was at the tail end of a hectic 25-year film making career. One senses that as Dean prepares to end his outlaw ways in the film, he was saying goodbye to the movie... after a continuous run of at least one film per year since 1949. Indeed, other than the Cannonball Run nonsense in the 80s, Dean would do only two more films... 1973's "Showdown" with Rock Hudson (a good one!) and 1975's crime drama "Mr. Ricco" (a MUST SEE for Dean fans).Anyway... onto "Something Big". Dean is on his last legs as an outlaw and wants to pull one more "big" event. This one involves getting a gattling gun, trying to get Albert Salmi a wife, putting some Mexican banditos on ice and ... ah, well, it's kind of a rollicking mish mash, but it's a lot of fun on the way!Dean is really in his element and shines as the anti-hero. Brian Keith is a hoot as a stiff calvary officer and other great supporting cast members like the great Ben Johnson and the above mentioned Albert Salmi make this one a must see. Like Dean's television show of the time, this flick doesn't take itself too seriously, but you know, deep down, the bad guys really aren't too bad and work with their own sort of code of honor. Speaking of honor, Honor Blackmun is good here too.Other Dean Martin westerns I'd recommend are Rio Bravo, Rough Night in Jericho and especially Showdown. He did others, but The Sons of Katie Elder and Five Card Stud weren't up to par in my opinion-although they are watchable. Only Four For Texas is truly bad.Too bad this isn't available on video or DVD. The Dean Martin catalog is seriously under represented in video and DVD and I hope that is rectified sometime soon.Enjoy "Something Big" for what it is... a bit randier version of "Support Your Local Sheriff" type of thing, with a pretty good cast of A list players, good locations and cinematography and a funny script. The deep blue arid skies and dusty locales are truly beautiful and may have been filmed near the Superstition Mts. in Arizona where I once lived, so the movie has a special place in my heart. The best thing I can say about this film is that it made me want to be one of the characters in it, looking for an adventure and finding it in the old west. No cares, no responsibilities, just a desire, once in life to do something really, really big!

Cal-16 Sure the story's great and the dog's adorable, but I think the subplot's the best part. All Jonny Cobb wanted out of life these days was a woman, but women were hard to find in such an arid place. Ol' Baker's a resourceful guy, though, so let him find Cobb a woman. Give him a little incentive and there's no end to what he could accomplish. So that's what Jonny did. He promised to get him a gatlin gun if Baker would get him a woman. The way this subplot ends makes me laugh out loud. The perfect solution!