4 for Texas (1963)

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Teddi Sherman (written by) &
Robert Aldrich (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Comedy

Tagline:

They're Busting Up The West Like It's Never Been Busted Up Before!

Plot:

Frank Sinatra plays a tough guy who hooks up with fellow rat packer Dean Martin to open a casino in this western. |

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Riverboat | Texas | Banker | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Zack Thomas
Dean Martin	...	Joe Jarrett
Anita Ekberg	...	Elya Carlson
Ursula Andress	...	Maxine Richter
Charles Bronson	...	Matson
Victor Buono	...	Harvey Burden (President, Galveston Savings & Trust)
Edric Connor	...	Prince George (carriage driver)
Nick Dennis	...	Angel
Richard Jaeckel	...	Pete Mancini
Mike Mazurki	...	Chad (Zack's bodyguard)
Wesley Addy	...	Winthrop Trowbridge
Marjorie Bennett	...	Miss Emmaline
Virginia Christine	...	Elya Carlson's maid
Ellen Corby	...	Widow
Jack Elam	...	Dobie

Also Known As:

Four for Texas (USA) (alternative spelling)
Two for Texas (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo | Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rated) | West Germany:16 (nf) (original rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #20571) | Canada:PG (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Mojave, California, USA

Company:

Sam Company

Trivia:

Bette Davis declined a role in this film to do Dead Ringer (1964).

Goofs:

Continuity: When the crew of the riverboat leaves to face Zach and his men the boat is so low in the water they are coming up the ramps to the dock at about a 45 degree angle. After the fight and partnership is declared those returning to the boat are again headed up the ramps at about the same angle indicating the boat is now riding high on the water. Very fast tide changes on that river.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joe Jarrett: Take a good look at him. He's the bad guy. And Joe Jarrett - that's me, and Zack Thomas, we're the good guys.
Matson: Let's go.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Big Bang Theory: The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation (#3.1)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

When The Saints Go Marching In

Bloated star vehicle

Meeting each other on a stagecoach full of money where they both defend it from Matson's attack, Zack Thomas and Joe Jarrett immediately get off to a bad start when Jarrett steals the money. When the two later come up against each other in the town where Zack is in charge under the control of the corrupt banker Harvey Burden. However while they plot against each other, bigger forces in the town have a much darker conspiracy.

I watched this as a reasonable fan of the rat pack and their cocky, wise-cracking sense of humour that they usually bring to their films. However here that is almost totally lacking. With the exception of the opening 15 minutes, the film is almost totally devoid of fun. The film opens with Jarrett and Thomas against each other in a simple robbery, however it later meanders through cat and mouse games (which don't work) until it gets to the obvious conclusion (which is so lazy that it even ends with Martin saying `and, oh yeah, this is the end').

None of the action or dialogue is even remotely funny or fun. The whole vehicle had the same kind of movement that Martin's steamer displays – heavy, sluggish and relentlessly moving forward no matter what, these things are not good qualities in a comedy western. I really wanted to like the film, but there was even too little of value for me. The two leads are OK but really have nothing to work with at all, they have one reasonable scene together at the start but from then they are just freewheeling along. Support from Charles Bronson, Jack Elam, Andrews, Buono and the Three Stooges is all pretty wasted and no one is really given very much to work with at all.

Overall this is an example of a poor film from the Rat Pack – lifeless, self indulgent and lacking in fun or wit, made solely on the basis of the two stars being famous and thus bringing an audience with them when the film plays. A bit more wit and sparky dialogue in the script and the loss of some running time could have vastly improved what is really a pretty poor film.