I watched this recently as part of the Ultimate Rat Pack collection that I had purchased a while ago. I couldn't remember if I'd even seen it before although I grew up in the 60s when these flicks were on TV regularly. After viewing I realized why I couldn't remember it...it is singularly unmemorable, unlike Oceans 11 or Robin and the Seven Hoods featured in the same collection. It's a comedy-western that's not particularly funny or all that exciting. Frank and Dean breeze through this thing of course as only they can, mugging,joking almost winking at each other 'ain't we too much' during their scenes together. I'm assuming Robert Aldrich the director was merely there to corral the extras since neither of the main stars attempts to take any direction. This is not to say they are entirely un watchable but even for this kind of thing both have done better. Ursula Andress and Anita Ekberg look spectacular in various revealing outfits and Charles Bronson seems to be the only actor taking the whole thing seriously. The 3 Stooges show up and do a shtick that livens things up after the movie seems to slow to a crawl. Character actors Victor Buono(probably gives the best performance),Jack Elam,Richard Jaekel and a few other familiar faces round out the cast. The plot? Well, who cares really, you're watching this to see Frank and Dean do their thing and to some degree they do, but really it's all somewhat snooze inducing. The film of course is very much of its era when the Rat Pack ruled and smoking, drinking, gambling and womanizing were casually portrayed without any apologies. I do actually enjoy these kind of movies and have built up a collection on DVD over the last while that reflects my nostalgia for that time. I just wish this one was better.
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rich568 November 2008
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hitchcockthelegend26 April 20134 for Texas is directed by Robert Aldrich who also co-writes the screenplay with Teddi Sherman. It stars Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Anita Ekberg, Ursula Andess and Charles Bronson. Music is by Nelson Riddle and cinematography by Ernest Laszlo.
Plot follows the shenanigans of two rivals played by Sinatra and Martin who have designs on a waterside casino. Bandido Charles Bronson is on their tails while Ekberg and Andress file in for romantic interests.
Aldrich disliked the film (the director famously couldn't get on with Sinatra), its reputation is decidedly lukewarm and The Three Stooges make an embarrassingly pointless cameo, 4 for Texas is a distinctly average comedy/western. The star power keeps it watchable, with rat packers Deano and Frank constantly trying to score machismo points - Ekberg & Andress lighting up the screen with natural beauty - Bronson in solid villain role, and it's pleasingly photographed by Laszlo. Yet it's a mundane screenplay and the run time needed to be cut by at least half an hour. It's also such a waste to not have Aldrich (is this the same guy who directed Ulzana's Raid and Vera Cruz?) show his skills at action construction, especially since the soggy story needed some perk- me-ups!
One to chalk off of your Aldrich/Rat Pack film lists, then, where once viewed, it's unlikely that anyone but hard core fans of the stars will want to revisit. 5/10 -
This movie has four stars, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress, so I gave it four stars. Actually two stars are for Dean Martin's attempts to add humor. Anita and Ursula get one each, but Frank Sinatra gets no stars.
When the movie opens a group of bandits are attacking a stage-coach. Frank Sinatra is shooting the bandits from the top of the coach, while Dean Martin is shooting them from out the window of the coach. Sinatra has a silly grin on his face as he shoots. There is no indication that he might die any moment or that he is actually killing human beings. He is smiling as if he is just playing a game. Dean Martin also looks totally relaxed and nonchalant, but he is not grinning the way Sinatra is. There is no acting going on here. It is as if the director said to Sinatra, "Smile and shoot the gun." Anybody above the age of ten could have played the scene more realistically.
I understand that Aldrich was upset with Sinatra. He said that Sinatra worked a total of 80 hours over a 38 day period. In other words, he worked about two days a week, for five or six hours a day, over a seven week period. Nice work if you can get it. I wonder if Aldrich used the inappropriate footage in the opening scene as a way of getting revenge on Sinatra, actually purposefully making him look like a bad actor.
While the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra both have about twenty minutes of scene time in the first half of the movie, Sinatra only has a few quick scenes in the second half until he walks in at the end for the climatic fight scene. I'm also wondering if Aldrich cut down on Sinatra's scenes when he saw that Sinatra was just saying his lines and not acting.
Anita Ekberg was paired with Sinatra, but there was no chemistry there. She is only on-screen for about ten minutes. I suspect that Aldrich cut scenes with her and Sinatra when he saw that they weren't working.
On the other hand, Ursula Andress does connect with Martin and the scenes of him lusting over her may be sexist, but they are practically the only amusing scenes in the film. Just as in the first James Bond movie, "Dr. No." she appears only after the film is half over. Unlike the James Bond movie, she cannot save this film, but she does relieve some of the tedium.
Aldridge is a fantastic director under the right circumstances. "Kiss Me Deadly," "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane," and "Emperor of the North Pole," are my favorites. I suspect that he really wanted to create tension between Sinatra's and Martin's characters, but Sinatra refused and only wanted the rivalry to be good-natured kidding between pals. Apparently, he sought to get Sinatra fired, but failed. The result is a movie that moves at glacier speed and has few surprises, unless you can call the pointless appearance of the Three Stooges, a surprise.
I think only Ursula Andress fans will enjoy this one. She wears some great dresses and appears quite self assured, relaxed and sexy. If you are one, just watch the second half. You won't miss anything. -
bwaynef2 April 1999What, I wonder, would a director do on the set of a movie starring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin? Light their cigarettes? Mix their drinks? Laugh at their jokes? One thing he certainly does not do is play "auteur." The director is present to say "Cut" and "Print," not to pursue his "vision" or any of that arty stuff. "Four for Texas" gave Robert Aldrich a pair of stars who, in terms of popularity, may have been the male equivalent of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford whom he had directed the previous year in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" But whereas Davis and Crawford were passionate enemies, Ol' Blue Eyes and Ol' Dino were the best of buddies, and their movies treated as casually as any of their swingin' Vegas gigs. It was an opportunity to have some fun and get paid doing it. If that fun translated to the screen, fine, but in this movie the cast appears to be entertaining itself while putting the audience to sleep. If Aldrich had no control over Frank and Dino, he compensated by overdirecting Charles Bronson who is as animated--for him--as Bugs Bunny. The whole shebang is a comedy-western, but there are virtually no laughs, only snickers--from the cast, not the audience. In comparison, "Ocean's 11" is some kind of classic.
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Nazi_Fighter_David16 August 2007Bronsonin this supposed comedy-westernas outlaw leader Matson who works for crooked banker Victor Buono, helps start the film off on a high note of action He and his henchmen attack a stagecoach whose passengers include Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra
After repulsing the bandits, Zack (Sinatra) discloses a bag containing $100,000, and Joe (Martin) unexpectedly relieves him of the money at gunpoint
In Galveston, Joe deposits the money in a bank run by Harvey Burden (Buono), a thief who has supported Zack's efforts to become the town's gambling king
When Zack arrives in town, Matson tries to kill him, but Joe interferes, saving Zack's life Then Zack learns that Joe intends to compete with him by converting an abandoned riverboat into a gambling saloon Outraged, he raises a gang, intending to take over the boat on opening night But Burden has plans of his own
Much of the plot, such as it is, is taken up with the comic rivalry between Martin and Sinatra, involving with womanizing and gambling The three Stooges doing one of their ancient routines provide a gay moment Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress are an absolute pleasure to look at And if you want to know the answer of Joe to Ursula's commentary: "You didn't notice what I'm wearing," don't miss this nice, civilized picture -
moonspinner5529 June 2007Frank Sinatra plays Texas big-shot who teams up with saloon-owner Dean Martin to thwart an evil banker; Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress play--what else?--the bosomy love-interests. Comedic western directed and co-written by the uneven Robert Aldrich, who doesn't seem to notice that Sinatra and the gang are running precariously low on steam. Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford aren't around this time, but the supporting cast does include Charles Bronson, Richard Jaekel, Mike Mazurki and Victor Buono, as well as a cameo by The Three Stooges (!). Star-vehicle is curiously talky and slow on adventure, not to mention laughs. *1/2 from ****
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bob the moo14 November 2003Meeting 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. -
Bunuel197625 May 2008Like SERGEANTS 3 (1962), the actual running time (115 minutes) of this 1963 Christmas attraction differs from the official one (124 minutes) – although, in this case, it could well be the result of the lopping off of the Prelude, Intermission, Entr’ Acte and Exit Music pieces. While still in essence an overblown and thinly-plotted ego-trip, it’s certainly more entertaining than the Rat Pack’s previous Western outing.
Frank Sinatra’s pampered tycoon character is annoyingly narcissistic at times and Anita Ekberg is just there to abet him and as an added scenery attraction; by contrast, Dean Martin and a sultry Ursula Andress (a role originally intended for Gina Lollobrigida!!) thoroughly enjoy themselves. Director Aldrich also allows two of his previous collaborators free rein: a constantly burping banker (Victor Buono) and Martin’s diminutive bodyguard (Nick Dennis) ham it up mercilessly but result in being definite assets to the proceedings; Charles Bronson is the straight villain and other familiar faces appearing here include Mike Mazurki (as Sinatra’s own dim-witted bodyguard), Richard Jaeckel, Abraham Sofaer, Grady Sutton, etc. The guest appearance by The Three Stooges is cute but hardly outstanding (though Martin does get to slap all three at once!), emerging as a sure sign of the film’s anything-goes attitude!
Again, Aldrich (who apparently intensely disliked Sinatra!) had tackled Westerns that were both terse and significant before – but, here, he seems to have purposely taken a back seat to the stars’ antics (albeit with the occasional inventive visual touch). By the way, none other than Bette Davis declined a part in the film in order to star in yet another horror piece (a phase in her career which, coincidentally, Aldrich himself had spearheaded) – DEAD RINGER (1964; which I own on DVD but have yet to watch) – though it’s hard to see now where she would have fitted in.
All things considered, the film is a colorful and easy-going romp – culminating in a fistfight between the stars, which is followed by them burying the hatchet in order to rout Bronson (whose riverboat demise is a highlight) and Buono, and ending with a double wedding. The Warners DVD contains a short ‘making of” featurette which shows the cast and crew doing their stuff on the set. -
Flak_Magnet10 September 2009Check out the cast of this Western: Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, a young (and STUNNING) Ursula Andress, and the Three Stooges. Sounds good, right? Well no... Unfortunately, it really isn't. Despite an eclectic cast and Ursula Andress' face, "4 for Texas" largely fails to entertain. This picture is just too boring and predictable to be worth much. Ursula Andress doesn't show up until the second half, and her sex appeal is greatly underutilized. Similarly, the Three Stooges only get 2-min of screen time, and it is easily the film's high point. For the majority of the movie, you are stuck with a visibly drunk Dean Martin, who is just going through the motions and generally not giving a damn. Frank Sinatra's performance is all right, even if he is just playing himself, but unfortunately, he isn't captivating enough to be an effective leading man. The story is contrived and predictable, but not terrible enough to crack jokes at. I didn't hate this movie, but it was a tedious, largely uneventful watch. This is the kind of picture where I kept waiting for good things to happen, but nothing ever panned out. When the dust settled, "4 for Texas" was a disappointment. Aside from an occasional gawk at Ursula, this was an entirely forgettable waste. Not recommended.
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nak1527 November 2000Though it starts off slow and at times is a bit cheesey, this Rat Packer film is actually a lot of fun and the story line is actually pretty good. This film is a must see for Ursula Andress fans. Her performance is great and she is wonderful at being sensual without appearing slutty. She also looks amazing; I have never wanted to be Dean Martin so much in my life.
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planktonrules13 August 2013This film stars the two biggest members of the so-called 'Rat Pack'--Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Oddly, the film is a western--and it's very strange to see either of these guys in a western. You'd expect to see them in a film like "Oceans Eleven"...not the old west. Even weirder, the European sex-pots Ursula Andress and Anita Ekberg are along for the ride...and a bumpy one at that considering how ill-cast the production seemed. And you KNOW it's got a bizarre choice of actors when the Three Stooges seem more appropriately cast! The only really appropriately cast guy was Charles Bronson--and he was pretty much wasted.
The film begins with Zack (Sinatra) and Joe (Martin) happening on a stage coach that has been attacked. The passengers and crew are dead but the hidden gold is still there. Both men want it and Joe ends up with it after some interesting machinations. Much of the rest of the film consists of Joe and Zack trying to outsmart each other--all the while, Zack's partners are planning on double-crossing them.
Sometimes, instead of writing a review, I wish I could simply write "Read so-and-so's review--they said it as good or better than I could...plus they wrote it first". This is exactly the case with the review for "4 For Texas" by Bob the Moo. Bob's analysis of the film is correct when he said it is '...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'. This really sums it up very well! The film, despite a quirky and clever start, soon bogs down and all sense of fun soon diminishes. In fact, so does any sense that either of the leads even cared! It was like they were just going through the paces--assuming the Rat Pack lovers would show up in the theaters in droves regardless. My assumption is that, for the most part, they were correct. The writing was amateurish and often made no sense (especially the scenes where Martin and Andress meet), the acting uninspired, pacing listless and the film looked good but was very unsatisfying--much like the desserts you'd find at an all you can eat buffet. A cynical and forgettable film. -
blueeyesh21 December 2010I watched this movie for one reason only: because I like Dean Martin. Frank Sinatra Made the deal a little sweeter. The story wasn't comparable to other westerns (John Wayne, Randy Scott, etc.), but, for some reason, I found it interesting. Some of Dean's best roles were with John Wayne, but, in this picture, he played what appeared to me to be a very lovable "good guy". Many people say that the best scene is the one with the 3 Stooges, which is fairly accurate, but I must be a Dean Martin junkie. I have also heard people say that his best roles were in the movies where he appeared as Martin from the great comedy duo "Martin & Lewis". I have found, however, that, no matter how much he "drinks" in movies, he is an awesome actor, and an even better singer! Remember this: people used to ridicule him for drinking on stage and on film, but, hey, Ron White has had to stop in the middle of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour to refill his glass. You know his is real, because his jokes actually seem to get better as he goes along. And, no one really says anything about it.
Overall, I'd say you have to be a big fan of Dean and Frank to enjoy this film, or someone who loves watching those sort of "off-beat" westerns. -
morganmpoet30 December 2014I read the other reviews, everyone has hit the major observations regarding this film, having said that, Dino is enjoyable & there's no negatives about watching Anita Ekberg, Eva Six (briefly scene as Buono's wife in the steamboat ending sequences) which is amusing considering earlier scenes that have Buono all bothered seeing Anita in sexy attire since Eva who plays Buono's wife is JUST as hot! Ursula Andress adds another bit of icing to this schmaltzy cake of 60's western comedy.
Other pluses Bronson is Bronson but more animated making for an interesting performance, Victor Buono is great as usual, Richard Jackael, Mike Mazzurka, many other character actors in this film to enjoy. It is what it is, Aldrich was coasting so he could get the green light for his next film, I don't think he had any doubts about what it was or how it was turning out, for him it was business so he could get on to a film he really wanted to do.
It's in my collection & I play it as 'background' when I'm doing other things, it's light, fluffy & completely mired in the 60's which for me is a plus. -
Spaghetti western helmer Sergio Leone worshipped American director Robert Aldritch, even though Leone's experience as Aldritch's second-unit director on the Biblical epic "Sodom and Gomorrah (1962) proved short-lived. After he attained fame and fortune with his "Dollars" trilogy, Leone said that he owed it all to Aldritch. The Italian maestro rhapsodized especially over an earlier Aldritch oater "Vera Cruz" (1954) with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster. The best part of Aldritch's "Four For Texas" is the opening gambit. This exciting but abortive stagecoach robbery foreshadows everything that the Spaghetti western later espoused as its formula and ideology.
Matson (Charles Bronson of "The Dirty Dozen") and his gang are in hot pursuit after a stagecoach carrying $100-thousand dollars. Galveston entrepreneur Zack Thomas (Frank Sinatra of "Sergeants 3") lies sprawled atop the coach. He shoots at the bad guys with his Winchester repeating rifle, while Joe Jarrett (Dean Martin of "Rio Bravo") rides inside the vehicle. Joe pokes his head and gun arm out the window and racks up his share of kills. Our heroes dispatch at least six of Matson's gang before Matson calls a halt to the pursuit and withdraws to head back to town. One of Matson's cronies, Dobie (Jack Elam of "Once Upon A Time in the West), who appears in pre-Sergio Leone style close-up briefly, warns Matson that their boss, treacherous Harvey Burden (Victor Buono of "The Silencers"), won't be happy that they failed. Without blinking an eye, Matson guns down Dobie, blasting him out of the saddle with one lethal shot. Meanwhile, the stagecoach rider dies from a wound that he received from Matson's men and Zack has to stop a runaway stagecoach. He cannot and the vehicle rolls over with a crash. For the rest of the sequence, Zack and Joe engage in a contest of one-upmanship, the kind of games that Blonde and Tuco played in "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly." First, Joe gets the drop on Zack who no longer has his rifle and takes the money. Second, Zack retrieves an entirely different Winchester rifle that he found cached with the money. He waits until Joe has ridden far enough away so that he can open up on him with his Winchester without fear of retaliatory gunfire. When this occurs, Joe realizes that he is at Zack's mercy. Joe's six-gun lacks the longer more accurate range of Zack's rifle. Zack forces Joe to fork over the fortune. Third, Joe surprises Zack when he palms a derringer concealed inside his Stetson and appropriates the money for the second time. In the first instance, Frank Sinatra behaves like a Spaghetti western anti-hero might as he ignites a cigar and patiently allows Dean Martin to out of range before he wields the Winchester. Sinatra even wears an outfit roughly similar to the togs that 'the Man With No Name' sported. This entire scene is better than anything else in this otherwise mediocre western. "Four for Texas" indulges in the two themes that characterized Italian westerns: (1) a cynical disregard for human life, and (2) an obsession with money that amounts to greed. The setting with its sharply-chiseled mountain peaks rearing up majestically in the background and arid desert stretching for miles in every direction replicates the typical south of the border scenery in spaghetti westerns. Indeed, for all practical purposes, the opening scene in "Four For Texas" qualifies as the only scene with action lensed on location beyond the confines of the studio.
Meanwhile, gluttonous Harvey Burden acts like Zack's friend. What Zack doesn't know is that the President of the Galveston Savings & Trust Bank has Matson and his gang of cutthroats secretly on his payroll. Victor Buono's first scene in Galveston is wonderful. He explains to "Walton's" star Ellen Corby, a widow with another elderly woman in a wheelchair with her, that if he loaned them the money that they requested that eventually he might have to foreclose on them and earn a bad reputation in the process. At about that time, Joe Jarrett shows up in town with the fortune in money sewn into his suit jacket and deposits it in Harvey's bank. Joe and Zack have the oddest friendship that evolves over time once they meet each other's girlfriends. Zack keeps fashion designer Elya Carlson (the voluptuous Swedish beauty Anita Ekberg of "La Dolce Vita") as his main squeeze. Joe hooks up with scantily clad Maxine Richter (Ursula Andress of "Dr. No") who owns a rundown riverboat that Joe helps her convert into a floating casino. Roughly speaking, the time that elapses between Joe's arrival in Galveston until the climactic scene on the docks when Zack and he join forces is equivalent to the time it takes to refurbish Maxine's riverboat.
"Four For Texas" conjures up few surprises to keep you guessing throughout its uneven 115 minutes. Zack and Joe play cat and mouse games, but you know that Frank and Dean couldn't remain at loggerheads for long. The chief bad guy here is Charles Bronson and it takes both of them to whip him. Bronson's death scene on the paddle wheel of the riverboat looks cool. The relationship between Victor Buono and Charles Bronson conceals the only surprise. An unbelievable moment occurs in Galveston that refutes the opening scene where our heroes ruthlessly tried to eliminate the outlaws. Jarrett wings Matson in a restaurant as the evildoer is poised to bushwhack Zack. That Joe and Zack would let Matson live is difficult to swallow, especially after their deadly shooting during the hold-up attempt. The brawl on the docks at the end looks like poor crowd control, but there is another surprise that comes out. However, by this time, "Four For Texas" has sacrificed any dramatic vigor as an interesting western. Unless you're a Rat Packer, skip "Four For Texas." -
ma-cortes5 February 2019This sometimes lively comedy western , though frankly tiring , contains a great but wasted cast . It starts with the opening credits: The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or events is purely coincidental . ¨4 for Texas¨ is set in the old west where outlaws and powerful people fight for a stash of gold . It packs a motley group of roles : A swindler insurance agent (Frank Sinatra) , an adventurer (Dean Martin) who winds up with a bag of someones else's cash , a banker (Victor Buono) is up to no good in Galveston and he hires a hired gun (Charles Bronson making the most impression) . As starring duo : Sinatra , Martin , play a couple of lovable rogues who make a last-ditch alliance to defeat even bigger crooks themselves . As Sinatra attempts to get the better of both of them . Later on ,there appears two beautiful girls (Anita Ekberg , Úrsula Andress , though one of the roles was originally intented for Gina Lollobrigida) to conquer them . The far out story of the far west. How the West Was Lost! They're Busting Up The West Like It's Never Been Busted Up Before! It's a daisy!
A lousy blend of comedy , Western , thrills , excessive dialogue with no sense and far too dependant on the femine charisma of two Euro-stars . All this unfolds with a runaway cruise control male that leads to mayhem and confusion . Embarring , absurding , ridiculous screenplay full of silliness and non-sense from Teddi Sherman and Robert Aldrich himself . The whole affair is slowly coloured chuckle from beginning to end with a briefly satisfactory , if somewhat obvious climax . The opening scenes are magnificent , as a stagecoach manned by Sinatra beats off attackers before crashing breathtakingly on the dust . Unfortunately , only the final at the ¨La Maison Rouge¨ , an overloaded Mississippi riverboat side-wheeler , comes up to this standard comic western movie . Co-stars two gorgeous ladies , Anita Ekberg , Úrsula Andress , more exposed by their silly dialogue than their low-cut costumes . Both of them give statuesque immovility to their interpretations . Here only stands out Charles Bronson at the liveliest presence in the movie. There are some bright guest appearances , especially that by Victor Buono , Nick Dennis , Richard Jaeckel , Mike Mazurki , Virginia Christine , Ellen Corby , Abraham Sofaer , final film of Jack Lambert, and Jack Elam .
Sharply filmed in Technicolor by prestigious cameramen as Ernest Laszlo , Joseph Biroc , Brunet Guffey , Alan Rudolph . Catching and lively musical score by Nelson Riddle . The picture was lousily directed by Aldrich . Perhap's Aldrich's later hit with ¨Dirty Dozen¨ can be attributed , in part , to this exercice in how not to make a comic western . Here Aldrich directs the slight story at tortoise pace and receives awful performances . This is Aldrich's absurd contribution to Sinatra clan , following hard on the heels of ¨Ocean's eleven¨ , ¨Robin and the 7 Hoods¨ and ¨Sergeant 3¨ . After a surprising payday for ¨What ever happened to Baby Jane ?¨ , Robert assembled a nice cast and sizeable budget and 2 Euro hotties for what proved one of his dullest films . Aldrich's first feature film was in 1953 (Big Leaguer ,1953). Soon thereafter he established his own production company and produced most of his own films , collaborating in the writing of many of them . Directed a considerable plethora of genres but almost all of his films contained a subversive undertone . He was an expert on warlike genre (Dirty Dozen , The Angry Hills , Ten seconds to hell) and Western (The Frisko kid , Ulzana's raid, Apache , Veracruz , The last sunset) . Rating : below average . Rating 3.5/10 . -
If you has Sinatra in some movie beware, this movie is bad, but if you has Sinatra and Martin forget about, this super production with a famous casting is a flick, even the gorgeous Anita Ekberg in a peak of your beauty, the sexy Ursula Andress and the Three Stooges appearing in this movie they couldn't save the show, the whole movie no make sense at all, watchable if you don't have nothing to do, this picture proves that only money with bad leading actors certainly the disaster is near, poor Robert Aldrich who was caught in a trap!!!
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First watch: 1989 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6 -
It was great... for about 20 minutes.
What this movie lacks is about everything you want in a western. a few minutes action and a whole lot of crap.
A pampered cowboy and a thief who spent most of their time around two blond girls with skippy clothes and little brains...
..add to that a fat banker and a riverboat and you have your story.
Seriously that's about as interesting as it gets.
If your highest wish is to see Frank Sinatra get pedicure.. than this is probably the movie for you. But if you're looking for an action filled western... then I propose you look somewhere else. -
cornucopia929 March 2002By the look of it, too much fun was had on the set of this film, but what would you expect from Martin and Sinatra. Never too sure whether it tries to be a comedy or a straightforward western. The story is not bad revolving around the two mentioned and the ownership of $100 000, where each intends to use for the rights to a gambling cruiser. More focus seems to be on Martin and Andress, where the latter seems to at times struggle with some of the english dialogue. But all is forgiven, she looks beautiful. Plenty of cleavage is provided by Anita Ekberg who also slaves around her man Sinatra. These boys must have had a wild time on this one. The bad guy comes in the form of Charles Bronson, who really needed more screen time, he displays his limited time to full effect, perhaps the only one there with a job to do, he mutters "lets go" to his men to prepare them for action. Not a memorable western, but for fans of the stars, this would be 4 u!
6.5 / 10 -
flopcat18 October 2000I thought it was a funny, entertaining movie and especially liked Dean Martin's performance. I also enjoyed Victor Buono's performance. The Three Stooges' appearance in the film was great, and for those few minutes they stole the show!
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Ofisil8-850-23867915 April 2013Plot: A $100.000 shipment and later a bid about opening a waterfront Casino are the objects of a tug-of-war between Zack Thomas and Joe Jarrett. Apart from having to deal with each other, they'll have to defend their selves against a Banker and the bad guy of the story, Matson.
I'm not a fan of Westerns, especially not the comedy-oriented ones. However I'm one of these masochistic try-it-out-before-judging kind of morons so after trying out some of the more "serious" and classic ones I figured, eh! What the heck! Let me try this out too. Boy was I wrong. Why? Because this is one of these movies where EVERYTHING is wrong. From the pacing and acting to the directory and overall plot it's rubbish.
Four For Texas is obviously an attempt of selling a couple of million tickets with the use of the very popular Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin who suck big time. They don't just suck as western characters but also as comedians. The film is simply not funny and these guys are simply bad actors, (I smell fanboy\girl anger in the air). For example the first part of the film. Bullets are flying all around yet Sinatra has a stupid grin on his face as if he is posing for a Las Vegas Show. The same with Dean Martin, he is always cool no matter what and in a very unconvincing way.
Not only is the movie way too slow for what it has to offer but there is also no real suspense or plot twists. Characters talk, talk and talk sometimes they throw in a couple of supposedly funny lines and the main girls, (Ekberg and Andress), look like goddesses of love but they don't offer anything else but simplistic sex appeal with seducing slow walking, deep cleavages and stupid one liners that are supposed to be sexy.
FINAL VERDICT: Only for Sinatra\Martin\Ekberg\Andress fanboys & fangirls (1/10)
[+] Err Ekberg's cleavage maybe??? [-] Boring plot. Slow and not funny at all. Mediocre acting.
Also Check: Cat Ballou (1965) – Maverick (1994) – Ocean's Eleven (1960) -
JasparLamarCrabb21 May 2014Not really a rat pack movie, but close enough. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are rival gamblers vying for possession of a riverboat gambling joint. It's a funny, smörgåsbord type of comic western with Sinatra & Martin in top form, supported by the likes of Victor Buono, Mike Mazurki and Charles Bronson. They're all great and Bronson gets plenty of laughs sending up his steely tough-as-nails persona; he's a real thorn in Sinatra's side. Buono is fun as a thoroughly corrupt bank manager. The very large supporting cast also includes Jack Elam, Ellen Corby, Nick Dennis as Angel and Dave Willock (you'll likely recognize the voice). The Three Stooges pop up briefly for a reasonably funny bit. Ursula Andress and Anita Ekberg provide love interests for Martin & Sinatra respectively. The great music score is by Nelson Riddle. The unexpected director is Robert Aldrich, who sandwiched this film in between his two grand guignol masterpieces WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? and HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE.
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HotToastyRag13 September 2017The best part of this movie is the five minutes of screen time given to The Three Stooges. It's hilarious, and a welcome relief from the rest of the boring, exhausting, confusing film. After the Stooges leave, unfortunately, the movie returns to the normal terrible pace.
Dean Martin steals one hundred thousand dollars from Frank Sinatra in a stagecoach, but Frank steals it back, but then Dean steals it again and rides off into the sunset. The next we see, Frank Sinatra is prospering in Galveston, Texas, waited on hand and foot by scantily clad French maids, and doted on by Anita Ekberg. He's in cahoots with banker Victor Buono, but Buono has contracted Charles Bronson out to kill Frank. Dean Martin comes to town, and his stolen money attracts everyone's attention, including Ursula Andress. It's a very complex plot, and to explain the rest of it would take a lot of time, and it would bore you.
I thought 4 for Texas was going to be a silly Rat Pack comedy, but besides the cameo by The Three Stooges, there weren't any jokes. Or if there were, they weren't funny. This movie is terribly boring, and the acting is as uninspired as the script. Even if you're a Rat Pack fan, watch Ocean's 11 instead. This one will grate on your nerves. -
4 for Texas is a typical movie produced during the 1960's. This was an era when you would turn on your television and would expect to see a Western on every channel. An era when Hollywood was cranking out Westerns faster that Bayer was aspirin. What makes this Western so unique. Simple....The stars.! There seemed to be an on screen magic between the four main stars. The supporting cast seemed to be everyone you knew in Hollywood but couldn't remember their names.
I really don't want to give too much of this movie away but basically you have four people trying to open a riverboat casino. First independently and then together. Dean Martin, Ursula Andress, Frank Sinatra, and Anita Eckberg star. Super Movie, lots of Laughter, fun for Everyone. Not a heavy movie that's giving you a deep message. Just a movie that you can sit back and be entertained. I give it 5 stars. -
A mercy "7", as this should be a great movie with such a great cast, but it isn't. It plays like "Robin and the 7 Hoods" meet "Cat Ballou". (Both are better movies.) Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra virtually play themselves, as their acting is atrocious. Both rob the same stagecoach. Dean takes the money back to his old orphanage, to give to "Mom". They become rivals and "friendly" enemies, as Frank spends most of the movie trying to get his loot back. (Like Johnny Depp, Dean Martin does the entire movie with a "drunk" accent, but probably isn't!) Victor Buono runs both the town and bank, both crooked. (Victor is a consummate performer, and always fun to watch, even in this lack-luster film.) He hires Charles Bronson to clean up the town. Somehow, Bronson "dies" twice in the movie, the second time at the very end. Dean builds a riverboat casino with the help of his "gang" and buxom beauties Anita Ekburg and Ursula Andress. Ursula looks stunning but Anita, sadly, looks old and fat. Many one minute cameos, including Jack Elam, Arthur Godfrey, and one of the Gabor Sisters. (Eva or Zsa Zsa) The 3 Stooges stop by, for 2 minutes, to deliver a great nude portrait of Anita, which is seen for less than 10 seconds, and is probably cut from most versions. Other cameos include Fritz Feld, who always played a waiter, in all his films. (He's in "Hello Dolly"!) The movie rambles on and on, for two hours, being alternately funny and violent. Frank and Dean have a fist fight at the end, and everybody soon forgets their differences. The ending looks quickly "tacked on" as Bronson falls into the riverboat's paddlewheel and supposedly dies a painful death. How is that funny? Watch "Cat Ballou" or "McClintock" instead. Both are far superior to this "comic" western. I have seen this film before, edited to 100 minutes, and it was actually better!
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petra_ste14 March 2018For me the name "Robert Aldrich" usually evokes the mental picture of Lee Marvin plunging a knife into someone's neck. Or an unshaven James Stewart lost in the desert, dying of thirst. Or a mud-splattered Ernest Borgnine grimacing in pain. Or Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance, Cliff Robertson... you know, this kind of guys. Aldrich excelled at testosterone-heavy, gritty dramas about men as tough as polar bears facing danger and death (The Dirty Dozen, The Flight of the Phoenix, Too Late a Hero...).
There are exceptions. Some are good exceptions, like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, a mostly female psychological horror which is skin-crawlingly creepy. And then there is 4 for Texas.
Once upon a midnight dreary I started watching this and I was shocked, shocked to eventually learn it was directed by Aldrich. While neither terrible nor unwatchable, this western/comedy starring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin is a lackluster entry in the director's impressive filmography.
The comedic rhythm feels off, like when someone wants to tell a joke but takes too long to get to the punchline and there is much awkward grinning and shuffling of feet. In particular, the romantic banter with voluptuous blondes Ursula Andress and Anita Ekberg feels interminable.
I guess Aldrich was the wrong person for this lightweight fluff; it's like Michael Mann directing Blazing Saddles.
5/10