4 for Texas (1963)

Rat Pack buddies Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were prized for their ability to appear relaxed on camera, but in 4 for Texas they're nearly asleep. It must have looked good on paper: reuniting the crooners and teaming them with two international sex symbols in a jokey Western under the guidance of topnotch director Robert Aldrich (Kiss Me Deadly). Ursula Andress, as a riverboat owner who hooks up with Dino, unleashes her bedroom purr to great effect, but formidable Anita Ekberg had a bad year in 1963 (she also got stuck in Bob Hope's immortal Call Me Bwana). A tasty roster of character actors is wasted, although Charles Bronson and Victor Buono are amusing as unsavory citizens of 1870s Galveston. Even the Three Stooges, in their Curly Joe configuration, wander through. After a terrific opening sequence in the desert, establishing Frank and Dean's rivalry, this one quickly goes south. --Robert Horton Amazon.com

4 for Texas

It's a cast of stars in a western (sometimes comedic) that's fun but not entirely memorable. Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin are the stars; they're not friends but have to team up in order to keep their gambling riverboats afloat (literally & figuratively). Other stars include Anita Ekberg (Sinatra's woman), Ursala Andress (Martin's woman), Victor Buono, Charles Bronson (a really nasty bad guy) & The Three Stooges (in a scene of comic relief).

The film is directed by the great Robert Aldrich who also produced & co-wrote the screenplay, but there's little doubt about who was in control of the product: Frank Sinatra.

Ekberg & Andress are wonderful to look at but are not great actresses. It's a case of, once again, Hollywood importing foreign actresses for roles not suited for them. Ms. Ekberg in particular is weak. Ms. Andress isn't half bad but American actresses would've been better suited for these roles. I don't have anything against them being from elsewhere, I certainly enjoy viewing them, it's just a case of bad casting.

The final fight scene is an excellent one that took a lot of work. It's highlighted in the bonus feature as a behind-the scenes documentary. This isn't a great work of art but it is entertaining. December 31, 2007

Bad A#)(*#)*(#

An oldie classic, come on Deano, Franko, Ursulaooo, Bronsonooo, 3 stooges, nuff said......you need more don't bother, you're too young or dead. September 17, 2007

four for texas

great movie very funny, all top naned actors and actresses made this
comedy most enjoyable. November 4, 2006

Loved It!

I just watched this movie earlier today and I really loved it. I think this was a thousand times better than the last Sinatra film I saw-that crapola flick "The Manchurian Candidate." The scenes between him and Dean Martin are a riot. Speaking of that, there's a moment in the film's climax where The King of Cool and The Prince of Cool are fighting each other and I couldn't stop giggling. Boy I tell you, that fight scene was more enjoyable than Ol' Blue Eyes fighting Henry Silva in "The Manchurian Candidate" (talk about a mismatch in that one). Also, what can you say about Ursula Andress? How about one of the most sexy foreign actresses in cinema history? Also, Anita Ekberg co-stars (hard to believe this was the same woman who was in the fountain in "La Dolce Vita") as Sinatra's love interest and in a brillant move, Charles Bronson as the gunfighter who tries to nab Frank and Dean (this came in-between the westerns he was in like THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST). As that weren't enough The Three Stooges and Arthur Godfrey have walk-on roles. The film was directed by Robert Aldrich; and it was the follow-up to what I think is his signature film-"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" As what the description to this DVD says at the end to best sum up this movie: 'You will have a blast.' September 24, 2006

Disappointing.

I guess I expected more out of this movie but I confess I was mildly disappointed in it. At first, the movie seems to be having a hard time making up its mind whether to be a comedy or a drama and the resulting mish mash is a bit unsettling. Still, it was a great cast; Dean Martin was particularly adept at westerns, much more so than Frank Sinatra, who pretty much plays Frank Sinatra in this one. It is fun to see the two of them compete for the ladies, in this case, Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress. The bad guys are well represented by Victor Buono and Charles Bronson. A fun movie but not particularly memorable.
PS I meant to give this movie three stars but have not been to change the earlier mistaken choice. August 7, 2006

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