A Man Called Sledge (1971)

Flat and Uninteresting a/k/a "Boring"

Although there are a lot of familiar "television" names associated with "A Man Called Sledge", there is nothing extraordinary about the film itself or about any of the performances. In fact, the only thing that distinguishes it from a 1960's-70's television series like "The Rat Patrol" is a bigger cast and a lot more violence.

James Garner is the biggest star and apparently thought he should try to break away from all the light comedy stuff he had been doing ("Maverick", "Support Your Local Sheriff"-"Gunfighter" etc.). Unfortunately his earthy likability works against him, as Sledge is a humorless character written to cash in on the popularity of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti western anti-hero. But Eastwood's stuff was not this flat and uninteresting.

I suppose that "A Man Called Sledge" could be classified as a spaghetti western although the pacing is too slow to really fit that sub-genre. Fans of the slow-paced "Combat" television series will feel an instant connection as Vic Morrow directed the film and co-wrote the script with Frank Kowalski. Throw in some then trendy slow-mo shots and cross-dissolves, which call attention to themselves rather than serve a story-telling purpose.

The plot is the standard "big heist" thing (insert "The War Wagon" here) with Sledge plotting how to heist a $300,000 gold shipment. His gang includes Claude Akins and Dennis Weaver. The problem is that while on the move the shipment is guarded by 40 outriders and while stopped it is locked in a vault inside the territorial prison. I think there was an episode of "Alias Smith and Jones" with the same plot.

The story would make a decent hour of television but gets old very fast as a very padded feature length film. Garner does not allow any of his charm to leak into his characterization and the film does not generate enough suspense to hold a viewer's interest.

The thing finally crashes and burns shortly after the heist when the gang engages in a contrived and totally illogical card game, gambling away their shares of the loot to provide some lame reason to extend the story.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. April 9, 2006

The curse of other men's gold

There's a cache of gold stored in that there prison, and notorious outlaw Luther Sledge wants it. The trouble is - how do you rob a gold wagon when it's either locked up in a state prison or is being escorted by forty professionally trained sharpshooters? James Garner plays the title character in A MAN CALLED SLEDGE, a kind of good spaghetti western/big heist hybrid that was written and co-directed by actor Vic Morrow.

The movie treats us to an extended introduction to Sledge before bothering to get to the plot proper. Luther Sledge is the grimmest western character I've seen Garner play, and his foray to the dark side had me worried for a while. Sledge has none of the easy charm of Bret Maverick, or either lead character in Garner's "Support Your Local..." movies. Garner is second only to Cary Grant in his ability to charm his way through a movie. It's that ability - and Jack Elam - that make the "Support Your Local..." movies so much fun. Even cast against type Garner, though, is the best thing about this movie.

If everything in this movie were as good as Garner this one would be a classic. The wide-screen desert location photography, if not quite a feast for the eyes, is certainly a hearty snack. Co-stars Dennis Weaver and Claude Akins were veteran character actors who'd proven in the past they could work up to the material. Unfortunately their characters are underwritten, making of them something less than clichés. The character underwritten to practical invisibility belongs to poor Laura Antonelli, who plays Sledge's love interest. Although their love plays an increasingly important role in the plot, she isn't in the film for more that a couple of brief scenes. Not nearly long enough to sell us on their love, or to care all that much when it's jeopardized. Continuity is another issue that plagues this movie. Some of the action sequences are simply confusing. For instance, at one point in the movie one of the main characters is in trouble. We see the source of that trouble, hear a scream, and then see the injured character tumbling to the ground. But we never see what happened! Whenever it was sloppy editing, not enough second unit film available, or a planned and purposeful exclusion, it doesn't help the movie at all. A tepid endorsement for this one. The story's intriguing, the acting is strong, and it looks pretty.
September 13, 2005

Late Spaghetti western

A Man Called Sledge stars James Garner as Luther Sledge, an outlaw who attempts to lead his gang in a robbery of an enormous gold shipment guarded by a Gatling gun and a cavalry company. Claude Akins, Dennis Weaver, and John Marley as gang members with other recognizable faces from other spaghetti westerns. Not one of the best westerns made in Italy, but very entertaining. Very pessimistic ending. An excellent musical score( as is typical with spaghetti westerns although it isn't Ennio Morricone). Garner is very good as the lead role, a part similar to his role in Hour of the Gun as Wyatt Earp. Well worth the price! January 18, 2003

This is the best western I have ever seen

For some reason, this movie sticks with me. I think maybe it has to do with the feelings certain characters have about their situation: bravery in the face of horror, desperation and traitorism (more of an action that a feeling, but you get my point. It was a very good movie for western fans. James Garner doesn't disappoint. December 25, 1999

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