4 for Texas (1963)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

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:

Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress both did nude screen tests, Hollywood's first. However the censors removed all nudity from the finished film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Joe falls into the river with a lit cigar in the mouth. When he comes out the cigar is still lit.

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 Chappaqua (1966)

Soundtrack:

Jesus Loves Me

4 FOR Texas (Robert Aldrich, 1963) ***

Like 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.