MrOllie I saw this film at the cinema in the 1960's and years later, although I had never forgotten the title of the film, I could not remember anything else about it. I decided, therefore, to buy the DVD and pay a long time return visit to this film. In it James Coburn plays a con-man and is at times quite amusing, but I must say, however, that the movie is rather tame and slow and pretty much forgettable. Still it brought back memories of a time now gone, but a time I often wish would return. If you are wanting thrills and excitement, then this film is not for you. However, for those of you who enjoy watching 1960's films then this rather overlooked movie is worth a look.

Hang_All_Drunkdrivers James Coburn plays an ex-con planning a complicated bank job. For some reason he keeps changing his name and stated occupation and even his accent though none of these lies seem to matter to the goal of robbing the bank. Meanwhile there's a subplot involving the arrival of a Russian big-shot but again, that has nothing to do with robbing the bank!But Coburn is always watchable with his strange face and gangly body and deep voice and disarming smile. He is probably the greatest scene-stealer in film history though it doesn't happen here since he's the star. His co-star is the beautiful Camilla Sparv. She doesn't really do much, but she is a great beauty and you have to wonder what ever happened to her career.

JasparLamarCrabb Not really bad, but certainly not as provocative as its clever title would suggest. The appealing James Coburn is a grifter who jumps parole and plots a bank robbery at LAX on the day the Russian Premier is due to arrive. It takes a LONG time for that plot to become clear. It's episodic, sporadically suspenseful and occasionally funny. Coburn runs into the likes of sexy but bright Nina Wayne, wealthy Boston dowager Rose Marie and the gorgeous Camilla Sparv. Coburn & Sparv have a lot of chemistry, though it's unclear why they're even together. Bernard Girard's script is very malformed. The supporting cast includes a nearly silent Aldo Ray, Robert Webber as an uptight security man, and the always enjoyable Severn Darden as one of Coburn's sweaty cohorts. DEAD HEAT ON A MERRY GO ROUND is perhaps now more famous for featuring the then Columbia Studio contract player Harrison Ford (he has one line).

richards-5 This film seems to have vanished completely, but if you can find it, it's intriguing. The plot is serviceable, but not dazzlingly original - what is striking is its concept of the central character (James Coburn) as a kind of Nowhere Man, someone who exists only in terms of other people's (mistaken) assumptions about him. We never really find out anything concrete about Eli Kotch, the character in question, beyond the fact that he's an unscrupulous crook - even the name is highly suspect, as Coburn isn't Jewish. Hence, he's able to adopt half-a-dozen disguises in the course of the story (without changing his face once) and is convincing every time. One unfavourable review noted that the film is 107 minutes and 20 seconds long and that the 20 seconds were quite good. Actually, this is truer than the catty critic knew - the twist in the film's tail is dynamite and you really do have to wait until the last moments to get to it. On the merry-go-round of life, Eli Kotch's sins catch up with him and he never even knows it. It's a dead heat all right - on one level, he seems to get away with his crimes, but on another level, he's as big a loser as he deserves to be.