MartinHafer A few weeks ago, I watched the original "Ocean's Eleven" and was surprised how much I enjoyed the picture. However, my experience with a few other so-called 'Rat Pack' films since has not been as good--with a couple of thoroughly pedestrian films like "Four For Texas" and "Sergeants 3" offering some disappointing viewing. Now I am not saying these were bad films--but it sure looked as if the actors were more going through the motions than trying to create a realistic and entertaining film.In "Sergeants 3", the biggest problem is that they decided to remake a film that was already a classic in no need of a remake. "Gunga Din" is a wonderful film....so why remake it? And, if you do, why not spend more time working out the plot? Sammy Davis stands in for the Gunga Din character. This could have worked but wasn't very logical. After all, if this guy loved the US Cavalry, why not just sign him up, as the Cavalry out west was often made up of black soldiers (dubbed 'Buffalo Soldiers' by the local tribes)?! Why have him tag about and not sign him up? And, why have a sophisticated guy like Davis play a recently freed slave? He certainly didn't seem very believable in this role. Even less believable was the ending--with a fight between American Indians and Cavalry soldiers that made me laugh. Cannon shots seemed to hit EVERY Indian even remotely nearby, Joey Bishop swung his rifle like a club to hit a guy and missed by about 8 miles--yet the guy fell off the horse like he'd been hit. In fact, this sort of thing happened A LOT--with Indians falling off horses right and left like I'd never seen in a western! SO was there anything I particularly liked about the film? Not much--other than the very lovely location shoot at Bryce Canyon (which is gorgeous--at least when they weren't recreating it on a set in a few cheesy shots). The bottom line is that the film never should have been made in the first place and I can only assume it was an excuse for the friends to get together, have a few drinks and, if they had time, make a movie. Not inspired but not totally awful.

ma-cortes Diverting Western satire in which several nutty characters attempt to stop an Indian rebellion . The ¨Rat Pack¨ is the Wildest Characters in All the West . Amusing take off on cavalry-and Indian movies in which a rambunctious temperance Sergeant called Mike Merry (Frank Sinatra) along with his cronies decide to stop Indians revolts . As Mike (Frank Sinatra) , Chip (Dean Martin) , and Larry (Peter Lawford) are three likable , brawling U. S. Cavalry sergeants stationed in Indian Territory in 1870 . Meantime , a telegraph office being attacked by Indians led by Chief Mountain Hawk (Henry Silva) , then chaos and wreak havoc ensue . One night the three partners befriend a trumpet-playing former slave , Jonah Williams, who dreams of someday becoming a trooper soldier . A tribe of fanatical Indians begin terrorizing the area, and the obstinate , lusty Chip decides to try the capture of their chief. Demystified as well as amiable Western was one of a group of diverse characters changed the concept of this particular genre each bent on disproving a popular myth , yet tinged with humor , spoof and combining with anti-heroes , crazy Indians and many other things . W.R. Burnett's screenplay besides having more than its fair scraps of funny lines , throws up rich characters . Entertaining and funny Western but too dependant on the charisma of main players . This wacky Western is packed with mayhem , lots of silly laughters and great entertainment and fun . The picture is basically a remake of Gunga Din set in the American "Wild West" ; after filming was completed, the producers discovered they needed to secure the rights to the original story. They were forced to pay a large fee to the copyright owners before the film could be released . This is an amusing Western with some Hollywood major stars reunited by Frank ¨Robbo¨ Sinatra , incarnating a first Sergeant and his friends . It's a ¨Rat Pack¨ version of Old West with Frank Sinatra and his boys as good Sergeants in their last outing . This movie was well featured for three swaggering Sergeants as Sinatra , Dean Martin , Peter Lawford along with the soldier Sammy Davis Jr . This is a typical Rat Pack vehicle such as ¨ Ocean's eleven(1960) ¨, ¨ Four for Texas (63)¨ and finally ¨Cannoball run II (1984)¨ with the sympathetic trio Frank Sinatra-Sammy Davis Jr-Dean Martin . The motion picture was professionally by John Sturges , though no originality . This is one of various and inferior works of his long career as filmmaker , shooting splendid westerns . ¨Three Sergeants¨ is very funny though lumbering flick . Sturges began his directing career at Columbia Pictures, where from 1946-49 he he worked on "12-day wonders" ("B" pictures shot on a 12-day schedule). From there he moved on to MGM where he filmed more "B" pictures, albeit on a larger budget . He established an independent production company in 1959, releasing through United Artists. From 1960-67 he worked under contract for United Artists. His first major hit was the western Dog Day at Black Rock (1955) , which he shot in just three weeks, wrapping up virtually every scene in a single take . He specialized in robust action pictures, particularly westerns. He excelled at bringing to life tautly written stories about tough characters facing difficult circumstances . Throughout his career he regularly alternated hits with misses . He has also been criticized for his lack of stylistic trademarks , though his best films remain exciting to watch . Sturges was expert on all kind of genres , but especially warlike such as : ¨Great Escape¨, ¨Ice Station Zebra¨ and ¨Eagle has landed¨ and Western such as ¨Last train of Gun Hill¨, ¨Magnificent Seven¨, ¨Backlash¨, ¨Hallelujah trail¨ , ¨Law and Jake Webb¨, ¨Joe Kidd¨ and Chino¨, among others . This acceptable Western parody will appeal to Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin and Sammi Davis Jr fans .

zardoz-13 "Sergeants 3" was John Sturges' first western after his classic oater "The Magnificent Seven," and the second remake of George Steven's immortal British military movie "Gunga Din" with Cary Grant. You can easily see why "Sergeants 3" has few of the classic qualities of "The Magnificent Seven." Frank Sinatra's Essex Productions made this comic outdoors cavalry yarn, and the first half of this 112 minute sagebrusher surpasses the second half—lensed primarily on Samuel Goldwyn's Hollywood sound stages with obvious backdrops. Naturally, the Rat Pack—Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis, Jr star in this rip-roaring fracas of a western that resembles one of John Ford's cavalry pictures. The sensational scenery around Kanab, Utah, is wonderful to look at and three-time Oscar winner Winton Hoch's widescreen cinematography proves to be a definite plus.The action opens in the isolated town of Medicine Bend when renegade Indians belonging to a fraction called the Ghost Dancers massacre the town. Before they manage to kill everyone, the whites manage to wire the U.S. Cavalry and Col. William Collingwood (Dick Simmons) dispatches a detail of troopers under the command of Sergeant Mike Merry (Frank Sinatra of "Ocean's 11"), Sergeant Chip Deal (Dean Martin of "Some Came Running"), and Sergeant Larry Barrett (Peter Lawford of "Good News") to check things out. Our heroes arrive in time to shoot it out with the Indians and blow up some Indians. In the process, Sinatra gets to do some riding and shooting, something that he'd never done in a movie. The money scene occurs in a careening, runaway wagon when Sinatra and Martin tangle with a few Indians, and Sinatra is struck, falls off the wagon, and clings to the wagon as it drags him along and performs an abbreviated version of the famous Yakima Canutt stunt in "Stagecoach." Yes, that's really Frank Sinatra being dragged under the wagon.The second half concerns Barrett's decision to leave the service and marry Amelia Parent (Ruta Lee) and the shenanigans of Merry and Deal to thwart his plans to wed, return to the East, and read law. One of those antics involves finding the hiding place of those savages who wiped out Medicine Bend. In the middle of all this is Jonah Williams (Sammy Davis, Jr) who desperately wants to be a trooper. Billy May's music is so tame that you could put yourself to sleep listening to it. Elmer Bernstein might have injected some life into the proceedings. The cavalry clash with the Indians and the funny ending made the second half bearable. Henry Silva is good as the villainous Mountain Hawk.

JasparLamarCrabb SERGEANTS 3 is good, but be prepared...it's not a comedy. It's a fun, sometimes rollicking, adventure based (very) loosely on the Gunga Din story and updated to the post-Civil War years. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peter Lawford are the three sergeants of the title. Sammy Davis Jr. is the freed slave who befriends them. Henry Silva is the leader of a group of psychotic Indians bent on wiping out the white man and the appealing Ruta Lee is Lawford's fiancé. There are jokes (mostly provided by Martin) and the film is probably the best directed of the Rat Pack films. That should come as no surprise since the great John Sturges was at the helm. There's not a musical number to be had, but still a very entertaining film. Buddy Lester and Joey Bishop are in it too.