Wizard-8 In the 1970s, I am pretty sure that regular movie producers didn't think seriously about casting Jack Palance in a movie with comic elements. But that didn't stop Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus doing so in this early effort by them. Actually, the movie is a mix between seriousness and comedy, and as you can probably imagine, the end results are a real mess. Seeing people get graphically killed along with other acts of violence does not mix well with the movie's stabs at goofy humor. But there are further problems with this exercise. The low budget was apparently almost all spent on renting antique cars and props, because the set design is often something you'd see in a high school play. The biggest problem with the movie, however, is how incredibly boring it is. It won't take long for you to start nodding off and having no interest in these uninteresting characters.

classicsoncall The film opens with a clever looking take off on the popular Dick Tracy comic strip, and by the time you're a few minutes into the story you're left wondering whether this is supposed to be a gangster flick or some parody thereof. Comic style captions appear throughout and there are a couple of up-tempo scenes that don't fit in with the general tone of the picture, which basically has two rival gangs facing off against each other in the early Thirties. Jack Palance and Warren Berlinger are the opposing mobsters, taking turns at brutalizing their opposition, but they had almost a cordial relationship with each other in person, which skewed the dynamic of the picture for me. In other words, this wasn't "The Godfather".Say, remember that scene when Vic Morono's (Palance) 'deuces' blow up and set fire to Chico's (Berlinger) Hi-Hat Club? The place was totally renovated and back in business the very next day! Even the Coca-Cola sign was shiny and brand new. You know, when you stop and think about it, Coke's presence in just about any film you could watch means we're paying for a lot of brand placement with every Coke we buy.The surprise of the picture for me was seeing H.B. Haggerty in his role as the Deuce of Spades, Mickey. I remember him from his pro wrestling days back in the Sixties; the H.B. stands for 'Hard Boiled'. Haggerty utilizes his wrestling skills near the end of the picture when he winds up shooting himself in that tussle with reporter Timmons (Adam Roarke). He falls face down to the floor, and just before he hits he uses his 'dead' arms to brace his fall.I recently caught Palance in his very first starring role, also portraying a gangster in 1950's "Panic in the Streets". He looked like a gangly young actor with very limited range, and even though 'Four Deuces' is no prize, you can see how he improved over time. It's too bad the same thing can't be said for some of his pictures; I guess a paycheck is a paycheck.

wes-connors "This is a tongue-in-cheek crime melodrama that became a 'Late Late Show' fixture in the 1980s," according to the DVD sleeve, "Jack Palance plays Vic Morono, a high-ranking Prohibition-era mobster with a weakness for women who is waging an ongoing war with rival hoodlum Chico Hamilton (Warren Berlinger). Vic falls for gorgeous blonde Wendy (Carol Lynley). The film's title refers to the name of his speakeasy, and to his gang, which consists of himself, Wendy, and a brace comic-relief hoodlums." "The Four Deuces" opens with cartoon credits, and attempts a stylish comic strip look. Expecting some wit upon seeing the name Don Martin in the credits will drive you stark raving nuts - this is not the cartoonist who worked for "Mad" magazine. Light bondage and female flesh scenes might have upped ratings for those 1980s "Late Late Show" airings. Perhaps most notable is the that Ms. Lynley and Mr. Berlinger worked much more memorably together in the stage and film versions of "Blue Denim".*** The Four Deuces (1/76) William H. Bushnell ~ Jack Palance, Carol Lynley, Warren Berlinger, Adam Roarke

MARIO GAUCI Yet another jokey gangster film which proliferated the screens in the wake of BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967); the ragtime score, then, is clearly inspired by the recent success of THE STING (1973). It's evidently cheaply made and pretty bad overall but, I guess, harmless enough; still, virtually the only thing of interest here is the film's comic-strip look, complete with captioned descriptions during transitions. Jack Palance (another film I watched as a tribute to him - renting this one would certainly not have been a priority otherwise!) mercilessly chews the scenery as one of two warring gang bosses.