This is certainly one of the most beautiful westerns to look at with its very vivid location footage that looks like it was filmed in 3d. It's even noticeable without those fancy glasses and quite a delicious visual treat. But the characters played by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are basically complete perfumes, means spirited and undisciplined, causing trouble for everybody around them.
They play a vicious prank on the uppity Joey Bishop (that really serves no purpose and goes nowhere) and pull Peter Lawford away from his engagement party, acting like they are at a Coney Island shooting gallery knocking over cans while they fight a group of ghost Indians who live up in the mountains and wants to kill all white men with their belief that this troop was responsible for the buffalo extinction.
This is an unofficial remake of "Gunga Din", and Sammy Davis Jr. Plays a character loosely based on the Sam Jaffe character. He's a half black and half native who longs to join the troop, and proves himself to be one of the bravest and wisest of the men. Three of Bing Crosby's sons have minor roles to add to the "sons of the rat pack". Ruta Lee is Lawford's fiancee, Madge Blake ("Batman") her mother, and Henry Silva a wise peaceful native. It's too bad that the characters played by Sinatra and Martin are basically jerks, getting Bishop drunk with the help of native herbs just out of resentment that he's at their rank yet in a position of authority.
Memorable moments involve Davis's aide in getting Martin out of jail (with help from a kicking bronco) and the swinging bridge that Davis and Martin end up on while trying to spy on the murderous native tribe, who magically speak perfect English. It's only when Martin ends up as a hostage of the tribe that Sinatra is forced to act somewhat responsibly. There are some very jarring moments involving live men being tossed off of the canyon like flowers in a royal parade.
With the leads performances frequently tongue-in-cheek, it's obvious that Sinatra (who produced this) expected the loving public to be in on the joke, but in retrospect, it doesn't really give a favorable image of him and his clique. But I did laugh a few times, especially at a sign in a saloon that indicates "No licker sold to soldiers."
They play a vicious prank on the uppity Joey Bishop (that really serves no purpose and goes nowhere) and pull Peter Lawford away from his engagement party, acting like they are at a Coney Island shooting gallery knocking over cans while they fight a group of ghost Indians who live up in the mountains and wants to kill all white men with their belief that this troop was responsible for the buffalo extinction.
This is an unofficial remake of "Gunga Din", and Sammy Davis Jr. Plays a character loosely based on the Sam Jaffe character. He's a half black and half native who longs to join the troop, and proves himself to be one of the bravest and wisest of the men. Three of Bing Crosby's sons have minor roles to add to the "sons of the rat pack". Ruta Lee is Lawford's fiancee, Madge Blake ("Batman") her mother, and Henry Silva a wise peaceful native. It's too bad that the characters played by Sinatra and Martin are basically jerks, getting Bishop drunk with the help of native herbs just out of resentment that he's at their rank yet in a position of authority.
Memorable moments involve Davis's aide in getting Martin out of jail (with help from a kicking bronco) and the swinging bridge that Davis and Martin end up on while trying to spy on the murderous native tribe, who magically speak perfect English. It's only when Martin ends up as a hostage of the tribe that Sinatra is forced to act somewhat responsibly. There are some very jarring moments involving live men being tossed off of the canyon like flowers in a royal parade.
With the leads performances frequently tongue-in-cheek, it's obvious that Sinatra (who produced this) expected the loving public to be in on the joke, but in retrospect, it doesn't really give a favorable image of him and his clique. But I did laugh a few times, especially at a sign in a saloon that indicates "No licker sold to soldiers."