Blake Edwards directed many good movies but this is not one of his better efforts. With his cast headed by Dick Shawn and James Coburn it sounds promising. So does the story: U. S. soldiers invade an Italian town that needs to be taken as a sideshow in a major Sicilian offensive. The Italians are willing to surrender but first they must have their "festival." The newly-installed American leader, Captain Cash (Dick Shawn), is a weak man who tries to compensate by being hard-nosed; and he is also trying to curry favor with the general. His attitude causes animosity among the Italians, who go on with their festival. The town mayor's beautiful daughter gets Cash drunk and seduces him, softening his resolve. Neither the Americans nor the Italians really want to fight, so they stage a battle, directed by Coburn's character, to make it look good. Unfortunately it looks too good. The Americans want to send planes over for air support, while pictures of the fighting comes to Hitler's attention and he sends German heavy armor down to keep the town from falling into the hands of the Americans . . .
So what went wrong? One might suggest the variety of subplots. An American major (Harry Morgan, who steals the show) gets lost in the city's catacombs. Meanwhile, a group of rather hopeless thieves, try tunneling into the bank. Meanwhile, a group of Communists mean to assassinate the German leader (Leon Askin). Meanwhile . . . You get the picture. But I think the various subplots all twine together well. The method of getting rid of the Germans is a bit far-fetched but by the time that's resolved one is happy the movie's over.
One of the problems, I think, is that Blake Edwards kept too loose a hand on the reins. In the commentary on his classic "The Pink Panther" he said he liked to let Actors go with their parts because they're clever in their way and can think things up he and the scriptwriters hadn't thought up. Fine. It didn't work well with Peter Sellers, who liked to make things up as he went along, in the various films he made with Edwards. But then, Sellers (who was not in this movie but perhaps should have been) was crazy . . . And brilliant. Dick Shawn could also be brilliant, but his character here is too inconsistent. Hard-nosed one minute, goofy the next, then just one of the guys. Well, for whatever reasons, the movie doesn't gel.
But let's look at the good. One of the best things about Blake Edwards movies is that he had a long and productive relationship with Henry Mancini. "The Days of Wine and Roses," "The Pink Panther," "The Great Race," "A Shot in the Dark," and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" all benefited from Mancini's way with music. Here, his "Swing March" is a wonderful title theme.
And Harry Morgan gives a top-notch performance.
But the bad: too many Sicilian (Italian?) stereotypes. Including Chicago-born Jay Novello, who has often portrayed characters with heavy Italian (or occasionally French) accents. This is amusing on the small screen (catch him in the Vic Morrow series "Combat"). But he also plays sleazy characters (including two real sleazeballs on "The Andy Griffith Show." Here, he sets his daughter up to get the American captain drunk and horny, and he's only slightly redeemed when he's blows his top when he actually catches them in bed together; Edwards may have had his fill of Sellers, but it would've been more interesting to see him as the sleazy Italian mayor. As for James Coburn, he's good . . . But any competent actor would have been in that part. Coburn has special qualities that made him a star, that go untapped. Usually anything with Coburn in it is worth watching for Coburn's role. Here, he doesn't shine as usual, imho.
So what went wrong? One might suggest the variety of subplots. An American major (Harry Morgan, who steals the show) gets lost in the city's catacombs. Meanwhile, a group of rather hopeless thieves, try tunneling into the bank. Meanwhile, a group of Communists mean to assassinate the German leader (Leon Askin). Meanwhile . . . You get the picture. But I think the various subplots all twine together well. The method of getting rid of the Germans is a bit far-fetched but by the time that's resolved one is happy the movie's over.
One of the problems, I think, is that Blake Edwards kept too loose a hand on the reins. In the commentary on his classic "The Pink Panther" he said he liked to let Actors go with their parts because they're clever in their way and can think things up he and the scriptwriters hadn't thought up. Fine. It didn't work well with Peter Sellers, who liked to make things up as he went along, in the various films he made with Edwards. But then, Sellers (who was not in this movie but perhaps should have been) was crazy . . . And brilliant. Dick Shawn could also be brilliant, but his character here is too inconsistent. Hard-nosed one minute, goofy the next, then just one of the guys. Well, for whatever reasons, the movie doesn't gel.
But let's look at the good. One of the best things about Blake Edwards movies is that he had a long and productive relationship with Henry Mancini. "The Days of Wine and Roses," "The Pink Panther," "The Great Race," "A Shot in the Dark," and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" all benefited from Mancini's way with music. Here, his "Swing March" is a wonderful title theme.
And Harry Morgan gives a top-notch performance.
But the bad: too many Sicilian (Italian?) stereotypes. Including Chicago-born Jay Novello, who has often portrayed characters with heavy Italian (or occasionally French) accents. This is amusing on the small screen (catch him in the Vic Morrow series "Combat"). But he also plays sleazy characters (including two real sleazeballs on "The Andy Griffith Show." Here, he sets his daughter up to get the American captain drunk and horny, and he's only slightly redeemed when he's blows his top when he actually catches them in bed together; Edwards may have had his fill of Sellers, but it would've been more interesting to see him as the sleazy Italian mayor. As for James Coburn, he's good . . . But any competent actor would have been in that part. Coburn has special qualities that made him a star, that go untapped. Usually anything with Coburn in it is worth watching for Coburn's role. Here, he doesn't shine as usual, imho.