Spoof Western with magnificent starring duo as Dean Martin and Alain Delon, both of whom giving great lots of fun, while rescue distressed maidens, tame some longhorns, and competing themselves for Rosemary Forsyth's affections. Riotous Western parody compellingly directed by Michael Gordon with entertaining and funny scenes. Sam Hollis (Dean Martin) is a wise-cracking gun runner who, along with Indian sidekick Kronk (Joey Bishop) undertake several adventures and misfortunes. In 1845 Texas, a Louisiana belle is courted by a wanted Spanish nobleman and by a Texas brawling gunrunner, but her suitors' passionate wedding is interrupted by the cavalry and a Comanche attack. Alain Delon is a nobleman of Spanish origin who is forced to flee from Louisiana after killing accidentally -for a matter of honor- an American officer, former fiancé to the young woman (Rosemary Forsyth) he is about to marry. The Spaniard arrives in a small town in Texas where he joins the lively Sam Hollis and his inseparable Indian partner, who are heading to the city of Moccasin Flats to deliver smuggled weapons. Meanwhile, Hollis is recruiting men to help him ship guns through hostile Comanche territory. The Spanish nobleman Don Andrea (Alain Delon) wrongfully accused of murder and the rogue gunslinger Hollis join up forces and much comic misadventure ensues. Along the way, Andrea saves a young Indian woman (Tina Aumont) who was going to be sacrificed and takes her with him, provoking the wrath of the Apaches and their chief Iron Jacket (Michael Ansara) , and he gets elude a Comanche war party. A Swinging Fun-Romp that Fractures the Frontier !
This wacky spoof is packed with mayhem, lots of silly laughters and great entertainment and fun. Most of the laughs and sight gags galore work acceptably well; humor is also bold and intelligent with a myriad of imaginative sketches. Harold Greene, Ben Starr, Wells Root's screenplay besides having more than its fair scraps of funny lines ,throws up rich roles. Demystified Western was one of a group of much-imitated stories which changed the concept of this particular genre each bent on disproving a popular myth, yet tinged with humor, spoof and combining with anti-heroes and the inevitable decadence of the protagonists. The formula deals to enhance the comic observations of the western originated on the decade of the Sixties, including the following filmmakers : Andrew McLagen with ¨McLintock!¨, ¨The rare breed¨, Something Big¨ and Burt Kennedy with ¨Support your local gunfighter (one of his better spoof Western)¨ , ¨Support your local sheriff¨ (his highpoint) , ¨Dirty Dingus Mcgee¨ , ¨War Wagon¨ and ¨ The Good guys and bad guys¨, and a bit later on, Mel Brooks directed the indispensable ¨Blazing saddles¨. Texas Across the River (1966) is a surrealist, extreme and gross-out spoof with the ordinary bunch of loonies and loopies. The picture is wonderfully amused and enjoyable with Dean Martin as a tough but sympathetic gunrunner with his Maverick image who uses brains as well as brawny and guns, alongside Alain Delon as the stubborn and boastful Spanish nobleman, and, of course, the always gorgeous Rosemary Forsyth as the lady in distress; she and Joey Bishop as the ironic, deadpan Indian steal the show. They're well accompanied by a likeable and attractive support cast, such as: Tina Aumont, Peter Graves, Michael Ansara, Linden Chiles, Andrew Prine, Roy Barcroft, George Wallace, Don Beddoe.
It contains colorful cinematography rightly shot by excellent cameraman Russell Metty. Jolly and agreeable musical score by Frank De Vol, including catching song: Texas Across The River by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen sung by The Kingston Trio played over the opening title and credits. The motion picture was amusingly directed by Michael Gordon. He directed 3 actors to Oscar nominations: José Ferrer (Best Actor, Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)), Doris Day (Best Actress, Pilow Talk(1959)), and Thelma Ritter (Best Supporting Actress, Pilow Talk (1959)). Ferrer won an Oscar for his performance in Gordon's film. Grandfather of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dan Gordon-Levitt, Michael Gordon directed decent films, such as: For Love or Money , An act of murder, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, The Lady Gambles, Another part of the forest, Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood, Underground agent, The secret of Convict Lake and his big hit: Cyrano Bergerac. Rating: 6/10. The flick will appeal to Dean Martin and Alain Delon fans.
This wacky spoof is packed with mayhem, lots of silly laughters and great entertainment and fun. Most of the laughs and sight gags galore work acceptably well; humor is also bold and intelligent with a myriad of imaginative sketches. Harold Greene, Ben Starr, Wells Root's screenplay besides having more than its fair scraps of funny lines ,throws up rich roles. Demystified Western was one of a group of much-imitated stories which changed the concept of this particular genre each bent on disproving a popular myth, yet tinged with humor, spoof and combining with anti-heroes and the inevitable decadence of the protagonists. The formula deals to enhance the comic observations of the western originated on the decade of the Sixties, including the following filmmakers : Andrew McLagen with ¨McLintock!¨, ¨The rare breed¨, Something Big¨ and Burt Kennedy with ¨Support your local gunfighter (one of his better spoof Western)¨ , ¨Support your local sheriff¨ (his highpoint) , ¨Dirty Dingus Mcgee¨ , ¨War Wagon¨ and ¨ The Good guys and bad guys¨, and a bit later on, Mel Brooks directed the indispensable ¨Blazing saddles¨. Texas Across the River (1966) is a surrealist, extreme and gross-out spoof with the ordinary bunch of loonies and loopies. The picture is wonderfully amused and enjoyable with Dean Martin as a tough but sympathetic gunrunner with his Maverick image who uses brains as well as brawny and guns, alongside Alain Delon as the stubborn and boastful Spanish nobleman, and, of course, the always gorgeous Rosemary Forsyth as the lady in distress; she and Joey Bishop as the ironic, deadpan Indian steal the show. They're well accompanied by a likeable and attractive support cast, such as: Tina Aumont, Peter Graves, Michael Ansara, Linden Chiles, Andrew Prine, Roy Barcroft, George Wallace, Don Beddoe.
It contains colorful cinematography rightly shot by excellent cameraman Russell Metty. Jolly and agreeable musical score by Frank De Vol, including catching song: Texas Across The River by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen sung by The Kingston Trio played over the opening title and credits. The motion picture was amusingly directed by Michael Gordon. He directed 3 actors to Oscar nominations: José Ferrer (Best Actor, Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)), Doris Day (Best Actress, Pilow Talk(1959)), and Thelma Ritter (Best Supporting Actress, Pilow Talk (1959)). Ferrer won an Oscar for his performance in Gordon's film. Grandfather of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dan Gordon-Levitt, Michael Gordon directed decent films, such as: For Love or Money , An act of murder, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, The Lady Gambles, Another part of the forest, Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood, Underground agent, The secret of Convict Lake and his big hit: Cyrano Bergerac. Rating: 6/10. The flick will appeal to Dean Martin and Alain Delon fans.