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4 for Texas

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4 for Texas
Theatrical poster
Directed byRobert Aldrich
Written byTeddi Sherman
Robert Aldrich
Produced byRobert Aldrich
StarringFrank Sinatra
Dean Martin
Anita Ekberg
Ursula Andress
Charles Bronson
The Three Stooges
CinematographyErnest Laszlo
Edited byMichael Luciano
Music byNelson Riddle
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • December 25, 1963 (December 25, 1963)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4,520,000[1]
Box office1,367,490 admissions (France)[2]

4 for Texas is a 1963 American Western comedy film starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Anita Ekberg, and Ursula Andress, and featuring screen thugs Charles Bronson and Mike Mazurki, with a cameo appearance by Arthur Godfrey and the Three Stooges (Larry Fine, Moe Howard, and Curly Joe DeRita). The film was written by Teddi Sherman and Robert Aldrich, who also directed.

Plot

In 1870, a shipment of $100,000 being transported by stagecoach to Galveston, Texas, is the object of a tug-of-war in the desert between Zack Thomas (Sinatra) and Joe Jarrett (Martin), who first must stave off an outlaw band led by Matson (Bronson).

Later, in Galveston, Thomas and Jarrett become rivals in a bid to open a waterfront casino. Each has a new romantic attachment, as well, with the beauties Elya (Anita Ekberg) and Maxine (Ursula Andress), respectively. They eventually must join forces to hold off the villainous Matson and a corrupt banker, Burden (Victor Buono), to keep their new gambling boat afloat.

Cast

Production

The film was announced in 1960 as Two for Texas.[3] The role of Elya was originally intended for Sophia Loren, who had already worked with Sinatra in The Pride and the Passion. Although she was offered $1,000,000 for four weeks of work, Loren turned the part down.[4]

4 for Texas was filmed in 1.85:1 aspect ratio on 35-mm Technicolor film. Its promotional trailer features Ursula Andress in specially shot footage addressing the audience.

During production, the relationship between star Sinatra and director Aldrich became strained. Aldrich felt the film was not a success, and cited problems with his own script, as well as Sinatra's lack of enthusiasm for the project—Aldrich calculated that Sinatra worked a total of only 80 hours during 37 days of filming.[5]

Release

The film had its U.S. premiere on December 18, 1963. Forty-three years after its original premiere, 4 for Texas was presented at the Turin Film Festival on November 12, 2006.

Home media

Its first DVD release arrived on November 20, 2001, and the second release (as part of The Rat Pack collection of Ocean's 11 and Robin and the 7 Hoods) was on June 13, 2006.

Awards and nominations

It was nominated for the Golden Laurel as "Top Action Drama", ultimately coming in fourth.

See also

References

  1. ^ Alain Silver and James Ursini, Whatever Happened to Robert Aldrich?, Limelight, 1995 p 262
  2. ^ French box office results for Robert Aldrich films at Box Office Story
  3. ^ Scott, J. L. (1960, Nov 01). Texas yarns follow in wake of 'alamo'. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/167789381
  4. ^ Kaplan, James. 2015. Sinatra: The Chairman. New York: Doubleday. p. 597. ISBN 9780385535397.
  5. ^ Alain Silver (2004). What Ever Happened to Robert Aldrich?: His Life and His Films. Hal Leonard. pp. 263, 350. ISBN 978-1-61780-165-5.
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