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Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round

1966 1h 44m Crime Drama List
33% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 33% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings
Con artist Eli Kotch (James Coburn) schemes his way to parole by seducing the prison's female psychologist. Once free, he seduces many women, sometimes using disguises and accents to steal what he wants from them. With a hefty sum of stolen finances set up, he begins planning his biggest heist yet: robbing the Los Angeles International Airport bank when the Soviet Union premier arrives. But his sham marriage to the secretary (Camilla Sparv) of a millionaire may put a wrench in his plan. Read More Read Less
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Critics Reviews

View All (6) Critics Reviews
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Coburn is likable even if his character isn’t. Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 10, 2023 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Lags until it hits the climactic caper scene. Rated: C Mar 13, 2010 Full Review Chuck O'Leary Fantastica Daily Dated and very dull. Rated: 1/5 Oct 6, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Aug 17, 2005 Full Review Michael A. Smith Nolan's Pop Culture Review Serviceable film best known for the film debut of Harrison Ford as the bell hop! Rated: 3/5 Dec 18, 2004 Full Review Tony Mastroianni Cleveland Press Coburn is a toothsome, lanky, wild-haired and likable rogue. Nov 20, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (22) audience reviews
Aidyn R It was good and there was a actor in there that was from Star Wars Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (rental) is 1966 set heist film. The heist is the pretty barebones and occurs in the final 20 minutes. Most of the film is James Coburn "seducing" women as a con artist to rob them. This usually involves an elaborate backstory and a silly accent. Enjoyment of the film would depend largely on nostalgia for the late sixties and an appreciation for the charms of James Coburn as sex symbol (I don't have either of theses things). A very young Harrison Ford pops up for a few seconds (in his first role) as a bellhop. 1 1/2 stars out of 5 (but it has aged poorly and will continue to do so). The film is misogynistic and Coburn's character comes across more caddish than cool. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member This was a good movie with a good twist. Even though you knew James Coburn's character was a cad, you had to enjoy the ending where he lost everything of value as he saw the success of his plan. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member James Coburn is suave, yes, but can his personality carry an entire movie when the plot takes a leisurely meandering course to get to where it's going? Methinks not. If this were a character study rather than a heist film, then we should learn a bit more about Coburn's raisons d'etre. Instead, this is all just a slow build to the ironic but otherwise underwhelming conclusion. Coburn is a master manipulator who gets himself paroled from prison and then embarks on a mission to secure enough cash to buy the blueprints for a bank that he plans to hold up. The timing will be just right, as the Soviet premier is landing in Los Angeles and causing a big commotion. Watch as the plot slowly slowly slowly unspools. Not bad, not good. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Tough guy James Coburn dully drags through a crime caper of epicly dull proportions. A con man (Coburn) is released from jail just to start planning for his next hit. Not much of anything to get excited about but not as bad as it might have been with a lesser actor in the lead. The only reason to give it a try if for the 5 second cameo by Harrison Ford in his first role as a bell hop. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Great sixties stuff, underrated. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round

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Cast & Crew

The Big Heat 94% 90% The Big Heat So Dark the Night 100% 40% So Dark the Night Lady in Cement 33% 48% Lady in Cement Point Blank 93% 84% Point Blank Tony Rome 63% 58% Tony Rome Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Con artist Eli Kotch (James Coburn) schemes his way to parole by seducing the prison's female psychologist. Once free, he seduces many women, sometimes using disguises and accents to steal what he wants from them. With a hefty sum of stolen finances set up, he begins planning his biggest heist yet: robbing the Los Angeles International Airport bank when the Soviet Union premier arrives. But his sham marriage to the secretary (Camilla Sparv) of a millionaire may put a wrench in his plan.
Director
Bernard Girard
Producer
Carter DeHaven
Screenwriter
Bernard Girard
Production Co
Columbia
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 15, 2010
Runtime
1h 44m
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