Audience Member
First Sergeant Mike Merry (Frank Sinatra), Sergeant Chip Deal (Dean Martin) and Sergeant Larry Barrett (Peter Lawford) are three lusty, brawling U.S. Cavalry sergeants stationed in Indian Territory in 1870. Mike and Chip are determined to prevent Larry from carrying out his decision to leave the army at the end of his current hitch and marry the beautiful Amelia Parent. One night, the three friends befriend a trumpet-playing former slave, Jonah Williams (Sammy Davis Jr.), who dreams of someday becoming a trooper. A tribe of fanatical Indians begins terrorizing the area, and the headstrong Chip decides to attempt the capture of their leader. Accompanied by Jonah, he sneaks into the Indians' secret meeting place while they are conducting one of their mysterious rites, but he is discovered and taken prisoner...
"Sergeants 3" was met with middling reviews on release. Variety labeled it as "warmed-over Gunga Din in a westernized version of that epic, with American-style Indians and Vegas-style soldiers of fortune. The essential differences between the two pictures, other than the obvious one of setting, is that the emphasis in Gunga was serious with a tongue-in-cheek overtone, whereas the emphasis in Sergeants is tongue-in-cheek with serious overtones." In a contemporary New York Times review, critic A. H. Weiler wrote: "Mr. Sinatra and his loyal coterie switch from slapstick to slaughter and back again with reckless abandon. They may have found a 'home' in this peculiar kind of an 'Army' but their antics may be enough to give a discerning observer the megrims."
This John Sturges directed Rat Pack film has the ensemble intact and their antics, but also magnificent sceneries and nice action sequences with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. It was the last film to feature all five members of the Rat Pack, as Sinatra would no longer speak to or work with Lawford following the abrupt cancellation in March 1962 of a visit by Lawford's brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, to Sinatra's Palm Springs house. "Sergeants 3" is a remake of Gunga Din (1939), with the setting moved from India to the American West. I liked the film in general. It made me think of the good times during the Rat Pack era I wish I had been there to experience myself.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/21/23
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Audience Member
Its a light comical tribute to Gunga Din. Just a fun, no thought movie to watch
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
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Audience Member
Nicely filmmed and some suprisingly decent action sequences. Nevertheless, the Rat Packers seem abit bored by the beautiful scenery. The plot fails to capitalize on the nice production.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/09/23
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Audience Member
another brat pack comedy western
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/21/23
Full Review
Audience Member
They're ALL here, the original RAT PACK with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. [see NOTE #1] The three Bing Crosby sons are in the film as well. People rule out Westerns today, they miss so much.
[img]https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRK0SUA6XHGKNWpO3Ais89NOVV2w9GEiycdR1dye2A6bClTTWRt[/img] Dean Martin escapes another arrow
Few today know that the RAT PACK was these five guys. This movie is where the PACK can do NO wrong. They exceed in everything they do together. Overwhelming odds? Doesn't matter. Of course, its just a fantasy Western.
Sergeants 3 was met with middling reviews on release. Variety labeled it as "warmed-over Gunga Din in a westernized version of that epic, with American-style Indians and Vegas-style soldiers of fortune.
[img]http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/RU1AhwmEsJI/hqdefault.jpg[/img] From left to right: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford
Despite this awkward setting for the Pack, the cinematogrophy is outstanding. The West here and the entire film is shot so period, so well. The rest? Pretty awful for students of cinema but would have been a crowd pleaser in the day. It is painful to watch for realists.
Directed by legend John Sturgis and produced by legend Frank Sinatra himself.
While this movie does them a terrible injustice, at the time of release Westerns were in vogue, even comedy ones like this. If you can get past the nonsense at the beginning, the film might get some traction for you. The Indians are so terribly well clothed. The problem with costuming is it is SO santitized and terribly unrelistic.
But look at this film not criticly, look at it as a museum piece, a time long gone by. All of these actors are now dead.
SEE the entire comedy western here if you dare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_P_cZnOSPc
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/62/Poster_of_the_movie_Sergeants_3.jpg/220px-Poster_of_the_movie_Sergeants_3.jpg[/img]
REVIEWS:
30%
Not into westerns and this was my first Rat Pack movie I've ever watched. Maybe I'm not the best person to judge this movie, but I didn't find it that...
60%
I really wanted to like this because I'm a big Rat Pack fan, but I just couldn't get into this. The story is boring, the action feels too heavy ....
[img]http://www.movieactors.com/photos-stars/sammy-davis-jr-sergeants3-5.jpg[/img] Sammy Davis Jr. nearly begs to join
NOTES:
1 It was the last film to feature all five members of the Rat Pack due to Sinatra's falling out with Lawford and later Bishop.
2 Sinatra said of these Rat Pack films: "Of course they're not great movies, no-one could claim that... but every movie I've made through my own company has made money."
3 Seldom seen after its initial run in cinemas, never granted a release on home video, it seemed as though only a major event could bring Sergeants 3 to DVD. A DVD was finally released on May 13, 2008, both as a single disc and as part of a new Rat Pack box set, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Frank Sinatra's death.
[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2598861483_4ac2048ea4.jpg[/img] 4 of the 5 original RAT PACK together off screen
Frank Sinatra as First Sergeant Mike Merry
Dean Martin as Sergeant Chip Deal
Sammy Davis, Jr. as Jonah Williams
Peter Lawford as Sergeant Larry Barrett
Joey Bishop as Sergeant-Major Roger Boswell
Henry Silva as Mountain Hawk
Ruta Lee as Amelia Parent
Buddy Lester as Willie Sharpknife
Phillip Crosby as Cpl. Ellis
Dennis Crosby as Pvt. Page
Lindsay Crosby as Pvt. Wills
Hank Henry as Blacksmith
Dick Simmons as Col. William Collingwood (billed as Richard Simmons)
Michael Pate as Watanka
Armand Alzamora as Caleb
Rodd Redwingas Irregular
Directed by
John Sturges
Produced by
Frank Sinatra
Howard W. Koch
Written by
W.R. Burnett
Music by
Billy May
Cinematography
Winton C. Hoch
Editing by
Ferris Webster
Distributed by
United Artists
Release date(s)
February 10, 1962 (United States)
Running time
112 min.
Country
United States
Language
English
Box office
$4.3 million
[img]https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsH-yvbIkXffH3HdBEuIRZ7ubGXzy1llLaTM416w_O4aISJDT1-g[/img]
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Not into westerns and this was my first Rat Pack movie I've ever watched. Maybe I'm not the best person to judge this movie, but I didn't find it that enjoyable.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
01/28/23
Full Review
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