Napoleon is in the process of conquering Spain, and the retreating Spanish abandon a really really really big cannon. Cary Grant is an English naval officer sent to retrieve it and stop the French from grabbing it. He runs into a ragtag bunch of Spanish partisans lead by Frank Sinatra who are in possession of the gun and intend on bringing it many many miles to a French held walled city and using it to breach the walls. Sinatra and Grant make a deal. If he comes with them and shows them how to fire the gun, they'll let him keep it.
So, the big glaring problem with this film is that neither Grant nor Sinatra are the slightest bit convincing as 19th century men. At least Grant gets to be British. Sinatra as a Spaniard is an even bigger stretch.
That said, if you can get past the ridiculous casting, and I did as the film went on, it's a generally okay historical adventure flick. Not great ... not terrible. It mines a good deal of suspense over lugging this giant gun across Spain.
What's less successful is the Grant-Sinatra-Sophia Loren love triangle. It's a shame because Loren is most convincing casting, but she has little interesting to do here.
So, the big glaring problem with this film is that neither Grant nor Sinatra are the slightest bit convincing as 19th century men. At least Grant gets to be British. Sinatra as a Spaniard is an even bigger stretch.
That said, if you can get past the ridiculous casting, and I did as the film went on, it's a generally okay historical adventure flick. Not great ... not terrible. It mines a good deal of suspense over lugging this giant gun across Spain.
What's less successful is the Grant-Sinatra-Sophia Loren love triangle. It's a shame because Loren is most convincing casting, but she has little interesting to do here.