You Can't Win 'Em All (1970) User Reviews

Adventures, action and thrills in marvelous landscapes from Turkey

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 30 October 2009]

This exciting story is set in 1922, Turkish War of Independence, in revolutionary days during fall of the Ottoman Empire . The War resulted the defeat of Greece in Western Turkey (Greco-Turkish war), on the East, Armenian state and Britain, France and Georgia. It begins at the Aegean sea when a shipwrecked of a boat called Achiles is rescued . Then two former US soldiers (Tony Curtis, Charles Bronson) along with a band (Leo Gordon who also wrote the script, Horst Janson, Tony Bonner, among others) and wielding several Thomson machine-guns join forces a group of Turkish revolutionaries. They are contacted by Osman Bey (Gregoire Aslan), to escort his daughters accompanied by a gorgeous servant (Michelle Mercier). They're commanded by the colonel Elch (Hakan), while some rebels pursue them and attack the train. The film is set in 1922 , following the defeat of Ottoman Empire that led Mustafa Kemal, Attaturk (role well played by Patrick McGee), he commanded the Turkish national movement in the war of independence. His successful military campaigns led to liberation of the country and to the establishing of Turkey. He transformed the former Ottoman Empire into a democratic, modern, secular nation-state , his reforms are referred as Kemalism. Ankara became the new capital and Kemal abolished the Caliphate and Sultanate. Later on, the treaty of Lausana ,signed July 24, 1923, established most of the modern boundaries of the country and also led to the international recognition of the new Republic as the successor state of the defunct Ottoman Empire under government of Attaturk.

The picture is packed with adventures, shootouts,noisy action, tongue in cheek , well developed characters, and wonderful outdoors from Turkey. This is an old-fashioned and grand adventure about some mercenaries who travel from a port until Smyrna in order to rob a loot. Splendid characterization from Tony Curtis as joker,sympathetic adventurer and Charles Bronson as tough,two-fisted mercenary. The producers wish to thank the government and people of Turkey without whose help and co-operation this motion picture could not have been made. The entire filming of this production took place in Turkey with the interior of the Osman Bay palace photographed at Said Halim Pasha Manor.

This moving film is well directed by Peter Collinson. Collinson's royal directorial treatment provides it with action, gun-play, humor and majestic sweep. He was an expert on thriller (Sell out, Target on assassin), suspense (Spiral staircase, Ten little Indians, Open season), terror(Straight on till morning), Warlike-adventure(You can't win ém all), his biggest hit was ¨The Italian job¨ , until his early death by cancer at 41.

" A Man who lies, cheats and steals can't be all bad "

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 10 July 2012]

Not many people know that Hollywood actor Leo Gordon was also a noteworthy screenwriter. In point of fact Mr. Gordon wrote the script for this motion picture called " You Can't win them all. " He tells the the story of two traveling mercenaries Adam Dyer (Tony Curtis and Josh Corey (Charles Bronson) who arrive in Turkey in 1922. It was a turbulent time and the government was in the mists of a civil war. Our heroes arrive and sensing an opportunity to get rich, join which ever side will pay the most. This includes hiring on to guard a valuable shipment which includes members of a royal family, bars of gold and several million dollars worth of jewels. Throughout this movie which is filled with action, physical confrontations and exciting drama, our heroes try to stay one step ahead of they who would keep them from their treasure, only to realize it's not that easy. Michèle Mercier plays, Aila, a woman dedicated to the cause and proves a worthy adversary and ally for a Turkish General who is played by Patrick Magee. Leo Gordon who plays Bolek is in the film, but has a very brief role, still, with guns blazing, he does make his character exciting. Despite the movie's inability to make it at the box office, it has become a Classic in it's own right. Recommended. ****

Well. You know what they say? It's a short life at best.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 18 April 2014]

You Can't Win 'Em All (AKA: Soldiers of Fortune/The Dubious Patriots) is directed by Peter Collinson and written by Leo Gordon. It stars Tony Curtis, Charles Bronson, Michele Mercier, Fikret Hakan, Leo Gordon and Salih Guney. Music is by Bert Kaempfert and cinematography by Kenneth Higgins.

1922 and the Greco-Turkish War is coming to a close, and two soldiers of fortune meet and find themselves on a deadly mission that will either make them rich, get them killed or something else entirely…

Marauding machismo under the burning Turkey sun, You Can't Win 'Em All is good on intentions and two fisted action quotas. That the script is poor is a shame, because although it's hardly grade "A" as an actioner, it is a whole bunch of fun and Curtis and Bronson are great company to be in.

Collinson constructs the action in a competent manner as he fills out the plot with gunfire, explosions, barroom brawls, biplane attacks, speeding train, foxy women and a picturesque location. Bronson gets to flex his muscles while Curtis deals out the quips, and the narrative has the two men spun into a world of double crosses, bluffs and dubious motives. Their chemistry is solid, they make for a good buddy-buddy pairing.

Weak on the page for sure, but enough guts, gusto and grins to ensure it's worth spending the time with. 6.5/10

If you like westerns and if Bronson and Curtis are your favorites...

[elsinefilo · 30 December 2010]

Set against the backdrop of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) Soldiers of Fortune tells the story of two opportunist former U.S. Army soldiers Adam Dyer(Tony Curtis) and Josh Corey (Charles Bronson). The two joins a group of Turkish mercenaries to protect the daughters of an Ottoman sultan and a train that carries gold. This is the first movie in cinematic history that portrays Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (even briefly by Patrick Magee) who is the founder and the first president of modern Turkey. Believe it or not, the rumor has it that one of the Turkish journalists wanted to interview Charles Bronson after the production of the movie but he was just vehemently rejected by Bronson. So the embittered journalist just started a smear campaign against the movie, that's why the movie has never been available on DVD here and unfortunately the only way that you can watch this movie in Turkey is to get hold of a pirate VHS copy. You Can't Win 'Em All may not have sounded realistic or historically accurate but it would not be fair at all to expect complete historical accuracy from an adventurous western movie. The filming locations do not really follow a logical order either. For instance, the mercenaries set out their adventurous odyssey in İzmir (formerly Smyrna)At first they camp in the Cappadocia region (east-central Turkey) Later on you see them in Ephesus and Didim (which is at the far west)I guess Peter Collinson must have thought he should show a few places that a tourist must see in his/her visit to Turkey. You Can't Win 'Em All may not be the best movie but if you like westerns and if you are real fans of Curtis and Bronson there is not a reason why you shouldn't like this one.

Script is important

[falihk99 · 6/10 · 21 May 2021]

Well, this is a fiction. Having known this helps to understand history is not fiction but facts. The story barely reflects the fight for independence in Turkey after World War-I. It's respectful to a country's fight against imperialism.

On the other hand it's nostalgic to see historical places in Turkey aside old and mostly deceased actors around 1970s.

Entertaining adventure film from '69-70

[mark-rojinsky · 6/10 · 19 August 2023]

A sort of spaghetti western filmed in Turkey in 1969 relating to the Greco-Turkish War of 1922. Tony Curtis (''Spartacus'' (1960) and ''Insignificance'' (1983)) is a genial, wise-cracking adventurer accompanied by taciturn slit-eyed US-Lithuanian actor, Charles Bronson (''Vera Cruz'' (1954) and ''Chato's Land'' (1972)). Curtis's character sports a brown leather jacket, bright-green tie and thick sideburns. His one-liners and ad-libs are hilarious. Full of explosive set-pieces and action shots it records the 'Eastern Promise', colours and stunning landscapes of Cappadocia and Turkey. The end of the '60s/beginning of the '70s were exciting years.

Forgotten Turkish-set action flick

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 22 May 2015]

YOU CAN'T WIN 'EM ALL is an unusual American adventure film with a European feel. The story is heavily indebted to the usual spaghetti westerns made during the era, with a couple of ne'er-do-well characters getting caught up in a good cause and gradually realising that more is at stake than making money. This time around, the characters have to guard a gold shipment from various renegade factions, leading to plenty of stock action scenes and gung-ho adventure staples.

The film wins plaudits for casting a couple of decent actors as the leads; there's Charles Bronson, acting all tough and stoic as usual, while Tony Curtis in contrast brings plenty of laid-back charm to his character role. The supporting cast is largely made up of ethnic Turks, although eagle-eyed viewers may spot CAPTAIN KRONOS himself, Horst Janson, in a minor role. YOU CAN'T WIN 'EM ALL is a relatively fast paced and action-packed adventure film, but I felt oddly unconnected to it throughout, like I didn't really give two hoots about what was going on; it's not one I enjoyed.

Great teaming of Curtis and Bronson but.....

[jtchance-561-580378 · 7/10 · 9 November 2019]

Has anyone noticed how similar the plot line of this movies the earlier classic western VERA CRUZ? Tony Curtis has the Gary Cooper role and Charles Bronson is the mercenary leader earlier play by Burt Lancaster. Curiously Charles Buchinsky (Bronson) was one of Burt.'s gang in the original version. Most of the plot elements are repeated with the mercenaries detailed to ostensibly guard a woman on a journey to cover a gold shipment. The only significant change is the ending with both leads surviving.

The Persuaders

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 14 September 2015]

You Can't Win Them All was directed by Peter Collinson who made the landmark British heist thriller, The Italian Job.

Here Charles Bronson (Josh Corey) and Tony Curtis (Adam Dyer) play two soldiers of fortune who get together after Bronson finds Curtis stranded in the sea and soon constantly try to double cross each other as they see themselves as rivals.

The film is set in 1922 Turkey as the country is undergoing revolution internally and war with its neighbours and the two protagonists see this as an opportunity to make money. They join together and get hired by a local governor for a mission to transport his three daughters and some gold which leads to lots of devious shenanigans along the way.

Bronson and Curtis make a likable pair and work well together. Curtis is positive, amiable and a joker whereas Bronson is meaner, more calculating and colder.

There is some gorgeous Turkish location photography but the film is too stop and start and never truly gets going or engages. There is too much bickering and mutual distrust between Curtis and Bronson which stalls the film at the beginning and then only much later on we get the action sequences which are very well staged but feels like too little or two late

Some of the dialogue is jarring and the politics of the region is not easy to understand but it's an interesting misfire.

Good costumes, scenery and armoured train

[Marlburian · 6/10 · 26 April 2024]

Browsing YouTube took me to a quality copy of this film which, slightly surprisingly I hadn't been aware of, even though it starred Charles Bronson and Tony Curtis. My first reaction was that it was quite courageous to make a film with a historical background of which few viewers might be aware. I have an interest in the Great War period, but I had difficulties working out who the various factions were - not helped by the changing loyalties of some of the characters. (And I gather that the film took liberties with history.)

My rating of six reflects the costumes, the scenery and the impressive armoured train. On the debit side are those two common factors of so many films: a man (Tony Curtis in this case) who after several days of privation remains cleans shaven, and weapons that never need re-loading. In the case of YCWTA there's the additional anomaly of two small aircraft arriving with no bombs evident under their wings but still dropping a dozen or so.

Bronson and Curtis did well enough, as did Fikret Hakan as Colonel Elci. Michelle Mercier underwhelmed as the glamour interest.

Glacially slow...

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 4 June 2019]

"You Can't Win 'Em All" finds two mercenaries, Adam and Josh (Tony Curtis and Charles Bronson), in Turkey in 1922....and in the middle of a civil war. Naturally, they are there to sell weapons and you'd think all this would be very exciting. Well, that isn't exactly the case. Much of the movie consists of the pair being in the custody of some despot general....and it's very slow going there. Eventually there is some action...and after a bit, it also becomes a tad dull...so much shooting and mindless action.

If it sounds like I was not thrilled with this movie, you'd be absolutely right. The fall of the Turkish empire was an exciting period but little of it seems to carry over to this film.

Rent-a-Bronson/Curtis

[lost-in-limbo · 8/10 · 4 May 2010]

In my quest of tracking down starring Charles Bronson features; "You Can't Win 'Em All" aka "Soldiers of Fortune" was one of the hardest to come by. In which is a bit a surprise, because it's rather an entertainingly sturdy old-fashion boy's own adventure with feverish plotting, buoyant performances and striking scenic locations on show. Think of another Bronson feature "Villa Rides" made two years before it, as the story is kind of similar but set in a different time, different place.

It's 1922 and two former U.S army soldiers Adam Dyer and Josh Corey meet under unusual circumstances, where these rivals join together as a group of mercenaries in Turkey. They're hired by a local governor for a mission through the Mediterranean, which includes transporting his three daughters and a gold shipment. This leads to a lot of devious developments occurring on the war-torn journey.

Charles Bronson and Tony Curtis simply clicked together as the two soldiers of fortune. Curtis' happy-go-lucky approach matched up well with Bronson's laconically calculated manner. Both provided many amusingly perceptive quips, as they try to out wit each other. The snappy script keeps the sharp humour and comic elements on the cards. This along side the illustratively sun-baked Turkey backdrop with its local flavour and revolutionary wars gave British director Peter Collinson an excitingly colourful frame to work with. His uniformed handling is lively, tough and sprawling in its made-up spectacles. Random opportunities knock for the characters to take up and so does the rough and tumble action. It's punchy with enough bangs for you buck, as the madcap narrative moves at a locomotive pace. Bert Kaempfert's flighty music score is a majestically sounding arrangement that suit's the film's epic framework and exotic locations. The cast also features the likes of Leo Gordon (who also penned the film's screenplay), Patrick Magee, Horst Janson, Tony Bonner and extremely beautiful Michèle Mercier.

"You Can't Win 'Em All" is an agreeably fitting and strong-willed adventure comedy escapism.

Not exactly a winner, indeed.

[Coventry · 4/10 · 27 August 2020]

Because of my tremendous admiration for legendary Charles Bronson, and my unhealthy obsession to track down literally every movie he ever appeared in, I stumbled upon this obscure and largely forgotten buddy action/adventure movie "You Can't Win 'Em All". Obscure and largely forgotten for a very good reason, mind you. When a boisterous and relatively large-budgeted epos stars two major contemporary stars (Bronson, but also Tony Curtis), and the director was the same man who helmed the big & successful caper-hit "The Italian Job" one year earlier (Peter Collinson), but yet nobody seems to ever mention it, then you can rest assured it's not worth watching. I can't be sure, of course, but looking at his overall career path, I also seriously doubt if Charlie Bronson himself felt very comfortable in this role. Bronson usually portrays strong and robust, but also very silent and introvert characters, but here he's a jolly and talkative fella. Can't say it suits him well.

The first glance we get to see of Charles Bronson is a terrible one. He's sitting on a ship and plays a Jew's harp. Is the script so shameless to bluntly imitate his immortal Harmonica character from "Once upon a Time in the West"? Luckily, he doesn't use the annoying instrument anymore after the intro, although this also gives you an idea of how good the continuity is. The title is meaningless and has nothing to do with the actual plot. Speaking of which, the historically inaccurate plot introduces Bronson and Curtis as two continuously bickering mercenaries in Turkey, in the early 20s, hired to escort a bunch of things (jewels, documents, royal daughters...) by train, by land and by sea.

Nobody wants you to care about the plot, in fact. The sole gimmick of the film is the desperately wannabe comical chemistry and dialogues between Bronson and Curtis. Perhaps the writer, Leo Gordon, secretly hoped the pairing of these two would be the start a successful film series, similar to Abbott and Costello, but alas. You won't hear me say that all of Adam and Josh's disputes and double-crossing attempts are worthless, but the genuine chuckles and inventive moments are too scarce. Also, with so much focus going to the two leads, the excellent supportive cast (including Michèle Mercier, Patrick Magee) as well as the authentic Turkey locations and landscapes, are sadly wasted. I suspect it might have worked as a simple, thirteen-in-a-dozen vehicle for Terence Hill and Bud Spencer, but not like this.

Action Picture With Unusual Setting

[mensa3 · 17 April 2000]

This is a competent adventure movie pairing, of all people, Tony Curtis and Charles Bronson. It's setting is an obscure one for Americans: Turkey in its days of revolutionary war following the defeat and collapse of the Ottoman Dynasty in World War I. Bronson and his band of mercs have tommy guns but don't get to use them as much as you might expect. On no best-of list, but this movie is a bit better than it had to be, and worth a look.

They Don`t Make `Em Like This Nowadays

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 9 October 2003]

My instant reaction on watching this in 2003 is the portrayal of the Muslim faith . Without giving too much away the plot centres around protecting a Muslim icon , while Muslims who are not exacatly treated with total reverance aren`t shown as being blood thirsty killers calling for jihad against westerners either . Compare this movie with something like TRUE LIES and you`ll see how differently Hollywood treats Islam these days .

That said I don`t want anyone to think this is a piece of must see cinema . YOU CAN`T WIN `EM ALL is basically a buddy B movie made to shown before a main feature , if you`re under 35 you won`t be able to remember the days when you paid money at the box office and got to see TWO feature films . Charles Bronson plays a world weary skipper while Tony Curtis - Who shocked cinema audiences in THE BOSTON STRANGLER two years before - plays an irritating smart ass similar to his role in THE PERSUADERS in early 1920s Turkey . Watch out for the anachronism when someone mentions " Starting world war two " which is strange because no one ever spoke about " World war one " in those days , not even the cast of PEARL HARBOR

Only for hardcore fans of Bronson or Curtis

[norbert-plan-618-715813 · 4/10 · 28 May 2022]

It is an action film, from the end of the sixties, an unacknowledged copy of Robert Aldrich's Vera Cruz (1954), whose main interest is the superb landscapes of Turkey. The film was entirely shot in Turkey in natural settings. The cinemascope often highlights them, either in the background or for purely decorative transition shots.

Another element to note is the interpretation of Charles Bronson: he has several lines of dialogue, he speaks, he is even capable of self-mockery and has several different facial expressions including the smile. And this is in response to his sidekick, Tony Curtis, who is much more voluble.

Nevertheless, this ensemble is very lazy and sluggish in its weakly inventive direction, in its action sequences where we don't feel any point of view, and in general by its two stars who do the job but where it is obvious that there is no director and no direction. The director has no point of view: no personality. He just films beautiful sets and the lazy performance of his two star actors.

It's just a bad movie. The plagiarism of Vera Cruz is not a big deal, because it's a good script. But the whole is unfortunately not very exciting and as indicated at the beginning the most interesting are the settings, the monuments, the costumes and the beautiful landscapes of Turkey.

Moreover, and this does not help the film, the chemistry between Charles Bronson and Tony Curtis is not very good even if the two characters seem to get along well.

Note that the presence of Michèle Mercier, highlighted on the poster, does not bring anything and has really a second role, almost silent.

Some Action

[Tweetienator · 4/10 · 4 February 2022]

Entertaining to a certain degree, this one is mostly interesting for fans of Charles Bronson and Tony Curtis. Of course, some rough guys riding on horses with Tommy Guns has a certain entertainment value. The story itself reminds me a little bit of Vera Cruz (Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster). Not bad, but not too good either.

It could easily be worse

[bob_lyle · 8/10 · 19 March 2006]

Another reviewer has called this "better than it had to be", which I think is right on the money. This is not a history lesson, nor is Shakespeare, but it uses an obscure period of history to tell an adventure story without insulting anyone's intelligence.

It is a remake of "Vera Cruz", the 1952 Western with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster. Except Curtis' character is much wittier than Cooper's, and Bronson's character is not a psychopath. Both changes make it easier to watch, although not as dramatic. Both movies have anachronisms, but I think many of the anachronisms in "You can't Win 'em All" are sardonically recognized.

There are easy parallels between the chaos of 1867 Mexico and 1922 Turkey. In both there were uncertain loyalties at the end of an Imperial rule and a major conflict had ended nearby, leaving a pool of unemployed killers. In both a nationalistic regime replaced the Old Order, and neither Juarez nor Attaturk were choirboys. But the movie is neither history lesson nor moral polemic, just a cheerful adventure story.

Not memorable

[Sergiodave · 4/10 · 5 November 2020]

Lots of producers / directors followed the lead of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, and almost always failed, this is another prime example the only reason to watch is to see Bronson and Curtis pick up a paycheck. The story is average, the acting is below par and in general it's just boring.

For Curtis and Bronson Fans

[Michael_Elliott · 6 November 2010]

You Can't Win 'Em All (1970)

** (out of 4)

Mildly entertaining action film has former WW1 soldiers traveling to Turkey where they are hired by Osman Bey to help guard a gold shipment but after countless double crossings and twists, the soldiers begin to realize that there might be something more at stake than just gold. It's important to note that the soldiers are played by Tony Curtis and Charles Bronson and those names are big enough to make you want to keep watching even when the film itself starts to unravel and come apart. The movie gets off to a great start as Curtis is stranded at sea in a sinking boat and gets picked up by captain Bronson but before he can get on the two have a nice exchange of words. The first twenty-minutes of the movie are fast, sharp and contain some very funny moments but all of this stuff pretty much goes away once the center story kicks in. I never really could get too involved with the story in Turkey simply because it really didn't feel all that real and I also thought it was rather poorly written. I think there's way too much story trying to go on and there's really nothing behind it because the main goal is just to get to the next action scene. As far as the action goes, we get a couple excellent sequences. The opening bar fight is pretty good but the real highlight comes towards the middle of the film when the train carrying the gold comes under attack. After viewing the movie I had to do a Google search to see how many stuntmen got killed in this sequence but apparently it was none. The physical stunts are extremely graphic and there are a few scenes where horses are tripping off one another and there's one instant that will really stick out because it seems the human riding it gets crushed during all the mayhem. There's another big action piece at the end, which results in another twist in the story that actually works pretty good. The main draw of this movie is going to be seeing Curtis and Bronson together and they actually do a pretty good job. I thought that laid back, smart ass attitude of Curtis worked perfectly well with Bronson stone cold approach. The two are simply so different that when they mix it up they just come off very funny. The banter between the men in the bar at the start of the film is certainly one of the highlights. YOU CAN'T WIN 'EM ALL is far from a masterpiece and in reality it's not even a good movie. With that said, fans of the two stars will probably want to check it out but others will probably not find too much to keep them watching from start to finish.

Worst movie ever...

[lindajo5 · 1/10 · 25 January 2004]

Well, what can I say. "Soldiers of Fortune" is definitely the worst movie I've ever seen.

Let's start at the beginning: A guy who supposedly was on a raft for a long time is finally rescued by Bronson. The man has horribly ripped pants and a shirt that is in ok condition, but the clincher is that he has no beard at all. Not even any stubble. And his hair wasn't shaggy or dirty. These seemingly minor details say an awful lot about how poorly made this movie was.

Later on Bronson and the other guy are in a bar and a bunch of armed soldiers burst in and start asking questions. A brawl begins. Not a single shot is fired by the soldiers. Bronson's men beat everyone up. As they leave for their ship, the soldiers exit the bar and start shooting AFTER the fight is over and many people have been beat up.

Later on Bronson is talking to the Sultan of Turkey about working for him. Whenever the sultan talks, his face is in the very corner of the screen and you can only occasionally see his whole face. Also, a microphone is extremely obvious just off-center.

Besides these details, the movie is extremely repetitive. I have no idea how many scenes contained Bronson and his men riding horses, camels, donkeys, etc.

Here's a rough depiction of a quote from the movie: Bronson hands the other guy a gun "This good charity is going to be the death of me." The other guy says "Better you than me." Bronson replies "I don't kill easy."

That quote just says it all. Something about it doesn't flow. I can understand what they're saying, but it doesn't sound like an English conversation.

These are just a few of the limitless things that make this movie so horrible. If you don't believe me that it sucks this bad, rent it for yourself. If you enjoy watching movies that are so bad that they are funny, this one is a must-see. The only movie I can think of that is even close to as bad as this one is Chuck Norris' "The Octagon".

so bad

[themick99 · 3/10 · 4 November 2023]

This movie cant seem to decide where it's going. Maybe that's the point(less). It meanders from opening to closing credits with really telling much of a story. Fitting in that meader come from the turkish river, menderes. Gratuitous, stereotypes abound. Ottoman decadence complete with a despotic provincial governor who when handed a thompson for the first time, proceeds to gleefully shoot up his own palace, destoying much of his own artwork. Curtis and bronsob must cringe even after death when this movie is mentioned or viewed. Worth watching only for the location. Some of the shots are magnificent. The only redeemin feature of this flick. Parts of turkey seldom seen or risked by tourists today.

Topnotch Action Epic with Bronson and Curtis

[zardoz-13 · 10/10 · 16 October 2010]

Tony Curtis and Charles Bronson team up as mercenaries in director Peter Collinson's "You Can't Win'Em All," a larger-than-life action epic set in historic Turkey during the waning days of the Otterman Empire. This tongue-in-cheek actioneer benefits from a glossy budget and actual on-location lensing in Turkey. This is one of those old-fashioned shoot'em ups where everybody around the two leading men drop like flies whenever they ride into an ambush or get strafed by biplanes. Curtis and Bronson radiate charisma and chemistry. Neither completely trusts each other entirely, but they wind up as close-knit friends at fadeout. Collinson captures the beauty and majesty of Turkey, and "Virgin Soldiers" lenser Ken Higgins' widescreen cinematography is as scenic and sweeping as the action. Our heroes, former U.S. Army soldiers Adam Dyer (Tony Curtis of "The Vikings")and Josh Corey (Charles Bronson of "Vera Cruz"), provide an escort for what appears to be a mule train of gold but there are surprises in store for both of them as well as the audience. Collinson stages several eventful action scenes, not the least of which involve a couple of biplanes dropping bombs on an army in the field. Tough-guy character actor Leo V. Gordon, who penned the World War II thriller "Tobruk," wrote the screenplay, and he provides Curtis and Bronson with amusing dialogue that will remind you of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." The ending is a hoot!

Strange Haircuts

[SipteaHighTea · 9/10 · 22 July 2008]

Overall, I like the movie; however, I find it strange that many of Charles Bronson's men have hippie like long hair. This is suppose to be a film about a situation in 1919 not 1970. Men back in those days were clean cut unless you live out in a very isolated rural area like being a lumberjack or like in Lawrence of Arabia, you were herding sheep, horses, camels, etc., and because you were so far away from civilization and had to ration your water supply, you could not shave your face and cut your sideburns.

I am surprise with the firepower of the tommy guns, they could not shoot down the two Turkish plane or damage them. Its funny in a movie when you have German soldiers throwing lots of firepower against American soldiers, few Americans get killed; however, when you see soldiers of countries like Greece or Turkey with less firepower, they are good at killing Americans in large numbers.