University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

'Kelly's Heroes': Shady Deception

By Paul Chaplin
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

As most people know, Madison
Avenue is not above twisting the
truth to sell something. The
advertising campaign for "Kelly's
Heroes" has relied heavily upon the
popularity of Donald Sutherland,
And the success of "M*A*S*H."
Don't be suckered by this shady
device often used to promote a
film. Let's be fair And rename the
film "Where Kelly Dares." Deja vu?

The film tells the story of 27
men who cross enemies lines to rob
a French bank of 16 million dollars
in Nazi gold bullion. Kelly (Clint
Eastwood) who learns of the gold
when interrogating a captured
German intelligence officer, quickly
assembles the men he needs from
his own company, commanded by
Sergeant "Big Joe," played by Telly
Savalas. Equipment is supplied by
Crapgame, the local wheeler-dealer,
aptly portrayed by Don Rickles.
Into this money-hungry trio comes
Donald Sutherland as the head of a
renegade band of gypsies who call
themselves tank experts.

Kelly's plan is simple. The men
will cross enemy lines, And invade
the town, while Sutherland's three
Sherman tanks will be pitted
against three German Tiger tanks.
Sure! One more person is needed
for the success of the mission And
the film: Karl Baumgartner, the
special effects director. His last film
was another war film called "Where
Eagles Dare."

Credit for this whole film goes
to director Brian G. Hutton, who, if
you haven't guessed it, directed
"Where Eagles Dare." The film is
cold And impersonal And lacks
continuity And smoothness,
resulting in confusion of plot And
details. This is especially evident in
the climax, During the capture of
the French village.

The four main characters don't
come across as the lovable
knuckleheads the ads portray them
to be. Eastwood is too cool
compared to Savalas' stereotyped
sergeant. Sutherland has trouble making
his character remotely
plausible. Of course anyone would
have trouble with a character who
alternates between being a gay
pot-smoker And a madman.

Blame for these sloppy
characterizations belongs to Tony
Kennedy Martin, the scriptwriter,
And not to the actors. The jokes are
stretched to the degree that they
are not funny at all. The only actor
to surpass the limitations of the
script is Don Rickles. This is not
entirely surprising for Rickles
throws out a few of his notorious
insults with the right degree of
timing And deadpan. Within the
framework of the film, Rickles'
humor is tame And he comes across
as a human, more than when he's
on Johnny Carson.

As I sat watching the film, my
feet stuck to the greasy floor, I
kept thinking of East wood in those
Italian westerns. The comparison is
not too far removed, for more
bodies fly than in any film I can
recall. Ironically enough, the film's
comedy is largely in these massive
battle scenes, when the stunt men
die in the most imaginative ways
possible.

Director Hutton carries the
western illusion to its limit -
namely parody. Eastwood, Savalas,
And Sutherland march down the
street to face the last German Tiger,
while the soundtrack blares a theme
from "Hang 'Em High." The total
absurdity of the situation, plus
Sutherland's mugging, make this a
highly amusing scene. One further
comment about parody; Eastwood
has become a parody of himself. If
he works harder at it, he might even
be funny playing Clint Eastwood.

This is a terribly long movie,
made even longer by the
management's insertion of a
popcorn break. It's Hutton's fault
that the film needs tightening And
clarification. Why must these faults
be heightened with an intermission?

"Kelly's Heroes" is not a war
comedy, but a war
adventure-fantasy, like "Where
Eagles Dare." The essence of the
comedy can be reduced to one
sequence in which Rickles And a
comrade duck behind a building for
protection During a battle. The
building blows up on top of them,
And Rickles emerges from the
rubble with a chamber pot on his
arm. It's like a lemon: all that
squeezing isn't worth the juice.

(Now at the Paramount)