Machine Gun McCain (1969) User Reviews

MACHINE GUN McCAIN (Giuliano Montaldo, 1968) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 2 September 2006]

This is a stylish, complex and exciting gangster melodrama (which Leonard Maltin in "Movies & Video Guide" calls "junk" and awards a mere **!) bolstered by an infectious Ennio Morricone score (especially the title ballad). Amazingly, it was shown on Italian TV at the time of the Cannes Film Festival as part of a series of past nominees; unfortunately, however, the print was of the choppy 94-minute U.S. version (bearing the Columbia logo upfront) and panned-and-scanned to boot (making the Techniscope compositions pretty claustrophobic)!! I've been unable to determine the film's original length, but I've seen running-times as long as 119 minutes!

The film is well-served by a great cast: an intense and fearless John Cassavetes as the title character, a delectable Britt Ekland as a girl he meets and marries on being sprung from jail (who becomes an accomplice in his criminal schemes without batting an eyelid, at least in this version!), Peter Falk as a bad-tempered small-time hood whose ambitions see him clash with his ruthless superiors, Florinda Bolkan as his even more avaricious wife, Gabriele Ferzetti as the crossed Don who goes to teach Falk a lesson (and who seems to be having an affair with Bolkan!), Luigi Pistilli (rather under-used as Falk's right-hand man), Salvo Randone (as the No. 1 Mafia Boss who keeps track of the situation from his New York office), Tony Kendall (as the hit-man dispatched to eliminate both Falk and Cassavetes) and "Special Guest Star" Gena Rowlands (as McCain's tough old flame - together they were a legendary criminal double-act, and the real-life couple demonstrate undeniable chemistry in their one scene together! - who, still having feelings for him, aids in his escape from the Mob and suffers the consequences for her actions). It's an interesting mix of 'styles': the Italians give it authenticity, the women a touch of class and the two male stars (who, regrettably, don't share any screen-time but were eventually re-teamed in a gangland milieu in MIKEY AND NICKY [1976] - which I recently watched - and where they were practically inseparable!) an aura of intelligence. Some sources credit The Doors' frontman Jim Morrison in the role of a lackey, but it certainly didn't seem like him to me!

The best sequence is the ingenious heist from a Las Vegas casino (indeed, the glitzy and often sleazy locations are a definite asset) and, in the cynical fashion of cinema in the late 60s, the film ends - rather abruptly - with a downbeat 'curtain'. Montaldo didn't make that many films but from the three I've watched - the others being the enjoyable light-hearted caper GRAND SLAM (1967) and the excellent IL GIOCATTOLO (1979), a Death Wish-type drama with a remarkable leading performance from Nino Manfredi - he certainly knew his business.

Cassavetes the Tough-Guy

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 12 November 2014]

As another film in a long-line for Cassavetes, much like Orson Welles did for many years, done more-so to pay the bills for the next feature film as director than for any kind of real 'passion' for the project, Machine-Gun McCain acts, walks and talks like a gangster genre picture. And from Italy no less.

It has a similar kind of beat to it like Point Blank where you have a real tough guy gangster (Cassavetes) who is out of jail and has some payback to deliver to a super-criminal organization and based more on principle than anything else. He decides to pull a rather crazy casino-heist job, but not with the same kind of crew or expertise that Ocean's Eleven might've had. No, instead, when not laying his hot Euro-girl (Britt Eklund), he's preparing by himself to bomb the s**t out of the casino and make off with the cake in a rather twisted premise.

Giuliano Montaldo's film is spare on character exploration - this is not the kind of film that Cassavetes would make himself, not in a thousand years - but is good on making things 'cool' in the heist-movie sense. The little we know about Hank McCain is just enough to keep the story going.

There is some supporting character stuff with Peter Falk's gangster who is in some heat over some bad business going on behind the scenes (lots of tense shouting going on in some of these scenes, it looks fun to play but who knows on the freewheeling Italian productions), and absolutely nothing really to Eklund's character. I wondered throughout the film why she would go on with all of this what Hank was doing. Who is she and what is he to her? I guess who cares ultimately except as someone to carry the explosives and drive the car in a clinch.

More interesting in the film, though sadly underused, is a character Gena Rowlands plays (both Falk and Rowlands being Cassvetes regular players) who was an old flame of Hank McCain's way back when, and Rowlands gives this character a lot of unexpected depth in just five minutes of screen-time.

She shows up since Hank needs some help in the last act of the story, and their chemistry on screen (notwithstanding being real life husband and wife) is electrifying, and she has a dangerous quality that speaks of being a femme fatale but a really good egg to the right people. A scene right after this when she's being questioned by some hoodlums on the trail of McCain is perhaps the best scene of the movie; how much of this was some decent direction or just Rowlands way about the scene I don't know.

Cassavetes, too, thankfully, helps anchor the film when it could get into a lull. He has some kind of concentration about him, whether he's scoping a joint out or gambling at a casino table or if he's talking with a few lunkhead lowlife criminals who are plotting a caper that they want to include him on, that makes Machine Gun McCain so enjoyable.

The story itself is just okay, it moves along at a decent enough pace, but it's mostly just an excuse for the action to take shape - which, admittedly, once you see what McCain has in store in this heist, it's really one of the more incredible and daring scenes in heist movies from the time. But with the star there, it's an odd but compelling presence that makes the film itself much tougher. There's one scene especially where McCain pulls out his machine fun (hence the name), and it's a scene of dark, intense power, mostly from him saying little at all.

Exciting and prime quality Italo crime thriller blessed with a great score by Ennio Morricone.

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 19 December 2015]

This mobster film titled ¨Gli Intoccabili¨ or ¨Machine Gun McCain¨ (1969) talks about a just-released gangster called Hank McCain played by John Cassavetes who is pitch-perfect and Britt Ekland has a big part in this suspenseful movie . As a tough criminal called Hank (John Cassavetes) goes out from prison (it was shot at San Quentin Prison without permits) , being received by his son . One time being released from jail , two-fisted criminal Hank hooks up with his son Jack , who has assembled a gang for one robbing . As they attempt to rob a Mafia-controlled casino in Las Vegas . Unbeknownst to Hank , Jack is also involved with a mobster (Peter Falk) who utilizes Hank as a pawn so he can gain control of Vegas territory that's ordinarily being run by the boss Don Francesco De Marco (Gabriele Ferzetti) ; at the same time , the latter is under orders of Don Salvatore (Salvo Randone) . In the meantime , Hank falls in love for a young woman called Irene Tucker (Britt Ekland) and marries her in a rapid wedding in Las Vegas .

This stirring film contains suspense , action , sharp-edged set pieces , thrilling situations and terrific performance by a plethora of known main actors as well as sensational supporting cast . A very moving plot with a misfit group planning a suspenseful heist . A realistic treatment glamorizes nothing and implicates the small-time thieves , capos , and big bosses . Including some car pursuits that were shot in two days without permits using rented automobiles . The movie is slickly narrated in original manner by means of various twists , red herrings , puzzles , jigsaw , in which the main protagonist has devised a daring plan that goes awry and it finally results to be a total disaster . The picture displays usual elements noir cinema like the fatalism and tragic fate , twisted intrigue and loser characters . But the movie belongs to John Cassavetes as the public enemy who earned the alias 'The Machine Gun MacCan' , also named Hank McCain who gets released from prison after serving twelve years for armed robbery . Montalvo realized for Paramount this ¨Machine Gun MacCan¨ along with ¨Grand Slam¨ that bear remarkable resemblance , both of them deal with spectaculars hold-ups . These films received great recognition and were widely appreciated by the international public , getting big box office . Filmmaker Montalvo usually worked with an international cast , and in Machine Gun MacCan reunites some of the best actors that worked in the sixties and seventies . John Cassavetes is the first among equals from extraordinary cast . The cluster of magnificent players give extraordinary interpretations . As exceptional acting by Peter Falk as volatile and ambitious mob capo Charlie Adamo , a ringleader marvellously incarnated by Gabriele Ferzetti , Tony Kendall as ruthless killer , Florinda Bolkan , Luigi Pistilli , Val Avery , Salvo Randone as Don Salvatore and there stands out Gena Rowlands , as a lovely ¨Femme Fatale¨ . Colorful cinematography in Techniscope , but a perfect remastering being necessary . Special mention for musical score by maestro Ennio Morricone who composes a rousing and sensitive score , including wonderful ballads , adding the catching song titled ¨the ballad of MacCan¨ sung by Jackie Lynton .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Giuliano Montalvo who realizes an adequate piece of film-making , though has some flaws and gaps . Montavo is a good craftsman whose films have been shown in several nations , and won various Festival Awards and Emmy Awards . Other prizes worldwide for cinematography , production design and costumes were received in his movies , throughout a long career . His beginnings were as a directing assistant , as he made the second unit of Pontecorvo's masterpiece ¨The Battle Of Algiers¨ . After having filmed for Paramount the heist movie ¨Ad Ogni Osto¨ (1967) and this ¨Machine Gun MacCain¨ in the US, then Montaldo went back to Italy to direct ¨Gott Mit Uns¨ or ¨The Fifth Day Of Peace¨ (1969). Montalvo's experience reveals a turning point in his work in the famous politic film : ¨Sacco E Vanzetti¨ , it stars Gian Maria Volonte and Riccardo Cucciolla , that participated in competition at Cannes Film Festival , where it won Best Actor 1971 and ¨Giordano Bruno¨ (1973) also starred by Volonte . These pictures were well acclaimed by the reviewers , achieved awesome critiques and great successes at various film festivals around the world . The theme of the Resistance underlined ¨L'Agnese Va A Morire¨ directed by Montaldo in 1977 . In 1980 the director engaged in the production of a television series about the exploration of ¨Marco Polo¨ with Ken Marshall that was filmed in Italy, the Middle East, Tibet, Mongolia and China ; being an international co-production with RAI, BBC and NBC . Other films he directed are ¨Circuito Chiuso¨ that was in competition at the Berlinale in 1978 , ¨Il Giocattolo¨ , ¨Gli Occhiali D'Oro¨ or "The Gold Rimmed Glasses", ¨Il Giorno Prima¨ or ¨Project¨ , ¨L'Industriale¨ , ¨Tempo Di Uccidere¨ or "Time to Kill" and ¨Demoni Di San Pietroburgo¨ or " The Demons of St. Petersburg" .

Peter Falk was superb

[Tarasicodissa · 3 August 2002]

Peter Falk's performance as a ruthless gangster was the best part of this movie.

What undermines this movie is McCain's stupidity. Even when he knows that the Mob is looking for him he goes to his friends and ex-wife for help. Doesn't he know they are the first places the Mob would look ? Didn't he have a plan for how to disappear with the money ?

Essential viewing for Cassavetes and Falk fans.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 2 August 2020]

John Cassavetes is supremely cool as the protagonist of this glittery 60s crime flick. Directed with gusto by Giuliano Montaldo, it has Cassavetes as the tough title character, an armed robber getting out of prison after a dozen year stretch. Almost immediately, McCains' pathetic son Jack (Pierluigi Apra) is recruiting him for a job. But McCain is agreeable, despite having some misgivings about who he's working with. The job is the robbery of the Royal Casino in Las Vegas, a place that's hotly contested by both the West Coast and East Coast mob families.

This well-paced film is quite enjoyable in general. All the fighting between various mobsters is good for some amusement, with the great Peter Falk scoring as an ambitious mafioso who's eager to make some real dough. Britt Ekland doesn't have to do much besides look very sexy as a young woman who catches McCains' eye. Cassavetes' real-life partner Gena Rowlands makes a special guest appearance as an old flame, and naturally he has more genuine chemistry with her than he does Ekland. Other top notch character actors include Gabriele Ferzetti, Luigi Pistilli, and Steffen Zacharias, and lovers of Euro-cult cinema will note the presence of thespians such as Florinda Bolkan (as Falk's wife), Tony Kendall, and Salvo Randone. But other than Falk, it's starring actor Cassavetes who is the main reason to watch. A sardonic, witty, surly guy (with an obvious contempt for his son), he's a compulsively watchable antihero.

You add to that the excellent widescreen photography, the stunning, colourful locales, some very satisfying explosions, a riveting chase finale wherein you see the lead character literally afraid for his life, and yet another superb Ennio Morricone soundtrack, and you have the makings of a good, solid film of this type.

Seven out of 10.

Jusht one more thing

[Bezenby · 7/10 · 8 May 2018]

Old school crime film with hard case armed robber John Cassavetes at its centre. John plays Hank, once part of a Bonnie and Clyde type duo who's spent twelve years in the joint. His son, who's basically a stranger to him, springs him from the clink to take part in another heist - this one being the robbery of a classy casino in Vegas.

This casino is the centre of a complicated business involving newly appointed mob boss Peter Falk, who has taken over mafia duties on the West coast from a guy who was killed in front of his kids. His New York mob superiors have told Peter not to touch anything in Vegas, and they are enraged that he's muscling in on a casino he doesn't know they own. Worse still, Peter seems unaware that his young wife (a big-haired Florinda Bolkan) seems to have a past with one of the New York mob bosses...

In between not trusting his son, really not trusting the two goons his son is hanging about with, and preparing for the heist, John somehow still manages the time to romance Britt Ekland, who really is the only innocent person in the film. Nevertheless, she also gets caught up in all the double crossing and (in one case literal) back stabbing as the cast is whittled down.

Apart from The Dirty Dozen (a film that spawned several thousand Italian rip-offs) I don't know much about John Cassavetes, but he makes a pretty convincing gangster, and who doesn't want to see Colombo in an Italian crime film? I'd pretty much watch Peter Falk in anything, so seeing him on screen with Italian genre regulars Luigi Pistilli and Florinda Bolkan just ticks all the boxes for me. Tony Kendall usually shows up in Spaghetti Westerns, but manages to stand out here as a suave button-man hunting down Cassavetes.

This film has two other things going for it - the nice cinematography that captures the Californian atmosphere (as well as the harsh sunlight invading interior scenes) and Ennio Morricone's melancholy soundtrack. Keep in mind this an old school Eurocrime film that is a bit more classy than the trashy, over the top ones of the seventies. I prefer those, for the record.

Cassavettes was awesome.

[coldwaterpdh · 6/10 · 1 March 2012]

Let me start out by saying I think the main star in this flick, John Cassavettes is one of the most underrated actors of his time. I was expecting this movie to blow me out of the water. I'm a huge fan of euro action and gangster flicks. Maybe I've seen too many...or maybe "Machine Gun McCain" just wasn't trashy enough for me.

The plot is simple and straightforward. John is great as the quintessential old school tough guy. His son represents everything he isn't. I liked that part of the story- the relationship between Hank and his son.

This movie lacked the overall trashiness that I like to see in these Italian crime flicks. I prefer stuff like "Street Law" or Fulci's "Contraband," and recently I saw Deodato's "Live Like A Cop Die Like A Man" which is way more along the lines of the stuff I like (more violence, more shock, more trash)...I rented this movie and I doubt I'll purchase it for my collection.

However, I'd recommend it for fans of John Cassavettes. As I said, he really makes the movie. Look for a young Florinda Bolkan as Josie.

6 out of 10, kids.

A terrific thriller

[JasparLamarCrabb · 6/10 · 30 May 2009]

It's not a masterpiece by any mean, but Giuliano Montaldo's crime thriller is still terrific. John Cassavetes is sprung from jail by his son (working for mafioso Peter Falk) to rob a Las Vegas casino. When the job is canceled, everyone complies but Cassavetes. Mayhem ensues. Cassavetes is great and Falk is too (though they have no scenes together). Britt Ekland plays a waif recruited by Cassavetes and she's stunning. A great score by Ennio Morricone helps and the supporting cast, including Gabrielle Ferzetti, Tony Kendall and bitchy Florinda Balkin, is very colorful. Gena Rowlands, in an extended cameo, plays a tough as nails Cassavetes crony.

Did we see the same movie?

[tarmcgator · 3/10 · 17 June 2008]

I caught this on TCM the other morning. I had seen it years ago, and it was about as bad as I remembered. Cassavetes was a wonderful actor but he appeared in a lot of lousy pictures to earn the dough that financed FACES, A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, GLORIA, and his other directorial efforts.

Perhaps GLI INTOCCABILI suffers in translation to MACHINE GUN McCAIN. Some of the English dialogue seemed shoehorned into the original Italian, out of place and nonsensical as English. But it was the relationships among the characters that seemed most outlandish here -- particularly between McCain and his "son" (Pierluigi Apra?) and, later, with Irene (Britt Eklund). There's no chemistry among these actors, yet we're supposed to believe that their character relationships are significant. Too bad the scriptwriter didn't bring Gena Rowlands into the film in the first ten minutes -- she would have been even more credible as McCain's longtime accomplice and lover. And it would have been nice if there had been some opportunities for interaction between McCain and Joey Adamo (Peter Falk, who also was wasting his talent here).

The Vegas heist is the one part of the film that works, but it takes a lot of dull exposition to get there, and -- as another poster here points out -- how can a career criminal as wily as McCain not have had an escape plan worked out before the heist? If the ending of a story is as inevitable as the fates, then it had better be a damned good story. MACHINE GUN McCAIN is tedious, predictable, and in the end, just plain shipshod storytelling. (However, I do hope some bright political satirist picks up on the closing ballad in the film and applies it to a montage of John S. McCain's campaign photos after he loses the presidential election in November.) By the way, McCain's submachine gun is a Sten, not a Thompson.

fine

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 13 July 2023]

Charlie Adamo (Peter Falk) is the mob's new representative on the West Coast. He muscles in on casino owner Abe Stilberman. Hank McCain (John Cassavetes) is released from prison after 12 years for armed robbery. He is picked up by his small-time criminal son Jack who somehow has a plan to rob a casino. Hank spots hottie Irene Tucker (Britt Ekland) with two jerks in a bar.

Irene is more like an object. She barely has any agency. I can accept that characterization, but she's not more than one dimensional. I like the father and son dynamics. I would like more done with that premise. Jack could stay in the heist. Maybe he would bumble the caper and that would be more interesting. As it stands, this is fine if a bit flat.

Good but not that good

[willandcharlenebrown · 5/10 · 23 October 2020]

Choppy storyline. Fun old school car chase.ok to watch if you have time to burn and not fully pay attention

A Great 70s Gangster Flick

[mommies42 · 10/10 · 1 November 2006]

I just recently got Drive-in Classics channel and it was the best decision of my life. Why? Because I get to see rare movies from the genres and eras long forgotten by most. This was one of those movies. Peter Falk stands out most in this movie just like he does in any of his movies. He's a mobster, a ruthless one at that and takes the cake for number one on my list of bad asses. If you ever get a chance to pick this up in a store or see it on TV then watch it and enjoy it. You'll never regret that decision.

For style, Ennio Morricone's great score and Peter Falk. I give this movie 10/10.

OK tough-guy heist flic marred by weak 'final reel'

[jamesrupert2014 · 6/10 · 13 July 2023]

Twenty-five large buys hard-time con Hank McCain (John Cassavetes) a parole so he can take part in a Vegas casino heist, but when the job is called off, McCain decides to go it on his own, despite knowing whose money he's planning on boosting. The nihilistic story is cold and hard and as such, a perfect fit for Cassavetes smouldering persona. Peter Falk is quite good as volatile mob underboss Charlie Adamo who sets things in motion (if the film was made in the 90's, the part would have been a perfect fit for Joe Pesci). Gabriele Ferzetti is also good as Don Francesco DeMarco, a menacing New York capo. On the distaff side, classic 60's beauty Britt Ekland is along as McCain's moll and Gena Rowlands has a small but strong role as McCain's tough former partner/lover. Unfortunately, the story is not up to the cast. The central heist is simple enough to be realistic but no explanation is provided as to why the vault door seems to have been left partly open during the evacuation and later both McCain and the pursuing mod-underlings seem to make elementary mistakes, which undermines their characterisations as experienced and competent gangsters (McCain continues to return to old haunts even when he knows he's being hunted; and what wise-guy would allow a hard-case ex-con to put her hand in her purse shortly after threatening her with torture). With a little more attention to detail, this could have been a classic 60's neo-noir gangster film. Too bad, but the soundtrack is good and the images of Las Vegas at its flashiest/trashiest are fun.

Interesting for Its Cast

[richardchatten · 4/10 · 28 August 2019]

Rolling up his sleeves once more after his critically-acclaimed independent production 'Faces' had done predictably only modest business in cinemas, John Cassavetes went back to work with this flashily downbeat Italian heist thriller in the vein of 'The Asphalt Jungle' enlivened by Las Vegas location work (with the usual dodgy dubbing and big wobbly close-ups of an Italian film of the era) and by the presence of his future 'Husbands' co-star Peter Falk and by a late guest appearance by Mrs Cassavetes. (Curiously enough Cassavetes don't actually share any scenes with Falk, whose role is effectively a sub-plot.)

A young Britt Ekland falls into bed with Cassavetes and then in with his criminal scheme surprisingly quickly and enthusiastically.

Not the lizard king, but not too bad

[Sean84 · 5 April 2000]

The movie is pretty good to see in that Peter Falk, of Columbo fame, gives an unexpectedly good performance as a ruthless gangster. I saw the movie on A and E, so I probably missed some details. The gist is that Cassavettes tries to win one more score from Ganster Falk(sort of like Superfly)and attempts to do so with the help of his "Little Friend", a Thompson Automatic. For a film of the late sixties, it is pretty violent. However, Cassavettes created his own style of directing, and this film showcases it.

It was hard to follow at parts, but again this may have been due to the commercial interruptions and editing.

It's about a 7.5 out of 10.

Charlie! We have another death in the family.

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 3 June 2009]

(There are Spoilers) Fast pace and hard hitting robbery caper involving the newly opened Royal Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

With the West Coast mob boss Charlie Adamo, Peter Falk, determined to get a piece of the action at the hotel that the manager Abe Silverman Steffen Zacharias, cut him out of he has, by paying off the right people, convicted armed robber Hank McCain, John Cassavetes, sprung from San Quentin. All this after McCain served just twelve years of his 25 to life sentence. Unknown to McCain Adamo has his foolish and bumbling 20 year old son Jack,Pierlugi Apa, masterminding the robbery of the Royal with his two equally incompetent partners Barcly & Cudo, Cludio Biava & James Morrison.

It just happens that the Royal is secretly owned by the New York crime syndicate whom Boss Adamo is working for! By the time Adamo finds that out he, in order to save his hide, calls off the robbery. McCain feeling that he's out of the loop, in the planing of the robbery, and unknown to New York Mafia boss Don Savaltore and his #1 man Don DeMarco, Salvo Randone & Gabriele Ferzetti, decides to pull it off anyway together with his new found love and gun moll Irene Tucker, Britt Ekland. It's Irene whom the sex-staved-after 12 years without a women's company- McCain picked up, and later married, at a San Francisco nightclub.

The action is hot and heavy with McCain going on his own, after Jack together with his two henchmen were rubbed out, to rob the Royal Hotel of it's weekly take of some two million dollars. The robbery goes according to plan with McCain taking off with the cash together with Irene. The mob finds out who McCain is by beating it out of Adamo's right-hand man Duke Mazzanga, Luigi Pistilli. This has both McCain and Irene, with their photo's made available to the public, on the run for their lives before the mob can get a hold of them.

In the end McCain gets a bit nostalgic by tracking down his wife Rosemary Scott, Gena Rowland, who was convicted together with him for armed robbery some 12 years ago. This sets off fireworks between Rosemary and Irene, who's younger and more attractive, over their man handsome but a bit unstable Hank McCain. This also leads, by Irene later getting captured by the mob, to the mob to not only find Rosemary but McCain himself.

***SPOILERS***Great acting by John Cassavetes Peter Falk & Co. makes the film a lot better then it really is. The ending has just the right touch in showing what happens when one tries to stiff the mob and thinks he, or she, is going to get away with it. McCain who should have know better learned that fact the hard way and in the end he ended up paying for it with his life!

Fun Vegas/Frisco trash.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 10 June 2022]

Getting out of prison after 12 years doesn't indicate any change for convicted bank robber John Cassavetes, immediately getting into a plot to blow up a brand new Vegas casino, hired by Peter Falk (whom he doesn't share any scenes with) through his own son, Pierluigi Apra. Falk wants to buy into this new Vegas hotspot, not realizing that the money men who actually own it are New York City mobsters he's been involved with in the past. Along the way, Cassavetes becomes involved with a girl he rescued in a San Francisco bar, Britt Ekland, bedding and marrying her within days of meeting her.

Somehow he leaves Alcatraz and ends up on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge (I guess there wasn't any express boat for Alcatraz inmates directly to the city by the bay), and immediately begins starting trouble by getting into a fight with the men bartering over Ekland. Cassavetes and Ekland exchange vows in Vegas wedding chapel (complete with organ accompanying the touching but quick ceremony), with him trying to create a relationship with the grown son he's only meant twice.

Real life wife Gena Rowlands has a great cameo as his Gloria-like ex-wife, and in spite of how her appearance in the film comes to an end, I couldn't get her 1980 movie character out of my head while watching her. This is a fun piece of sordid and trashy mob lives, featuring one of the worst movie themes I've ever heard, but the pace is fast and the atmosphere delightfully gauche. Cassavetes. While it was Giuliano Montaldo directing, not Cassavetes, there are elements of it that appear similar to other films he directed. Too bad though he didn't have at least one scene with Falk whose character sporadically appears but doesn't have any resolution in the plot.

Cassavetes is the real reason to see this movie

[lemon_magic · 7/10 · 27 August 2019]

I don't mean to dismiss the rest of the actors in the semi-generic heist tale. Falk is fine, doing what he always does; Gena Rowlands is underused (but poignant) in a small role; and the rest of the supporting cast is professional and polished. And the movie is a nice, tight piece of work, embellished by crisp photography and a soundtrack by Morricone.

But even in this throw-away "tough-guy" role Cassavetes is always the most interesting actor in any scene he's in. He turns a simple conversation or walk through an airport into something that's a pleasure to watch unfold. As I once said about actor Fred Williamson, he's more interesting (and has more depth to his performance) walking down the street with his hands in his pockets than Stallone in full camouflage firing a SAW at his enemies in a "Rambo" flick. (Nothing against Stallone - he's great at what he does).

The movie itself is less than it could be because the anti-hero he plays is fairly despicable (his "heist" creates millions in damages, injures 30 innocent people, and could just have easily killed some or all of them), over-confident, and kind of stupid (for all his shrewd planning, he doesn't seem to have had a backup plan for when the Mob figures out he is responsible for the heist). And the subplot with Peter Falk's character horning in on Las Vegas seems completely cliched (I'm thinking the problem is due to a bunch of Italians trying to set a plot in Las Vegas when they ironically don't really have a feel for the characters or the ambiance).

And the ending is quite downbeat.

But it's still pretty good, and I liked it fine for what it was.

Great cast, moves fast

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 18 June 2022]

A great cast is the highlight of MACHINE GUN MCCAIN, an Italian heist flick set in Las Vegas. Peter Falk has the best role in my opinion as a volatile mob boss, but there are endless familiar faces here, from the glamorous (Britt Ekland, Florinda Bolkan) to the classy (John Cassavetes). A Morricone score highlights a fast-moving tale of robbery and deception, and there are some jaw-dropping explosive moments here too.

dynamite casino robbery film

[RanchoTuVu · 8/10 · 19 June 2008]

An ex-con with explosives experience gets back into the swing of things when he lines up a job to rob a Mafia run casino in Las Vegas. With John Cassavetes in the lead one would think this film would be more available than merely catching it by luck on TCM on their midnight Underground Cinema showcase. Though the production is more or less lower budget and the spoken words don't exactly line up with the movement of the lips, it's nonetheless vintage 60's crime with Cassavetes as great as ever, and Peter Falk playing the casino manager and lower level Mafiosi. There are some neat scenes of the San Francisco night life, and the action shifts to the Las Vegas strip with Cassavetes and his new bride Arlene (Britt Eklund) and the ruthless revenge of the Mafia as the movie becomes a pretty dark chase film through LA with Gena Rowlands getting a tough little part as the vise tightens.

A gritty, complex, and engrossing Italian crime mob thriller

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 13 May 2011]

Tough criminal Hank McCain (superbly essayed with simmering hard-boiled intensity by John Cassavetes) gets released from prison after serving twelve years for armed robbery. Hank hooks up with his wormy small-time son Jack (an effectively sniveling turn by Pierluigi Apra), who has devised a daring plan to rob a Las Vegas casino. Unbeknownst to Hank, Jack is also involved with volatile and ambitious mob capo Charlie Adamo (a fine performance by Peter Falk), who uses Hank as a pawn so he can gain control of Vegas territory that's currently being run by the formidable Don Franceso De Marco (smoothly played by Gabriele Ferzetti). Director Giuliano Montaldo, who also co-wrote the absorbing and intricate script with Mino Roli, does a bang-up job of creating and maintaining a serious take-no-prisoners tone throughout, stages the tense and gripping big heist with considerable flair and skill, and punctuates the picture with jolting moments of sudden brutal violence. Cassavetes' edgy presence keeps the movie humming throughout; he receives excellent support from the lovely Britt Ekland as Hank's sweet and loyal girlfriend Irene Tucker, Florinda Bolkan as the shrewd Joni Adamo, Tony Kendall as sly hit-man Peter Zacari, and, in a rather small, but bravura part, Gena Rowlands as Hank's helpful two-fisted old flame Rosemary Scott. The last third with the gangsters organizing a massive manhunt for McCain totally smokes, with a stirring car chase set piece and a startling bummer ending that packs a bitterly powerful punch. Erico Menczer's handsome widescreen cinematography gives the film an attractive glossy look. Ennio Morricone's funky syncopated score hits the right-on rousing spot (the ending credits ballad is a real beaut!). Well worth seeing.

Not bad!

[RodrigAndrisan · 8/10 · 29 August 2019]

Many very good actors gathered here in one place, the best by far being the one and only Gena Rowlands, who appears very little. But we have many others: John Cassavetes, Peter Falk, Gabriele Ferzetti, Salvo Randone, Florinda Bolkan. Luigi Pistilli (from many spaghetti westerns), Tony Kendall (Commissioner X in the same title series) and Britt Ekland, in their best roles ever. Giuliano Montaldo, great director, Morricone the best film music composer.

Bravo to this cast and script

[peterwcohen-300-947200 · 8/10 · 19 June 2022]

This Italian production of an American gangster story is appropriately bleak in tone and outlook, and previews Cassavetes' own "Gloria," starring Gena Rowlands, eleven years later; and also feels descended from the likes of "Johnny Cool" from earlier in the 60's. It previews too some memorable collaborations of Cassavetes and Peter Falk to come. Falk has a terrific presence here, to the point I was sad to see his departure because I was loving the performance. The actor playing the son is, um, not great here. But, many of the character actors populating the screen are terrific. I sure wish Rowlands had come into the story sooner.

I took off a point for the Euro-dubbing. Dang, I hate that.

Exciting

[searchanddestroy-1 · 9/10 · 15 May 2022]

Good old school crime film from the late sixties, pulled by an excellent directing and acting too. John Cassavettes is awesome in this role of an ex con planning a casino robbery. It is desperate, violent, predictable but, for those who like this kind of movie, it's just what they wait for. Rather faithful to the Ovid Demaris novel too. Perfect ending, twilight in the sun. After THE GRAND SLAM, Guliano Montaldo did not deceive me, on the contrary. Faithfully adapted from Ovid Demaris' book, a writer specialized in mafia stories, well documented from this former investigator journalist.