John Chard

Apr 18, 2014

6.5

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