Der lange Kalifornier

If like me you fell in love with Cybill Shepherd after her appearance in Taxi Driver (1976) then you'll be thrilled to discover this little flick, as I was.

Appearing in the same year as Taxi Driver, it's a fun-filled romp that combines crime and comedy in a way that manages to keep you watching and not become annoyingly cute. That's not as easy as you think.

It starts off with a blast of action as four former Marines, all scarred in one way or another by the Vietnam War, rob a bank and then proceed to execute a tightly-planned getaway. Naturally, things don't work out quite the way they planned and therein lies the pivot to the rest of the film.

Cybill enters the scene at around 25 minutes in and she's a delight from the word go. Clearly there to fulfill the need for a female sidekick, she delivers in spades. Cybill had so much personality and is so naturally flirtatious and filled with mischief, its impossible to take your eyes off her.

I don't know much about Bo Svenson other than he looks like he could be an ex-football player. He has the sort of physicality that lends itself to this role but he struggles a bit with the subtle touches and witty dialogue. It kind of works because he's not required to do TOO much here other than run and fight.

To add some layers to the plot, another character is introduced in the form of a low-level grifter and drug pusher played by Michael C Graff who happens to witness the key plot development.

This serves to drive the film forward and keep our interest piqued. He's ably supported by fellow bad guys played by Vic Tayback (another reliable 70s presence) and Robert Ito.

Also of interest is Jeff Goldblum, who makes an appearance as a motorcycle thug.

All in all its a solidly entertaining film ably directed by Paul Wendkos that delivers the goods (no pun intended) and doesn't take itself too seriously. Particularly a must for fans of Cybill Shepherd.

A quartet of Vietnam vets stage a bold bank robbery, posing as guys starting up a toy company. They make their escape across L.A. rooftops, but in the end, only Murdock (Bo Svenson, "The Inglorious Bastards") is able to make a clean getaway. Still, in order to do this, he dumps his share of the loot into a mailbox. Now, he has to wait for an opportunity to retrieve his ill-gotten gains before the mailman makes his late night pick-up at a quarter to midnight.

The hitch is that two people have witnessed his desperate act. Eccentric but gorgeous artist Mary Jane (Cybill Shepherd, 'Moonlighting') watched from her nearby apartment window, and a lowlife bartender / pusher, Graff (Michael C. Gwynne, "Payday") just happened to be on the scene at the time. Graffs' knowledge spells trouble, because he puts two and two together and figures to profit nicely, but Mary Jane, despite being a pain in the ass, mostly just wants some excitement in her life. She's not about to rat out Murdock.

John Melson ("Battle of the Bulge") and James Edward Grant ("Sands of Iwo Jima") concocted this sadly overlooked and under-appreciated 70s heist comedy-thriller. (As of this writing, there's only one other review at IMDb.) It's so fresh and funny, not to mention intriguing, that it really holds your attention. Add to that capable direction by solid journeyman director Paul Wendkos ("The Mephisto Waltz"), a peppy soundtrack written by top composer Lalo Schifrin ("Dirty Harry"), and excellent use of a select few locations, and you have the ingredients for good entertainment. The action all takes place within 24 hours, so there is also a very effective story momentum.

Bo and Cybill are terrific leads, and do work together quite well. Often, a lot of what Bo does is to react to other characters, and he's consistently amusing. Cybill has rarely been as appealing as she is here. They're literally surrounded by familiar faces: Tom Atkins ("Halloween III: Season of the Witch") as a cop, Sorrell Booke ('The Dukes of Hazzard') as a bank manager, Gerrit Graham ("Used Cars") and Jeff Goldblum ("The Fly" '86) as swaggering punks, Vic Tayback ('Alice') and Robert Ito ('Quincy M.E.') as mobsters, John Quade ("The Last Hard Men") as their henchman, Kim Richards (the "Witch Mountain" movies) as a bratty young girl, Deidre Hall ('Days of Our Lives') as a massage parlour worker, and Charles Lampkin ("Five") as a mailman.

Overall, engaging material that keeps its grip and rarely offers a let-up until its ridiculous, but priceless, twist ending.

Eight out of 10.

Quirky low-budget action-comedy with a puzzling script that doesn't bear close scrutiny, but which is enjoyable nevertheless. Bo Svenson plays a first-time bank robber who stashes his loot in a mailbox; Cybill Shepherd is a kooky divorcée who wants a little fun--and part of the action. The film takes place in one day and, within this tight framework, the four credited screenwriters (John Melson, James Edward Grant, Gilbert Ralston and Don Gazzaniga) manage to skillfully create characters who are amusing and colorful. The Vietnam vet angle used at the beginning is weak (it serves as both excuse and apologia for Svenson's bank robbing) and some of the action is poorly staged and filmed (and visually confusing). However, the final heist and car chase is exciting, and Svenson and Shepherd are a nice match. The two don't set off cinematic sparks, but they have an easy camaraderie; Shepherd is relaxed, even soft, while Svenson displays a surprisingly light touch (he's up for just about anything, including impersonating a gay dog-lover). Jeff Goldblum's name is all over the video-box, however his role as a mugger is (thankfully) brief. **1/2 from ****