Sergeants 3

Sergeants 3. 1962 United Artists, distributed to DVD by MGM.
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop
Also Starring: Henry Silva, Ruta Lee, Buddy Lester, The Crosby Brothers
Director: John Sturges
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or part of The Rat Pack Ultimate Collectors Edition box set.

Frank Sinatra produced this remake of 1939's Gunga Din which served as a vehicle for he and his Rat Pack buddies. This would be the last of two movies they all appeared in, as Peter Lawford was ousted from the group after he could not, or would not act as a go-between for Sinatra and John F. Kennedy after their association became a matter of controversy, due to Sinatra's alleged ties to organized crime. Also, after JFK chose to stay at Bing Crosby's home in Palm Springs instead of his, Sinatra used that as an excuse to never speak to Lawford again, except when Frank Junior was kidnapped, prompting Sinatra to call Lawford and ask him to get in touch with Robert F. Kennedy to get the FBI involved. Sinatra and Bishop had some kind of issue, which led to him not appearing in Robin and the 7 Hoods and 4 For Texas, but whatever the deal, it apparently was never as serious as the Sinatra-Lawford falling out.

This one's recommended only for Rat Pack fans curious to see what nearly turned into a lost film. Sergeants 3 was rarely seen after its theatrical release, and didn't make it to home video until MGM finally released it on DVD in 2008. The movie can be pretty politically incorrect at times, and only Dean Martin looked like he actually fit into his role.

Sadly, the finished product is pretty boring, and not even the combined talents of Sinatra, Martin, Davis Jr., Lawford and Bishop could save it. I saw clips of this one in a Rat Pack documentary, which made it look more like a non-stop slapstick comedy western. The laughs are few and far between. Again, recommended only for serious Rat Pack fans. Everyone else should take a pass.