CACTUS JACK

US, 1979, 85 minutes, Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Ann Margret, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Directed by Hal Needham.

Cactus Jack is a rather extraordinary curiosity item and a box office complete misfire. It is quite humorous in conception - a comedy satiric western along the lines of Bert Kennedy's successful Support Your Local Sheriff. However, everything seems to go wrong after a humorous start. Kirk Douglas does his best in the title role and even carries off some of the farcical comedy and parody scenes well. However, he is too old and serious for this kind of role. Ann Margret does her sexual innocent with cunning turn very well - but she has done it often in a range of films from The Cheap Detective to Joseph Andrews. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former Mr. Universe, is a terrible actor and while he has terrible lines he delivers them terribly and spoils the effect of the deadpan satire. There is an excellent supporting cast including Jack Elam.

On paper, the film must have seemed very entertaining indeed and there is always a place for such satirical westerns. The direction is by former stunt director Hal Needham who made the box office success Smokey and the Bandit as well as its sequel. He also made the successful Burt Reynolds action comedy about stuntmen, Hooper. His lack of success with Cactus Jack (released only as a support at drive-ins) may be of great damage to his career as a director.