A Man Called Sledge

• Directed and Co-Written by Vic Morrow
• June 9, 1970

An outlaw tricks his way into a prison as part of a plot to steal a large shipment of gold temporarily being held there.

YouTube is not just for cat videos or short films or even poorly-altered-to-get-around-copyright posted films. Like any streaming site there are (legal) free feature films and shows and even ones you can rent or buy. If I buy any movie it is to have a physical copy so I aim for freebees. Enter A Man Called Sledge starring James Garner as the title character Lester Sledge. And his presence is probably the best thing in this whole movie.

Rather than a nice guy of any type, Garner plays against type in this film. And he is good in the part as are all the actors in this. Claude Akins and Dennis Weaver are in this as Hooker and Erwin Ward respectively who are members of Sledge’s gang or collective or whatever. But are they good for a feature film or a TV movie? They are good for a TV movie of that era and that makes this all feel like something for television despite being a theatrical release. Weaver, Akins and Garner all had more talent than they demonstrated here. But they were just half hearting it. Why? Not sure.

Despite having gunfights and fistfights and shootouts A Man Called Sledge has slow pacing bordering on lumbering. At around 90 minutes it feels so much longer than that. Maybe not judicious editing but certainly some polishing of the script was needed before this thing went before cameras.

A Man Called Sledge is a heist movie which should be fun even if it is nothing sophisticated. A big theft is a well-used plot but what this does different is have the heist occur in a prison. You force the bad guys where they least want to go?! Great! Yet it looks and feels like a TV movie. A smaller budget is not a problem. But the execution is.

The plot meanders around and moves slowly with little to no tension and minimal excitement. Characters get little to no explanation of them. The group hanging with Garner and pals changes size with no explanation. They seem to have some casual hangers on that poof away right before the heist which is first conceived by the Old Man (John Marley) who first acts like he has a plot to get the gold but then has no idea how to get it even though he has decided to follow it.

The planning of the robbery and the robbery itself feels like one story with the aftermath feeling like another. Even the minimal characterization that started the film is upended. Loyalties vaporize and the Old Man is suddenly able to rally Sledge’s men around him and away from their leader. He went from barely able to think to ruling with a shaky iron fist that quickly rusts. Sledge for his part spends the whole movie trying to get the gold and when he finally does abandons it and ends the film with nothing.

I guess it’s nice to have this change of character but did he just get tired of fighting for the gold or did he change his ways? Did what his girlfriend say finally sink in after she died but then why does it matter? That’s the question I have and that’s the question that goes and unanswered.

While a good idea A Man Called Sledge was botched in execution. Unless you’re a hard-core fan of James Garner this one is not something you need to watch.