Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
Encyclopedia
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round is a 1966 crime film
written and directed by Bernard Girard, starring James Coburn
and featuring Camilla Sparv
, Aldo Ray
, Nina Wayne, Todd Armstrong
, Robert Webber
and Rose Marie
.
) charms his way into a parole by playing on the emotions of a pretty psychologist (Marian McCargo
), but drops her at the first opportunity to move around the country, romancing women and then stealing their possessions, or those of their employers. He's made a down payment on the blueprints to a bank at Los Angeles International Airport
, but needs to raise $45,000 to complete the purchase. In Boston, he seduces and marries Inger Knudsen (Camilla Sparv
) the secretary of a wealthy elderly woman, and sends her to L.A. to set up housekeeping, on the pretext that a songwriter there is interested in his poetry. Meanwhile he burgles another woman (Rose Marie
) to get the final amount of money he needs, then heads to L.A., where he begins to assemble his gang (Severn Darden
, Aldo Ray
and Michael Strong
) for the bank robbery, which is timed to take place while the airport is distracted by the arrival of the Premier of the Soviet Union
.
To keep her occupied, Eli sends Inger to take Polaroid
snapshots around L.A., supposedly for a magazine article he is writing. Using costumes stolen from a movie studio, he and one of the gang masquerade as an Australian policeman escorting an extradited prisoner in order to get through airport security, while the other two dress as LAPD policemen to get into the bank, bypass the alarm, and get a bank employee to open the safe. The gang pulls off the heist and makes a successful getaway on a flight to Mexico, but Eli has no idea that Inger has been frantically trying to get in touch with him, because she has inherited $7 million from her former employer.
Cast notes:
, first published in 1985.
Location shooting took place in Boston
and Los Angeles, including at Los Angeles International Airport.
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
written and directed by Bernard Girard, starring James Coburn
James Coburn
James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
and featuring Camilla Sparv
Camilla Sparv
Camilla Sparv is a Swedish actress. She was briefly married to American film producer Robert Evans in 1965....
, Aldo Ray
Aldo Ray
Aldo Ray was an American actor.-Life and career:Ray was born in Pen Argyl, PA, to an Italian family of five brothers and one sister. His brother Mario lettered in football at USC in the years 1952-54...
, Nina Wayne, Todd Armstrong
Todd Armstrong
John "Todd" Armstrong , also known as Todd Anderson, was an American actor in ten films and several television series, probably best known for playing the titular role of Jason in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts...
, Robert Webber
Robert Webber
Robert L. Webber was an American actor who starred as Juror #12 in the 1957 film 12 Angry Men.Webber was born in Santa Ana, California, the son of Alice and Robert Webber, who was a merchant seaman. He was a U.S. Marine during World War II serving on Guam and Okinawa...
and Rose Marie
Rose Marie
Rose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
.
Plot
Conman Eli Kotch (James CoburnJames Coburn
James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
) charms his way into a parole by playing on the emotions of a pretty psychologist (Marian McCargo
Marian McCargo
Marian McCargo Bell was a former tennis champ who later found success in film and television....
), but drops her at the first opportunity to move around the country, romancing women and then stealing their possessions, or those of their employers. He's made a down payment on the blueprints to a bank at Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
, but needs to raise $45,000 to complete the purchase. In Boston, he seduces and marries Inger Knudsen (Camilla Sparv
Camilla Sparv
Camilla Sparv is a Swedish actress. She was briefly married to American film producer Robert Evans in 1965....
) the secretary of a wealthy elderly woman, and sends her to L.A. to set up housekeeping, on the pretext that a songwriter there is interested in his poetry. Meanwhile he burgles another woman (Rose Marie
Rose Marie
Rose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
) to get the final amount of money he needs, then heads to L.A., where he begins to assemble his gang (Severn Darden
Severn Darden
Severn Teakle Darden, Jr. was a comedian and actor, and an original member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players...
, Aldo Ray
Aldo Ray
Aldo Ray was an American actor.-Life and career:Ray was born in Pen Argyl, PA, to an Italian family of five brothers and one sister. His brother Mario lettered in football at USC in the years 1952-54...
and Michael Strong
Michael Strong
Michael Strong was an American stage, film and television actor.He was born Cecil Natapoff in New York City and had extensive stage experience. He was a member of the Actors Studio. Among his film credits are Point Blank, Patton, and The Great Santini...
) for the bank robbery, which is timed to take place while the airport is distracted by the arrival of the Premier of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
To keep her occupied, Eli sends Inger to take Polaroid
Instant film
Instant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera...
snapshots around L.A., supposedly for a magazine article he is writing. Using costumes stolen from a movie studio, he and one of the gang masquerade as an Australian policeman escorting an extradited prisoner in order to get through airport security, while the other two dress as LAPD policemen to get into the bank, bypass the alarm, and get a bank employee to open the safe. The gang pulls off the heist and makes a successful getaway on a flight to Mexico, but Eli has no idea that Inger has been frantically trying to get in touch with him, because she has inherited $7 million from her former employer.
Cast
- James CoburnJames CoburnJames Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
as Eli Kotch - Camilla SparvCamilla SparvCamilla Sparv is a Swedish actress. She was briefly married to American film producer Robert Evans in 1965....
as Inger Knudson - Aldo RayAldo RayAldo Ray was an American actor.-Life and career:Ray was born in Pen Argyl, PA, to an Italian family of five brothers and one sister. His brother Mario lettered in football at USC in the years 1952-54...
as Eddie Hart - Nina Wayne as Frieda Schmid
- Robert WebberRobert WebberRobert L. Webber was an American actor who starred as Juror #12 in the 1957 film 12 Angry Men.Webber was born in Santa Ana, California, the son of Alice and Robert Webber, who was a merchant seaman. He was a U.S. Marine during World War II serving on Guam and Okinawa...
as Milo Stewart - Rose MarieRose MarieRose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
as Margaret Kirby - Todd ArmstrongTodd ArmstrongJohn "Todd" Armstrong , also known as Todd Anderson, was an American actor in ten films and several television series, probably best known for playing the titular role of Jason in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts...
as Alfred Morgan
- Marian McCargoMarian McCargoMarian McCargo Bell was a former tennis champ who later found success in film and television....
as Dr. Marion Hague - Michael StrongMichael StrongMichael Strong was an American stage, film and television actor.He was born Cecil Natapoff in New York City and had extensive stage experience. He was a member of the Actors Studio. Among his film credits are Point Blank, Patton, and The Great Santini...
as Paul Feng - Severn DardenSevern DardenSevern Teakle Darden, Jr. was a comedian and actor, and an original member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players...
as Miles Fisher - James WesterfieldJames WesterfieldJames A. Westerfield was an American actor.Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he starred in more than 50 films during his lifetime...
as Jack Balter - Phillip PinePhillip PinePhillip Pine was an American film and television actor, writer, director, and producer....
as George Logan - Simon Scott as William Anderson
Cast notes:
- Harrison FordHarrison FordHarrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
appears, uncredited, as a bellhop, in his film debut. He made $125 for the role. - Camilla Sparv was named "New Female Star of the Year" by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Production
Working titles for this film were "Eli Kotch" and "The Big Noise". The actual title used, Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round appears in the film as the novel being written by Coburn's character under the pseudonym of "Henry Silverstein". Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round is also the name of an actual book of short stories written by Japanese author Haruki MurakamiHaruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer and translator. His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered him critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and Jerusalem Prize among others.He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature...
, first published in 1985.
Location shooting took place in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Los Angeles, including at Los Angeles International Airport.