"Dead Heat On A Merry-Go-Round" is a lot like its title: looks and sounds good, but means nothing and ultimately is of no real value. It's a glossy production with a fine music score by Stu Phillips, but it's neither funny enough, nor suspenseful enough, nor clear enough, to work as a heist comedy-thriller. It's made in an deliberately obscure style that is far too pretentious for what is essentially just another bank robbery yarn. James Coburn is ideal for these cocky, cynical roles, but this particular character invokes little sympathy or interest. In fact, the only character with any life here is the quirky, flaky girl played by Nina Wayne; I wouldn't mind it at all if the film abandoned all the other characters and told us her story instead. As it is, "Dead Heat On A Merry-Go-Round" is deadly boring and doesn't spin fast enough. * out of 4.

James Coburn plays an ex-con planning a complicated bank job. For some reason he keeps changing his name and stated occupation and even his accent though none of these lies seem to matter to the goal of robbing the bank. Meanwhile there's a subplot involving the arrival of a Russian big-shot but again, that has nothing to do with robbing the bank!But Coburn is always watchable with his strange face and gangly body and deep voice and disarming smile. He is probably the greatest scene-stealer in film history though it doesn't happen here since he's the star. His co-star is the beautiful Camilla Sparv. She doesn't really do much, but she is a great beauty and you have to wonder what ever happened to her career.

This film deals with a con-man named Eli Kotch, (James Coburn) who just gets out of prison and decides to lay out his ground work for a large bank robbery at the Los Angeles, California airport. Eli also knows that a Russian Prime Minister will be visiting Los Angeles and flying into the same airport which will distract the police force away from a bank holdup. Eli also meets up with a very sexy blonde named Inger Knudson, (Camilla Spary) who works for very rich people and cons her into doing all kinds of things, Eli even marries her with a fake ID. There is plenty of comedy and some tense moments in a police station. You will never be able to figure out how this picture will end. It will definitely surprise you. Enjoy.

"Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round" is probably mostly of interest to us nowadays due to Harrison Ford's bit part as a bellhop. Apparently, after the movie bombed, a producer told Ford: "Kid, you ain't got it." Of course, Ford went on to star in the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" trilogies, so he clearly had lots of "it".Anyway, the movie casts James Coburn as ex-con Eli Kotch, plotting a heist in LAX while the Russian prime minister is visiting. Coburn seems to be mirroring his Derek Flint character, right down to being surrounded by hot babes (specifically Camilla Sparv and Nina Wayne). The good ol' Cold War, when the US and USSR could play all sorts of tricks on each other, and there were plenty of beauties to go around.Overall, "DHOAMGR" isn't a great movie, but it's worth seeing. You may notice that playing Mrs. Kirby is Rose Marie, better known as Sally on "The Dick Van Dyke Show".Nina Wayne. Hubba hubba...