There are good OTHs and bad OTHs.  Nevada Heat is good.  It is a cop movie–a pretty dame, a tough cop, intriguing mugs pushing their attitude in Las Vegas.  Telly Savalas (aka Kojak of the small screen) headlines this surprisingly entertaining 1970’s crime flick.

Pia Zadora, one of the few survivors with film careers of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, is all grown up in this picture.  Like in Santa Clausshe sings (and pretty well) as a night club act—mirroring her real life talents and career path.  She also bares herself—as said above “she’s all grown up”.  Pia herself made it worth watching.  But added to these stars there are minor faces to recognize including Telly’s brother George (who stays near Telly’s shadow) and Larry Storch of F-Troop fame playing a flamboyant hustler to cringing perfection. 

There is main plot and some subplots, some glimpses at Las Vegas nightlife circa 1970s and some casino destruction that has none of the digital overlay of CGI.  I picked this movie up on the cheap and it is a nice Saturday Afternoon movie with mild violence and sex.

The movie that defines comedy-adventure, Kelly’s Heroes mixes action, and intrigue from the front line perspective.  Directed by Brian Hutton who worked with Clint Eastwood on Where Eagles Dare and produced in the spirit of the foul mouthing Dirty Dozen, this concerns yet again another “behind the lines” escapade.  This time around a demoted officer talks a platoon of war weary GIs to steal thousands of bars of gold.

When I first saw it in the 1970’s it was a straight war movie.  Later, as I aged, I listened closer to the dialogue.  Therein were themes of war and peace that Big Joe (Telly Savalas) faced–desertion, dereliction of duty, corrupt and incompetent leaders, friendly fire, outright theft.

(During World War 2, after D-Day, the Western allies had a fantastic suppy service that was also equally corrupt—a snippet seen in Kelly’s Heroes)

Many talented actors beyond the big names grace the movie like Stuart Margolin, Gavin McLoed,  and Jeff Morris.  Finally the theme song is a rousing piece of work which plays at the beginning and end of the movie.