The Professionals (1966)

Director:

Richard Brooks

Writers:

Richard Brooks (written by)
Frank O'Rourke (novel)

Release Date:

2 November 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Western

Tagline:

It Captures The Flavor Of A Brawling Lusty Mexico!

Plot:

An arrogant Texas millionaire hires four adventurers to rescue his kidnapped wife from a notorious Mexican bandit.

Plot Keywords:

Goat Herder | Goat Milk | Automatic Rifle | Beautiful Woman | Tequila

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Bill Dolworth
Lee Marvin	...	Henry 'Rico' Fardan
Robert Ryan	...	Hans Ehrengard
Woody Strode	...	Jake Sharp
Jack Palance	...	Jesus Raza
Claudia Cardinale	...	Mrs. Maria Grant
Ralph Bellamy	...	Joe Grant
Joe De Santis	...	Ortega
Rafael Bertrand	...	Fierro
Jorge Martínez de Hoyos	...	Eduardo Padilla - Goatkeeper (as Jorge Martinez de Hoyos)
Marie Gomez	...	Chiquita
José Chávez	...	Revolutionary (as Jose Chavez)
Carlos Romero	...	Revolutionary
Vaughn Taylor	...	Banker Who Delivers $100,000

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and nudity.

Runtime:

117 min | UK:123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #21227) (original rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:16 | USA:GP (1970) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating: 1999)

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The cast and crew stayed in Las Vegas while working on this project. Actor Woody Strode wrote in his memoirs that he and Lee Marvin pulled several pranks, including shooting an arrow at the famous smiling cowboy neon sign damaging it briefly.

Quotes:

Bill Dolworth: The cemetery of nameless men. We buried some fine friends there.
Rico: And some fine enemies.
Bill Dolworth: That was one hell of a fine battle. Out-numbered and out-gunned and still we held that pass.
Rico: Yeah, but who cares now... or even remembers?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Burt Lancaster: A Portrait (2005) (V)

excellent action-adventure yarn

This was an excellent movie with only one minor quibble on my part. Towards the end, when Burt Lancaster is taking on the Jack Palance and his men in the canyon, the dialog suddenly becomes REALLY annoying and at one point consists of about 15 metaphors spoken by both characters in about 2 minutes time--as well as the many clichés! What happened to the good dialog prior to this? Well, I guess any writer can have a lull.

Apart from that, the acting and writing are good. I especially like the actors they chose--I always like seeing Woody Strode, and Ryan, Lancaster and Marvin are all good as tough but professional guns for hire. And, despite Cardinale being Italian and Palance being an American, both were fine as Mexicans. Really I have no complaints about the movie except for the still scene in the canyons--WHAT occurred wasn't the problem it was just how the characters suddenly TALK and TALK and TALK--something that was thankfully avoided in the first 80% of the movie.