The Longest Yard (1974)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Albert S. Ruddy (story)
Tracy Keenan Wynn (writer)

Release Date:

30 August 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

It's Survival of the Fiercest and Funniest

Plot:

A sadistic warden asks a former pro quarterback, now serving time in his prison, to put together a team of inmates to take on (and get pummeled by) the guards.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Warden | Prison Guard | Quarterback | Florida

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Burt Reynolds	...	Paul Crewe
Eddie Albert	...	Warden Hazen
Ed Lauter	...	Captain Knauer
Michael Conrad	...	Nate Scarboro
James Hampton	...	Caretaker (as Jim Hampton)
Harry Caesar	...	Granville
John Steadman	...	Pop
Charles Tyner	...	Unger
Mike Henry	...	Rassmeusen
Jim Nicholson	...	Ice Man
Bernadette Peters	...	Miss Toot
Pervis Atkins	...	Mawabe
Tony Cacciotti	...	Rotka
Anitra Ford	...	Melissa Gaines
Michael Fox	...	Announcer

Also Known As:

The Mean Machine (UK)

Runtime:

121 min | Argentina:122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (uncut) (2005) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1975) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1995) | Netherlands:12 | West Germany:18 (nf) (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Norway:16 (1975) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Ray Nitschke, the Green Bay Packer great, played a game called "Kill the Star" while on the playing field with Burt Reynolds.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Crewe and another inmate are fighting (wrestling) in the swamp When Capt. Kenauer strikes Crewe on the back with a baton during the fight, the rectangular padding is visible under Crew's shirt.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Melissa: How long do we have to keep watching this crap?... Only a moron can sit and watch two football games, one after the other.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Grim & Evil: The Wrongest Yard/Druid, Where's My Car? (#6.5)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Teach Me to Cheat

Real men; no schtick

"The Longest Yard" does not depend on the tiresome innocent-man-behind-bars schtick to evoke the inmates' humanity. Crew, Caretaker, et al are not men because they have been falsely accused, but because they maintain their manhood under conditions of mental and physical cruelty. Their humanity isn't a plot or script convention, but the core of their character. It's refreshing to discover that you're cheering for criminals despite their unapologetic bravado. IMHO, the best "prison" film ever made.