The Professionals (1966)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

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:

Mexican | Contract | Border | Mexican Revolution | Mexico

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) | New Zealand:PG | 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: Relax. The stuff you're handling is safe. These beaded sticks are the tricky ones. It's the heat. Makes 'em sweat. Nitro. When they're dry and cool, they're safe and obedient. We'll leave these sweaty ones behind. Ventilate 'em. Cool 'em. Then maybe they'll behave.
Jake Sharp: Right now, I don't know if it's me or the dynamite that doin' all that sweatin'.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Extreme Prejudice (1987)

Action, adventure, morality, and a great sense of humor

This is a great western... at a time when Hollywood audiences were less interested in westerns. It also developed the theme of moral ambiguity found in the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood "Man With No Name" westerns and The Wild Bunch. Lee Marvin (fresh from his Oscar performance in Cat Ballou) shows once again how strong an actor he is ... and how well he matches up with Burt Lancaster (with his oscar for Elmer Gantry six years earlier). Jack Palance is once again a villain with a winning smile. In addition to the excellent acting and exciting action scenes, the film makes good use of the horses, the train, the weaponry ... as well as the subplot about the old revolutionaries meeting once again after many years. In the end, the plot has a nice twist ... and our heroes must make a moral choice. The film compares favorably to the best John Ford westerns, plus it has colorful scenery and a great sense of humor. You should definitely watch the "widescreen" version if you can. Richard Brooks was nominated for Oscars for directing and writing.