"Blackboard Jungle" director Richard Brooks produced one of the most exciting, well-made western actioneers of the 1960s with his epic shoot'em up "The Professionals." Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster headed a top-notch cast in this Columbia Pictures' release that co-starred Jack Palance, Woody Strode, Claudia Cardinale, Robert Ryan, and Ralph Bellamy. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science nominated "The Professionals" for three Oscars. Although he had already received an Oscar for Best Direction for his 1960 melodrama "Elmer Gantry," Brooks received bids for Best Direction and Best Screen writing, adapted from another medium, principally Frank O'Rourke's novel, while ace lenser Conrad Hall got the nod for Best Cinematography.
This atmospheric oater takes place in the early twentieth century and ranks as one of the best soldier-of-fortune sagas ever filmed. Primarily, Hollywood filmmakers preferred to confine their westerns to the late nineteenth century between the end of the American Civil War and the official closing of the frontier in 1890. As early as 1934,however, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a biographical opus about the infamous exploits of rebel leader Pancho Villa called "Viva, Villa" with Wallace Beery. Indeed, many B-westerns, some with John Wayne and Bob Steele respectively, shifted their settings back and forth from the old frontier to contemporary times, but Hollywood rarely made a western set between 1900 and 1920 until the 1950s. Some of the most prestigious included Eli Kazan's "Viva, Zapata!" with Marlon Brando, George Sherman's "The Treasure of Pancho Villa" with Rory Calhoun and Gilbert Roland, Richard Fleischer's "Bandido" with Robert Mitchum, and Robert Rossen's "They Came to Cordura" with Gary Cooper.
"The Professionals" occurs before America's entry into World War I. By the time that "The Professionals" came out, European filmmakers like Sergio Corbucci and Sergio Leone had discovered the narrative advantages of these twentieth century adventures. Chiefly, the level of violence escalated because water-cooled machine guns were available as well as larger artillery pieces, automatic firearms, and hand grenades. Sam Peckinpah made probably the greatest post-frontier western with "The Wild Bunch" (1969) starring William Holden and Robert Ryan.
Oil baron and railroad tycoon J. W. Grant (Ralph Bellamy of "His Girl Friday") hires three men: Henry 'Rico' Fardan (Lee Marvin of "Cat Ballou"), Hans Ehrengard (Robert Ryan of "The Tall Men") and Jacob Sharp (Woody Strode of "Spartacus") for $10-thousand dollars each to rescue his trophy wife Maria (Claudia Cardinale of "The Pink Panther") from a despicable Mexican bandit Jesus Raza (Jack Palance of "Shane") who had kidnapped and taken her deep into Mexico to a remote stronghold in the desert. Each of soldier-of-fortune possesses a specific talent. Fardan is a weapons expert and tactician. Jacob Sharp is a first-rate tracker and a master with rifle and long-bow. Hans Ehrengard is a pack master. When Grant describes their adversary as "the bloodiest cutthroat in Mexico," Fardan is surprised because he has "the utmost respect" for Raza.
Grant shows Fardan the ransom note and Grant's Hispanic liaison informs Fardan that Raza has mobilized about 150 men. Fardan suggests Grant pay the ransom, but Grant doesn't think that he will get his wife back even after he pays up. "It would take a battalion of men a month to get in there," Grant explains to Fardan and company, "but a few men could strike." Fardan shakes his head. "What we need is an equalizer," Fardan points out. "Name him," Grant demands, and Fardan shows Grant a message that he received from one of his closest pals, Bill Dolworth (Burt Lancaster of "Gunfight at the O. K. Corral"), who is currently in jail. Dolworth is a wizard with explosives who is able "to blow out a candle without putting a dent in the candle holder." "Eight hundred dollars will bail him," Fardan observed.
Grant bails out Dolworth and Dolworth appreciates Fardan's intervention. "What's the proposition," he inquires as Fardan hands him a bottle of whiskey. "You won't lose your pants, your life maybe, but what's that worth." Dolworth gulps some whiskey, "Hardly anything at all." Dolworth is surprised that Raza kidnapped Grant's wife and that the ransom demand is a $100-thousand dollars. Dolworth asks, "What makes a wife worth a hundred thousand dollars?" Fardan muses, "Some women can turn men into boys and boys into men." Dolworth grins, "That's a woman worth saving."
Suspicious things begin to happen no sooner than our heroes leave Grant's headquarters. They encounter a group of bandits and have to shoot it out with them. Dolworth wants to shoot the horses that the bandits rode. Ehrengard objects. Fardan explains that the horses will head back to the camp, but Ehrengard opines that they will head north to the river. Fardan lets them go and they finish burying the bandits. Dolworth rides ahead to scout and runs into more bandits who know about him and his colleagues because the horses came back with empty saddles. Fardan and company rescue Dolworth just before the bandits carve him up and find the fortress that Raza and his small army have occupied. Raza's men are assembling machine guns that they took from a Mexican army train. Fardan lays out his plan. Dolworth will plant explosive charges that will simulate a French howitzer barrage and Jacob will unleash dynamite laden arrows. When the bandits rush to defend the walls, Fardan and company will slip in "and rescue little red Riding Hood." Diversion is their only option because they cannot shoot their way into Raza's fortress.
When our heroes do make their move on Raza's stronghold, they get the surprise of their lives. Nevertheless, between Dolworth's dynamite that blows a water tower to smithereens and Jacob's dynamite laden arrows, our heroes manage to escape and hit the trail back to the border. Richard Brooks doesn't waste a moment in this splendidly staged, concisely written western that bristles with memorable dialogue and feisty performances. "Doctor Zhivago" composer Maurice Jarre furnishes a flavorful orchestral score.
This atmospheric oater takes place in the early twentieth century and ranks as one of the best soldier-of-fortune sagas ever filmed. Primarily, Hollywood filmmakers preferred to confine their westerns to the late nineteenth century between the end of the American Civil War and the official closing of the frontier in 1890. As early as 1934,however, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a biographical opus about the infamous exploits of rebel leader Pancho Villa called "Viva, Villa" with Wallace Beery. Indeed, many B-westerns, some with John Wayne and Bob Steele respectively, shifted their settings back and forth from the old frontier to contemporary times, but Hollywood rarely made a western set between 1900 and 1920 until the 1950s. Some of the most prestigious included Eli Kazan's "Viva, Zapata!" with Marlon Brando, George Sherman's "The Treasure of Pancho Villa" with Rory Calhoun and Gilbert Roland, Richard Fleischer's "Bandido" with Robert Mitchum, and Robert Rossen's "They Came to Cordura" with Gary Cooper.
"The Professionals" occurs before America's entry into World War I. By the time that "The Professionals" came out, European filmmakers like Sergio Corbucci and Sergio Leone had discovered the narrative advantages of these twentieth century adventures. Chiefly, the level of violence escalated because water-cooled machine guns were available as well as larger artillery pieces, automatic firearms, and hand grenades. Sam Peckinpah made probably the greatest post-frontier western with "The Wild Bunch" (1969) starring William Holden and Robert Ryan.
Oil baron and railroad tycoon J. W. Grant (Ralph Bellamy of "His Girl Friday") hires three men: Henry 'Rico' Fardan (Lee Marvin of "Cat Ballou"), Hans Ehrengard (Robert Ryan of "The Tall Men") and Jacob Sharp (Woody Strode of "Spartacus") for $10-thousand dollars each to rescue his trophy wife Maria (Claudia Cardinale of "The Pink Panther") from a despicable Mexican bandit Jesus Raza (Jack Palance of "Shane") who had kidnapped and taken her deep into Mexico to a remote stronghold in the desert. Each of soldier-of-fortune possesses a specific talent. Fardan is a weapons expert and tactician. Jacob Sharp is a first-rate tracker and a master with rifle and long-bow. Hans Ehrengard is a pack master. When Grant describes their adversary as "the bloodiest cutthroat in Mexico," Fardan is surprised because he has "the utmost respect" for Raza.
Grant shows Fardan the ransom note and Grant's Hispanic liaison informs Fardan that Raza has mobilized about 150 men. Fardan suggests Grant pay the ransom, but Grant doesn't think that he will get his wife back even after he pays up. "It would take a battalion of men a month to get in there," Grant explains to Fardan and company, "but a few men could strike." Fardan shakes his head. "What we need is an equalizer," Fardan points out. "Name him," Grant demands, and Fardan shows Grant a message that he received from one of his closest pals, Bill Dolworth (Burt Lancaster of "Gunfight at the O. K. Corral"), who is currently in jail. Dolworth is a wizard with explosives who is able "to blow out a candle without putting a dent in the candle holder." "Eight hundred dollars will bail him," Fardan observed.
Grant bails out Dolworth and Dolworth appreciates Fardan's intervention. "What's the proposition," he inquires as Fardan hands him a bottle of whiskey. "You won't lose your pants, your life maybe, but what's that worth." Dolworth gulps some whiskey, "Hardly anything at all." Dolworth is surprised that Raza kidnapped Grant's wife and that the ransom demand is a $100-thousand dollars. Dolworth asks, "What makes a wife worth a hundred thousand dollars?" Fardan muses, "Some women can turn men into boys and boys into men." Dolworth grins, "That's a woman worth saving."
Suspicious things begin to happen no sooner than our heroes leave Grant's headquarters. They encounter a group of bandits and have to shoot it out with them. Dolworth wants to shoot the horses that the bandits rode. Ehrengard objects. Fardan explains that the horses will head back to the camp, but Ehrengard opines that they will head north to the river. Fardan lets them go and they finish burying the bandits. Dolworth rides ahead to scout and runs into more bandits who know about him and his colleagues because the horses came back with empty saddles. Fardan and company rescue Dolworth just before the bandits carve him up and find the fortress that Raza and his small army have occupied. Raza's men are assembling machine guns that they took from a Mexican army train. Fardan lays out his plan. Dolworth will plant explosive charges that will simulate a French howitzer barrage and Jacob will unleash dynamite laden arrows. When the bandits rush to defend the walls, Fardan and company will slip in "and rescue little red Riding Hood." Diversion is their only option because they cannot shoot their way into Raza's fortress.
When our heroes do make their move on Raza's stronghold, they get the surprise of their lives. Nevertheless, between Dolworth's dynamite that blows a water tower to smithereens and Jacob's dynamite laden arrows, our heroes manage to escape and hit the trail back to the border. Richard Brooks doesn't waste a moment in this splendidly staged, concisely written western that bristles with memorable dialogue and feisty performances. "Doctor Zhivago" composer Maurice Jarre furnishes a flavorful orchestral score.