WesternAdventureAction

The Professionals

- Rough, tough and ready.

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

Release Date : 1966-11-01

Language :SpanishEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Columbia Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Dolworth

Original Name : Burt Lancaster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fardan

Original Name : Lee Marvin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ehrengard

Original Name : Robert Ryan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jake

Original Name : Woody Strode

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jesus Raza

Original Name : Jack Palance

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maria

Original Name : Claudia Cardinale

Gender : Female

Character Name : Grant

Original Name : Ralph Bellamy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ortega

Original Name : Joe De Santis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fierro

Original Name : Rafael Bertrand

Gender : Male

Character Name : Padilla

Original Name : Jorge Martínez de Hoyos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chiquita

Original Name : Marie Gomez

Gender : Female

Character Name : Revolutionary

Original Name : José Chávez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Revolutionary

Original Name : Carlos Romero

Gender : Male

Character Name : Banker

Original Name : Vaughn Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mexican Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Elizabeth Campbell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bandit (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Carlos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady (uncredited)

Original Name : Leigh Chapman

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bandit (uncredited)

Original Name : Roberto Contreras

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man at Door (uncredited)

Original Name : Dirk Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hooper (uncredited)

Original Name : Darwin Lamb

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jake's Prisoner (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Little Sky

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mexican Servant (uncredited)

Original Name : John Lopez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sheriff (uncredited)

Original Name : John McKee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)

Original Name : Philip L. Parslow

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mexican Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Ron Veto

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

4 soldiers of fortune, one kidnapped wife, one explosive mission. The Professionals comes out of Columbia Pictures and it is based around the novel "A Mule for the Marquesa" written by Frank O'Rourke. Written and directed by Richard Brooks it stars Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, Jack Palance and Claudia Cardinale. A Panavision and Technicolor presentation it features cinematography by Conrad L. Hall and Maurice Jarre scores the music. One of the stand out Oaters from the 1960s that is often forgotten in light of what was to come from Sam Peckinpah three years later. Though far more light hearted than "Bloody Sam's Magnum Opus" that was The Wild Bunch, Richard Brook's film has many similarities. Themes of friendship, loyalty, disillusionment and of course the changing of the Old West all get dealt a hand here, with Brooks and his team upping the action stakes in a ball of explosions, gun fights and verbal jousting. Hell! The film is even a touch risqué, with nudity, sex and a wife in distress that is not as saintly as one would expect. Set in 1917 on the Mexican-Texas border, just after the Mexican revolution, The Professionals' only real problem is the thin story. However, Brooks is not interested in going too deep with his plot, he's more concerned with playing it for thrills and back slapping camaraderie. Which works magnificently due to the impressive cast that has assembled for the movie. Marvin plays it restrained as Henry 'Rico' Fardan, the weary leader of the group sent into Mexico to "rescue" Claudia Cardinale's (sultry but some fluctuating accent issues) Mrs. Maria Grant from the clutches of Palance's (excellent) Bandido supreme, Jesus Raza. Lancaster is a whirlwind of testosterone as explosives expert Bill Dolworth, while Ryan and Strode are smooth background characters as the conscientious Hans Ehrengard & muscular tracker and bowman, Jake Sharp, respectively. The only complaint about the characters comes with Ralph Bellamy's Joe Grant, the apparently fraught husband who sets the men off on their mission. He's in the beginning and the end of the pic, but it's just not enough screen time to really grasp his make up and thus the character is rendered as underdeveloped. Hall's photography is exceptional as he shoots on location at Death Valley, Lake Mead and the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. The browns are smooth on the eye and the capturing of the odd rock formations a real treat. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work, as was Brooks in the Best Direction and Best Screenplay categories. The shoot actually suffered some serious problems such as dust storms and flash floods, thus causing severe delays. But the end result was worth it for the film was a success at the box office. The public promptly lapped it up, yes it's a bit close to the knuckle sometimes, but there's never a dull moment in it. It's basically a ripper of a good time. 8/10