The Professionals (1966 film)


The Professionals is a 1966 American Technicolor Western film written, produced, and directed by Richard Brooks and starring Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, and Claudia Cardinale, with Jack Palance, Ralph Bellamy, and Woody Strode in supporting roles. The script was adapted from the 1964 novel A Mule for the Marquesa by Frank O'Rourke.
The film received three Oscar nominations and an enthusiastic critical reception.

Plot

In the later years of the Mexican Revolution, wealthy rancher J.W. Grant hires four men, all experts in their respective fields, to rescue his kidnapped wife, Maria, from Jesus Raza, a former revolutionary leader-turned-bandit.
Henry "Rico" Fardan is a weapons specialist, Bill Dolworth is an explosives expert, the horse wrangler is Hans Ehrengard, and Jake Sharp is a traditional Apache scout, skilled with a bow and arrow. Fardan and Dolworth both fought in the early days of the revolution, under the command of Pancho Villa, side by side with Raza and some of his band. They have a high regard for Raza as a soldier, but as cynical professionals, they have no qualms about going up against him now.
After crossing the Mexican border, the team tracks the bandits to their hideout. Along the way, Dolworth rigs explosives to block an escape route. They watch while Raza's small army captures a government train carrying soldiers and executes all aboard in cold blood. Dolworth explains to Ehrengard that the men on the train were a troop of vicious torturers and killers. He describes how they destroyed a town and killed Fardan's wife. The professionals follow the captured train to the end of the line and retake it from the bandits. Some move on to the bandit camp to observe Raza and his followers — including a female soldier, Chiquita — and to implement a plan to rescue Maria from the camp. Come nightfall, the professionals put their plan into action. Ehrengard stays with the train, which will be their means of escape. Dolworth uses dynamite to blow up the water tower in the camp. Sharp launches dynamite sticks strapped to his arrows to make it appear the camp is being shelled by a much larger force. Fardan knocks out the machine gun sentry on the roof of the quarters where Maria is being held. Dolworth joins Fardan at Maria's quarters, and they sneak in together to rescue Maria. Seconds later Raza also enters through another door to the warm embrace of Maria - the two are clearly lovers - leading Dolworth to conclude, "we've been had". The two knock Raza out and force Maria to come with them, but Fardan orders Dolworth not to kill Raza.
Back at the train, Ehrengard has been overwhelmed by a bandit force, who lie in wait to ambush Fardan, Dolworth and Sharp upon their return. The professionals use Maria as a human shield to convince the bandits to hand the train back to them, as Raza has given strict instructions that Maria must not be harmed. First by train, then upon horseback, the professionals and Maria retreat into the mountains, pursued by Raza and his men. The professionals evade capture by lighting the fuse placed earlier, bring down the walls of a pass, blocking the bandits' path and delaying their pursuit. Maria confirms the professionals' suspicion: they have not rescued Grant's kidnapped wife but Raza's willing mistress. The two have been lovers since their youth. Maria's father wanted her to have the prestige that marriage to Grant would bring, and his wish was a command. She made the mistake of telling Grant that she loved another man—hence his hatred for Raza. Her kidnapping was an escape, with to her true love to Mexico.
As Raza and his bandits pursue the retreating professionals, Dolworth fights a rearguard action to allow the other men to escape with Maria. In the battle, Raza is wounded. He and Chiquita attempt to escape, but Dolworth shoots her and captures the weakened Raza.
The professionals, with Maria and Raza, reach the U.S. border and are met by Grant and his men. Grant tells Fardan that their contract has been satisfactorily concluded, even before Maria is safely handed over to him. As Maria tends the wounded Raza, Grant says to one of his men, "Kill him." Before the man can fire, Dolworth shoots the gun out of his hand. The professionals step in to protect Maria and Raza. Fardan says, "We made a contract to save a lady from a nasty old kidnapper—who turns out to be you." They collect the wounded Raza, put him on a wagon and, with Maria at the reins, send both back to Mexico. The professionals follow the wagon.

Cast

Writing

The film was adapted for the screen by its director Richard Brooks, who based the screenplay on the novel A Mule for the Marquesa by Frank O'Rourke.

Filming

The movie, which was shot in Technicolor, was filmed in Death Valley, Valley of Fire and around Coachella Valley in California. The rail scenes were filmed on Kaiser Steel's Eagle Mountain Railroad. The steam locomotive seen in the movie currently resides on the Heber Valley Railroad.
During filming, the cast and crew stayed in Las Vegas. Actor Woody Strode wrote in his memoirs that he and Marvin got into a lot of pranks, on one occasion shooting an arrow into Vegas Vic, the famous smiling cowboy neon sign outside The Pioneer Club.

Soundtrack

The musical score was composed by Maurice Jarre.

Reception

Box office

By 1976 it was estimated the film had earned $8.8 million in rentals in North America.
It was the ninth most popular movie at the French box office in 1966, after La Grande Vadrouille, Doctor Zhivago, Is Paris Burning?, A Fistful of Dollars, Lost Command, A Man and a Woman, For a Few Dollars More and The Big Restaurant.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 88% based on reviews from 16 critics.

Award and nominations

The film received three nominations at the 1967 Academy Awards. Writer and director Richard Brooks, for Best Director and Best Writing and cinematographer Conrad Hall, for Best Cinematography. It lost all three to A Man for All Seasons.
The film won two Motion Picture Magazine Laurel Awards in 1967, for Best Action Drama and Best Action Performance for Lee Marvin. In Germany, it was one of only four movies to receive a Golden Screen Award in 1967.