September 9, 2022 – I picked up a couple of old video disks from a Goodwill thrift store the other day, and this bluray was one of those purchases, based on a vague recollection of this movie, first released in 1966. In my mind, I had it categorized as a good film, along with other similar all-star Westerns of that period. My memories were correct this time.

“The Professionals,” like the more famous all-star Western, like “The Magnificent Seven” (1960) is along the lines of Kurosawa's “Seven Samurai” (1954). The idea is that a group of gunslingers are hired to perform a noble task, like protect a town, or in this case, rescue a kidnapped woman, Maria (played by Claudia Cardinale of “The Leopard” and “8½”).

Maria is the wife of a wealthy man, Joe Grant (played by Ralph Bellamy of “His Girl Friday”). To get his wife back from a gang of Mexican bandits, he hires a team of experts, led by weapons expert and former soldier, Henry Fardan (Lee Marvin of “Cat Ballou”). Fardan's team consists of explosive expert Bill Dolworth (Burt Lancaster of “From Here to Eternity”) horse wrangler Hans Ehrengard (Robert Ryan of “The Wild Bunch” and “The Dirty Dozen”) and expert tracker and archer Jake Sharp (Woody Strode of “Spartacus” and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”).

Fardan and Dolworth are both familiar with Jesus Raza (Jack Palance of “Shane”) the leader of the Mexican gang who took Maria, having fought alongside him in the Mexican Revolution. They don't think Raza would actually kidnap a woman for ransom. They both think that something doesn't smell right about this job, and they are right. The setup is not what it seems, but they are being well paid well enough to carry though with the rescue of Maria anyway, despite their misgivings.

The rescuers set off in pursuit of Raza and Maria. They locate her at Raza's armed camp in Mexico, protected by a lot of armed guards, including two machine gun nests. Their only hope to rescue Maria is a diversion involving explosives. They manage to rescue Maria and get away, with Raza and his men in hot pursuit. There is a running battle with a lot of killing throughout the story. A couple of big plot twists keep things interesting.

This aptly-named film is loaded with professionals in front of, and behind, the camera, starting with writer-director Richard Brooks (“Elmer Gantry,” “In Cold Blood” and “Bite the Bullet”) and cinematographer Conrad L. Hall (“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” “Cool Hand Luke,” “In Cold Blood” and “Road to Perdition”). This film won three international film awards, and was nominated for nine more, including Academy Award nominations for Brooks and Hall.

I don't know if this film fits into what some film historians call the “Golden Age of Hollywood Westerns,” but it certainly belongs in the top tier of the Western genre. It is expertly written, directed and acted by top Hollywood talent at a time in history when Westerns were still popular and there was still plenty of craft expertise in the industry to make them well. It is not just an action movie. It has some good plot twists and there are some good philosophical discussions in the dialog.

This film is not as simplistic as many Westerns. The line between the good guys and the bad guys is blurred. It is morally complex. Cynicism is featured in the plot but not embraced fully. It goes up to the line of being cynical, but doesn't cross it. While it is a product of its time, it is still entertaining today, if you cut it some slack for its lack of political correctness.

The acting performances are what you expect from this ensemble of experienced, talented movie stars. This is not their first rodeo. They all know what is expected of them and they deliver solid performances. This film rates a B+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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