The Professionals

• Written, Produced, and Directed by Richard Brooks
• November 4, 1966
• Based on the 1964 novel A Mule for the Marquesa by Frank O’Rourke

A group of adventurers is hired by a Texas millionaire to rescue his young wife from a dangerous Mexican bandit.

Western actioners are generally lost art. At least by the major studios. I know of a few done by independent filmmakers but when was the last time WB or Paramount or the like release one? The Professionals is a 1966 action Western from back in the day that is as much an exciting ride as it is a well thought out story. It has action and great story along with rousing adventure.

Set along the Mexican-American border, the story mixes in Mexican revolutionaries with duplicitous millionaires and cynical heroes to create an exciting narrative. Expertly directed, in short order via a few shots during the opening credits they tell us our central characters are tough men who have seen it all and we the audience are able to get immediately to the story. While not perfect, the film succeeds way more often than it fumbles.

Henry “Rico” Fardan (Lee Marvin) is the group’s weapons specialist who after riding with Pancho Villa spends his time hocking artillery to those willing to buy. Bill Dolworth (Burt Lancaster) is the explosives expert who after riding with Villa himself spends his days womanizing. Hans Ehrengard (Robert Ryan) is the horse wrangler with a greater love of horses than people. Jake Sharp (Woody Strode) is the group’s scout and skilled with a bow and arrow. Each is handpicked by Texas millionaire Joe Grant (Ralph Bellamy showing the world he was never young) to rescue his wife Maria (Claudia Cardinale) from Mexican revolutionary/general bandito Jesus Raza (Jack Palance).

Jack Palance was in no way, shape, or form of Mexican heritage. Yet like Eli Wallach through a little judicious make up and some black hair dye, he passes quite easily. And it also helps that his performance isn’t cartoonish or done in a bigoted fashion. He is portraying a genuine character rather than a caricature.

Fardan and Dolworth both have rode with Raza and think highly of him as a soldier but have no qualms when it comes to killing him as part of a job. That kinda explains how Grant decided on them (though not fully) but how did he hear about Sharp and Ehrengard? While Grant does not present himself as shady something is clearly not right from the start.

Marvin and Lancaster work well together with Palance crafting a dangerous yet a touch likeable heavy. Most of his menace comes largely from his voice. Then again Palance could read the periodic table and make it sound good. Bellamy has an air of arrogance and evil about him. It is all false charm and concern.

While both were good, Strode and Ryan’s characters are underdeveloped with Strode’s character of Sharp suffering the most. All too often Ehrengard is little more than a glorified horse babysitter rather than a participant in the story with Sharp acting largely as muscle. I felt we never received a good reason why Ehrengard was so passionate about his horses. At least I didn’t pick up on it. And Sharp was just there. Marvin and Lancaster were clearly the stars/main characters, but significant supporting characters deserve SOMETHING.

Another issue of mine is the use of a night filter here. It always bugs me in any movie of any era. It gets used here and I guess they were going for dusk in that shot but it just looks real fake. This is especially confusing since there is an extended action sequence in The Professionals set at night so why was dusk an issue?

These characters are hired guns, but they aren’t just a bunch of untrained people. Our heroes don’t go in with guns blazing but rather use their brains. Hence the title of the film. Each is a specialist in their own area whatever that area may be. They have to think through their problems and solve it, which also causes them to think through why they are doing just exactly what they are doing. In that way it differs from any other films where a group of outlaws or mercenaries is hired to do something.

Being the professionals that they are they have no stake one way or the other aside from a paycheck but they are men of honor who ultimately do the right thing. That’s a refreshing bit in Westerns these days, but something that was far more common just a short time ago. The Professionals straddles a fine line between serious and fun. These aren’t dark characters in need of therapy. They have baggage which makes them simply humans.

I have to admit I saw the ‘twist’ of the story coming right from the start. And I went into this only being told that The Professionals was a very good movie. I knew nothing about the plot. But that doesn’t harm the film.  Even predictable can be good so long as the journey to the inevitable is well done. This is just well acted and well directed with thinking characters, who weren’t overtly terrible and great action as well.

The Professionals is a great bit of old-style Western that still holds up today. It has just the right amount of fun and seriousness to make this great to watch not once but many times. Definite viewing for all moviegoers.