The Professionals

THE PROFESSIONALS – 50th Anniversary

The film was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1966, including Best Director and Best Screenplay for Hollywood veteran (and past Oscar winner) Richard Brooks. This irreverent Western boasts plenty of sardonic humor and turns many of the values of the genre upside down, but it does not skimp on production values or striking cinematography (by Oscar winner Conrad Hall). The four “professionals” of the title, hired by an arrogant Texas millionaire who to rescue his kidnapped wife from a notorious Mexican bandit, are played by Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, and Woody Strode. The outstanding supporting cast is headed by Jack Palance, Claudia Cardinale, and Ralph Bellamy. Be sure to stay to savor the movie’s last line, drolly delivered by Lee Marvin, one of the great kickers in Western film history. Screens Saturday, August 13, at 7:15
PM.