Ever since I saw this film back in the Seventies I manage to recall it with particular fondness. There's something about Burt Reynolds' character as the flawed underdog hero that makes you want to root for him along with his band of merry misfit convicts. For even though they're all incarcerated for various crimes against humanity, they appear to be more sympathetic than the brutal guards who play for semi-pro glory under Warden Hazen (Eddie Albert). I remember thinking that Albert was miscast when I first saw this, calling to mind his Green Acres TV character, but I have to say, he really gets into his role here and is particularly effective as a villain.The film makes effective use of a variety of real life pro football players, guys like Ray Nitschke (Bogdanski), Sonny Sixkiller (The Indian) and Ernie Wheelwright (Spooner), thereby lending some additional authenticity to the game scenes. I know there's already been a 2005 remake starring Adam Sandler, but wouldn't it be something if they made another picture using the Cincinnatti Bengals as the all-prison team? You can't get any more real than that.What I think I enjoyed the most about the film was the integrity shown by characters like old Pop (John Steadman) and Granville (Harry Caesar), and eventually even Paul Crewe (Reynolds) himself. You can't help but think of them as honorable men even if they made mistakes in their life that wound them up in prison. There's also the humor in bits like the swamp reclamation scene, the 'broke his 'f...ing neck' scene, and the Bogdanski ball-breaker sequence.I'm not one for repeated viewings of the same flick but I've seen this one a few times over the years and I still get a kick out of it. I guess it helps that I like Burt Reynolds, but there's something about the picture itself that makes it memorable as well as entertaining. I like the idea of the underdog getting his revenge against The Man and sticking it in his trophy case.

Burt Reynolds was one of the biggest stars of the '70s, but like a lot of '70s stars (Faye Dunaway, Michael Serrizan, Karen Black, etc.) other decades have not been so kind to him. Here he stars in one of his finest films, "The Longest Yard," made in 1974, directed by Robert Aldrich, and also starring Eddie Albert, Michael Conrad, Ed Lauter, James Hampton, and Bernadette Peters.Reynolds plays Paul Crewe, a football player who goes to prison after he hits his ex-girlfriend, steals her car, and runs it into the river. He's a football player with a scandal in his past, when he was suspected of shaving points off of a game.The sadistic warden (Eddie Albert) wants him to organize a football team for the prisoners so that they can play the guards. The real agenda is that on the football field, the guards will be able to practically beat the prisoners senseless. With the help of Caretaker (James Hampton), Paul chooses a football team and starts training them. On the day of the big game, he gets an offer that he should refuse but might not be able to.This is a really fine film. I wouldn't call it a comedy, but it's one of those movies where you wind up rooting for the bad guys. Reynolds' character learns self-esteem, pride in his work, and also a sense of camaraderie. The football game itself is very exciting."The Longest Yard" is a film that holds up well, and not the usual type of prison movie you'd see today. And Bernadette Peters' hairdo is a no-miss!

The Prison Film, now there's a breed of Cat all its own. And it is one 'Genre' of Movie that seems to always resurface every once in a while and bring new wrinkles and variations, in accordance with the customs and mores of the particular time then present.Surely we all have had some favourite movie that could be classified as a Prison story, at least partially. As a 'list' of some representative films, at least partially in this column would be: THE BIG HOUSE(1930) with Wallace Beery and Chesteer Morris, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG(1932) with Paul Muni, THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS (1927),THE HOOSEGOW(1929) and PARDON US(1931) all 3 Laurel & Hardy.Others over the years would include; EACH DAWN I DIE(1939), BRUTE FORCE(1947), Elvis in JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957)COOL HAND LUKE(1967, PAPPILLON(1973))and even the recent SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION(1994).* So, we take the unmistakably winning charm of the Prison Film, blend in generous portions of Drama, Pathos, Humor, Action and Farce and we have a Comedy, in the Classic sense, and a good sample Prison movie for the Mid 20th Century 1970's.The crowning touch was the cast. A true gem stem to stern, the players in the story performed as a well coordinated unit, a sort of repertory company. Just about every player does his job to the utmost, within the framework of the story of course.The star of the show, one Burt Reynolds was a Molvie Actor who was just about at the very pinnacle of a great carer. He had demonstrated a definite versatility in the roles he took, of which there were many. The spectrum ran from DELIVERENCE(1972) to SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977). But the Public seemed to prefer him in a semi-serious but carefree character.Other than the Star, Mr. Reynolds, the cast included: Eddie Albert as the treacherous, underhanded backstabber of a Warden. Bernadette Peters as the WEarden's Secretary and just about the only Female seen after the opening sequence. Michael Conrad as veteran Footballer/Convict, Nate Scarborough, who becomes the heart and soul of the Con's Football team. James Hampton, best known as 'Hannibal Dobbs' on "F TROOP"(1965-67), was "Caretaker", and the biggest back-up to Crewe's Coaching and Team organizational Set-up.Other's who deserve a mention(as really all of the cast does, are:Ed Lauter and Ex Pro football Players Joe Kapp(The Waklin' Boss), Mike Henry and Ray Nitschke as the Prison Guards. Harry Ceasar, John Steadman, Charles Tyner, Michael Fox, Bob Tessier, Richaed Kiel. Former U of Wassington QB, Sonny Sixkiller, has a good supporting role as convict"Chief" Anita Ford (Woo, Woo, Woo, woo!) is a real eyeful as Crewe's angry ex-girlfriend.So, his Paul "Wrecking" Crewe was a has been, top College and Pro Footballer, a Quarterback by trade. And it's not just Father Time and Mother Nature that have "benched" his career. We get some smatterings of the story, but not the whole truth. In short, Paul Crewe had been involved as the central player in a "Point Shaving" scheme's with some Underworld Gambler types.(It would seem that the story has plenty of relevance today!) At the time of release, THE LONGEST YARD must have been considered a better than average release of the yearly Paramount Pictures' output. We can remember that there was a promotional poster of Burt as Paul "Wrecking" Crewe, with the offer being touted on an offer sheet/coupon that was available in the supermarkets.Having been thought of and promoted even as a comedy, it is a strangely complex movie, displaying many different levels of story telling. While, it's true that it is a great film to be viewed as a Comedy with an audience, it also has a few serious strands running through the fabric of the scenario. Love, happiness, success, loyalty, class and exploitation are all examined as they relate to the guys at the Prison and to all of us in this weary World.NOTE:* There are a lot of films, which while strictly speaking, couldn't be considered to be 'Prison Films', do have a great component of Prison themes in them. Two of Chaplin's come to mind; first is THE PILGRIM (First National, 1923)and the feature MODERN TIMES(Chaplin Company/United Artists, 1936).

Reynolds, near the beginning of his wild ride to fame, is close to his sexiest in this cheeky, rough, but very entertaining, prison/football flick. He plays a careless, disrespectful kept man who is jailed for theft when he shoves around his benefactress Ford and takes off in her car. Thanks to his credentials as an ex-pro football player, the prison warden Albert requests his aid in coaching the semi-pro team, consisting of the prison's brutal guards. Chief guard Lauter refuses to allow Reynolds to have any input, but Albert recruits him in another way, asking him to form a team made up of convicts so that the guards' team can build up their strength and strategy. The film details his selection of the players and the trials they undergo in order to make it to the big game, a game which takes up nearly the entire second half of the movie. Reynolds starts the film off with longish hair and a moustache and sports a hilarious, yet very sexy, 1970's pantsuit. He then gets a haircut and a shave and looks even better. His smart-aleck charm and affinity for football are on full display here. His interactions with the various cons give him ample opportunity to do what he does best. Albert is a far cry from his amiable sitcom persona and is surprisingly intense and even scary in his role. Hampton plays one of his better screen roles as Reynolds' right hand man and friendly know-it-all. Other familiar actors such as Lauter and Henry as guards and Conrad and Tessier as fellow prisoners dot the cast. Quite surprising as well is a cameo turn by Peters as the impossibly-coiffed, amorous secretary to Albert. Known primarily for her stage work at the time, she received the role through her friendship with Reynolds. The film takes its time telling its story, letting Reynolds potentially unlikable character win over the audience as he wins over his cellmates. Filming in a real prison (located in Georgia, despite the film's Florida setting, and overseen by none other than Governor Jimmy Carter) and on sweltering outdoor locations help set the right mood. A crowd-pleasing, even inspirational film to many a young man, it was remade by Adam Sandler in 2005.