Such a classic war movie.

Lee Marvin, Telly Savalas, Charles Bronson, Richard Jaeckel, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker, Jim Brown, John Cassevettes, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Ralph Meeker and George Kennedy.

Look at that star power!

Just bought this DVD yesterday and watched it last night. What a classic. My favorite scene in the movie was within the first 10 minutes.

This is the scene where you get introduced to all 12 prisoners.

Sgt. Bowren: "Allright you men....this is an excercise period...so excercise!!"

Lee Marvin(Major Reisman) enters the Military Prison and hands over some paperwork to Sgt. Bowren.

Bowren: "Major Reisman....Sergeant Bowren sir!"

Major Reisman: "Have the prisoners fall in."

Bowren: "Sir!....Prisoners!....Fall in!"

((Now Bowren and Reisman are reviewing the 12 men while Bowren reads off each mans name and sentence.))

Bowren:

"Franco, B.R. Death by hanging.
Vladick, M. 30 years hard labor.
Jefferson, R.T. death by hanging.
Pinckley, V.L. 30 years imprisonment.
Gilpin, S. 30 years hard labor.
Posey, S. death by hanging.
Wladislaw, T. death by hanging.
Sawyer, S.K. 20 years hard labor.
Lever, R. 20 years imprisonment.
Bravos, T.R. 20 years hard labor.
Jiminez, P. 20 years hard labor.
Maggot, A.J. death by hanging."

One of the most intense parts of the movie in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on this movie?

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

When the idiot from the South played by Telly Savales has the knife at the girls throat in the hallway and is telling her "Sprechen sie horen" (I think), "scream bitch". I always say to myself, Kojak, what the *&%#'s wrong with you.

Then, of course, at the end when Jim Brown's character is running and dropping grenades down the airchutes. I keep thinking if I yell "go, Jim, go!" he might just make it some day.

Oh, and how bout the English prostitute who looks to be about 52 and her face is gonna fall off, cracks me up!

Later

Hi J:

Heres something about Telly Savalas you might or might not know.

First--before he became an actor--he was studying to become a Psycologist or somehting like that. He also said in his biography that he did not like nor enjoy playing Maggot in The Dirty Dozen--and it was mainly because of that scene that you mentioned.

Also--he was a very unprejudiced man and hated biggots. There is a scene where they are all in a room and Charles Bronson is doing some boxing practice when--"Maggot" asks Reisman a question--which uses a racial temr in it. In Savalas's bio--he also stated that he resented having to make that remark in the movie and had for years lobbied for it to be removed. It was felt that that term should stay in this movie--as well as in Gone With The Wind--because to remove it also removes a part of history that should not be changed.

If you watch Dirty Harry, there is also a scene in which John Mitchum (fatso)is reciting several slurs and Clint Eastwood also mentions one to do with the Hispanic population.

Being that these movies had these terms in them--I think they should stay there but--I think newer movies should possibly not have them.

The newest movie I can recall at this time that also uses racial slurs--made by both races--is: "48 hours."

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Carl,
I think that it is important to show or portray those types of things in movies where they are necessary for accurately portraying certain attitudes that were prevelent during a particular time period. To me, it points out how absurd and hateful people were in the past and this can make the few who are still like that look bad. I hope that made sense.

Here's another one: "Wolfgang, wo bist du?" German girl with Telly behind the curtain (she was hot!).

Later

Hi J--I agree with you. That was why I posted those examples Gone with the wind--Dirty harry and 48 Hrs. Hearing things as they were said in the times these films were made I think are important as they are a direct link to the past. The way kids are being tought these days is with the educator, using censorship on the past and only allowing what they feel should be allowed to be tought--mainly things they agree with--which is wrong.

That is why I don't give a hoot for any book published or re-published by The American Heritage company. Many years ago when their two biggest sellers appeared on the market: The American Heritage book on ww2 and The American Heritage book on the Civil War, which were most excellently presented--nothing was hidden.

When I saw their new reprinted volumes of both these books and saw how they trashed both excellent works out--just so they could be "politically correct" made me sick.

I can't cite many examples of what was left out or changed for the worse. You would have to have the older versions on hand to compare the newest versions. You would see what I mean.

The American heritage book on WW 2, was my all-time favorite book on the subject as I was growing up. This book was almost like the "Bible" of books on WW2. Simply, it was THAT good. Now--I would use many of its printed pages as toilet paper. The publishers gutted the book to make it socially more acceptable--well--they were drastically wrong. The book in re-issue---did not make them any money and did not stay on a bookstores shelves very long--and not due to being sold either.

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

This reminds us again of Guy Gibson's dog in The Dam Busters .... 'airbrushed' out by the BBC so as not to offend modern sensibilities.

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Martin--I fully agree with you. It's a shame things cannot be viewed as what they were for that time portrayed--even if the term is not acceptable.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Hey Carl,
speaking of PC, you should see the textbooks used in history classes in our country. They are extremely weak!

Hi "J" I do not doubt that one iota. I don't know if your familiar with books called: The American Heritage book of WW2 and another by them called: The American Heritage book on the Civil War. If you can find an older copy--they both are much much more superior to their new re-print--as they were grossly changed and much info was edited out. They used to be great books--but great no-longer. [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img]

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.