CONSENSUS #32. The Dirty Dozen

 

SYNOPSIS: "The Dirty Dozen" is the granddaddy of suicide mission movies.  A maverick major (Lee Marvin) is assigned twelve military convicts for a mission to massacre a chateau full of German officers behind enemy lines.  They go through training, win a war game, and then parachute into occupied France.    

BACK-STORY:  “The Dirty Dozen” created the template for an entire genre of motley crew, suicide mission movies.  It’s influence has been substantial.  The movie was released in 1967 and was part of the wave of more realistically gritty war movies like “Patton”.  Director Robert Aldrich adapted it from the bestselling novel by E.M. Nathanson, but made substantial changes.  The film was made in England and took seven months to complete.  Production included the construction of a chateau that was 240 ft wide and 50 ft high, surrounded with 5,400 sq. yds. of heather, 400 ferns, 450 shrubs, 30 spruce trees and 6 weeping willows.  It turned out to be so substantially built that it could not be easily blown up so they had to construct a flimsier section for the climactic scene.  The cast was all-starish.  The studio wanted John Wayne for the Reisman role,  but Aldrich wisely insisted on Marvin (Wayne made “The Green Berets” instead).   The dozen actors were supposed to be divided between the stars and the “who the hell is that” group (known as the Back Six).  However, one of the Back Six broke out to become a rising star The movie was a huge hit with audiences and with most critics.  It was nominated for four Oscars;  Best Supporting Actor (John Cassavetes), Editing, Sound, and Sound Effects (won).

TRIVIA:

               1.   “The Dirty Dozen” created the template for an entire genre of motley crew, suicide mission movies.  It’s influence has been substantial.  The movie was released in 1967 and was part of the wave of more realistically gritty war movies like “Patton”.  Director Robert Aldrich adapted it from the novel by E.M. Nathanson, but made substantial changes.  The film was made in England and took seven months to complete.  That was three months over schedule and it cost 60% than its budget.  Production included the construction of a chateau that was 240 ft wide and 50 ft high, surrounded with 5,400 sq. yds. of heather, 400 ferns, 450 shrubs, 30 spruce trees and 6 weeping willows.  It took 250 workers four months to construct.  It turned out to be so substantially built that it could not be easily blown up so they had to construct a flimsier section for the climactic scene.

                2.   Aldrich wanted to film the book independently, but he found that MGM had purchased the rights two years before it was published.  When MGM hired him, they already had a script by Nunnally Johnson (“The Grapes of Wrath”).  Aldrich thought the script was good – for a 1945 war movie.  He wanted something that fit the 1967 vibe.  He got Lukas Heller to rewrite and make it more anti-authoritarian and anti-military.  Johnson and Heller shared screenwriting credit, but the movie is more Heller’s.  Aldrich did not push the idea that it was an anti-war movie.  He felt he had checked that off with “Attack!” (1956)  The studio wanted John Wayne for the Reisman role, but Aldrich didn’t and luckily Wayne was already committed to “The Green Berets”.

                 3.  Supposedly Aldrich lost out on a nomination for Best Director because he refused to tone down the gasoline and grenades finale.

                 4.  In the Last Supper scene (when they go over the plan), Maggott is seated where Judas was in the Da Vinci painting.

               5.   The movie “Small Soldiers” reunited Borgnine, Brown, Kennedy, and Walker.                      

                6.  Actor back-stories:

                                - Borgnine was starring in “McHale’s Navy”, but was between seasons.  His character is similar to Aldrich’s personality and directing style.

                                - Cassavetes did not want to make the movie.  He wanted to concentrate on directing.

                                - Sutherland was originally hired as an extra.  Originally his only line was “Number 2, sir!”  His huge break came when Walker bowed out of the inspection scene due to his being a big star and he felt the humor was demeaning.  Aldrich pointed at Sutherland and told him to do the scene.  Sutherland got his role in “MASH” due to this scene.

                                - Marvin and Bronson did not get along and once almost came to blows because Marvin’s alcoholic binges slowed the production.

                                - Marvin won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for “Cat Ballou” during production and placed the Oscar on the table in front of him for a table read.  At one point in rehearsal, Marvin referred to Brown as “the n*****”.  Aldrich called him aside and after that Marvin behaved himself.

                                - Trini Lopez was hired because he was a popular singer.  He was coming off a huge hit with “Lemon Tree”.  He left the production midway through after a conversation with Frank Sinatra.  Sinatra  pointed out that his singing career was on hold right when it was about to take off.  Since Lopez had signed for four months and it was long past that, he left.  Aldrich wrote him out by having his character die on the parachute drop.  Lopez had a hit with the song from the film – “Bramble Bush”.

                                - Brown was still playing football, but had started his acting career with “Rio Conchos” in 1964.  When the production went over schedule, Browns owner Art Modell gave him an ultimatum and Brown surprised him by announcing his retirement on set.  Modell regretted his move. 

                                - The Maggott role was originally offered to Jack Palance, but he declined because he felt the part did not emphasize the characters racism enough.   

                                - Aldrich cast the first six mainly using actors he had worked with before.  He cast Brown because he was a big football fan.  The “Back Six” were actors working in Great Britain who were found by the casting director. 

                                - Many of the cast were WWII veterans:  Marvin (Marines – wounded on Saipan), Savalas (Army), Bronson (Army), Borgnine (Navy), and Walker (Merchant Marine).  Marvin’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery simply reads “PFC – Marines”.

                7.  Accuracy problems:

                                -  Our “heroes” use the M3A1 Grease Gun almost exclusively.  It is cool looking, but notoriously inaccurate.  Several of the shots in the movie, starting with Reisman shooting the rope, would have been highly unlikely.

                                -  Non-engineers would not have been able to build the camp.

                                -  Grenades do not create the kind of explosions that occur when Gilpin throws two on the roof.     

                                -  Posey is using a German MG-42.

                Scenes that were cut:

                                -  Posey, who was a Native American, did a rain dance.

                                -  Reisman has a romance.

                 8.  The two funniest moments:

                                -  watch the look on the face of the soldier when Pinkley tells him “never heard of it” at the close of the inspection scene

                                -  when they hijack the ambulance, the officer with the Red Force complains that they are wearing Red Force insignias.  Jefferson:  “That’s right.  We’re traitors.”

                9.  Here is the plan:

1.        Down to the road block, we've just begun

2.        The guards are through

3.        The Major's men are on a spree

4.        Major and Wladislaw go through the door

5.        Pinkley stays out in the drive

6.        The Major gives the rope a fix

7.        Wladislaw throws the hook to heaven

8.        Jimenez has got a date

9.        The other guys go up the line

10.     Sawyer and Lever are in the pen

11.     Posey guards points five and seven

12.     Wladislaw and the Major go down to delve

13.     Franko goes up without being seen

14.     Zero-hour - Jimenez cuts the cable, Franko cuts the phone

15.     Franko goes in where the others have been

16.     We all come out like it's Halloween

 

Belle and Blade  =  2.0

Brassey’s              =  4.0

Video Hound       =  5.0

War Movies         =  5.0

Military History  =  #21

Channel 4             =  #27

Film Site                =  yes

101 War Movies  =  yes

Rotten Tomatoes  =  #61

 

OPINION:  “The Dirty Dozen” has several strong aspects to it.  The acting is very good.  Marvin is the perfect Reisman.  He plays him with the right amount of bravado and steely insubordination.  The scene where he is briefed on the mission by Gen. Worden and his lackey establishes him as an intriguing character.  Reisman is very much a 1960s war movie archetype.  He reminds me of Steiner from “Cross of Iron”.  The rest of the name actors are good.  Savalas is very creepy as Maggot.  It shows his range since his other famous role was Kojak.   Bronson is charismatic and likeable.  Brown does a remarkable job in his first major role.  He does not look like an amateur.  Richard Jaeckel gets a well-deserved turn as Reisman’s second in command.  Cassavettes steals the honors with his characterization of Franko.  You can tell he is trying to steal the camera’s attention away from the others.  It is obvious he created his own character beyond the script. He deserved the Academy Award nomination.  With all this said, beyond the big names the Back Six (with the notable exception of Sutherland) are in over their heads and should be very thankful they are in this movie.

                As far as the plot, you know going in that you will have to suspend disbelief.  Very little of what happens has any foothold in reality.  It was fun to listen to Dale Dye’s commentary which takes the movie to task on numerous issues.  Basically, the movie would not have been made if he had been the technical adviser.  And yet, he is a big fan.  The whole Maggot subplot is beyond ridiculous, but fun.  You could really say that about the whole movie.  In this respect it does not differ from “The Guns of Navarone” and other movies of this genre.  And truly, it is less ridiculous than its most recent descendant -  “Inglorious Basterds”.

                The movie has the theme of military planners can sometimes be lunatics,  but if you put an ass-kicking, rule-breaker in charge the plan will be successful.  Another theme is even incorrigible criminals can be molded into a team (if the choice is mold or be hanged).  One theme that is not apparent is that war is Hell.  This is the rare major war movie that is not clearly anti-war.  It basically glorifies in the warrior ethos.  Aldrich’s statement that he wanted people “to know that war is hell” a crock of crap.  Most of the target audience did not leave the theater detesting war.  If they were teary eyed, it was because of Jefferson’s failed run (reminiscent of Von Ryan’s, by the way), not due to the slaughter of trapped German officers and their paramours.  That slaughter is a troubling aspect of the film.  The unit is not conflicted about this task.  In fact, the best word for their facial expressions is gleeful.  It’s a bit perplexing that few critics focused on this war crime.  To paraphrase, if you win the war, there is no such thing as a war crime.  (Ask the bombers of Dresden.)  That usually refers to avoiding a trial, not to depicting the “good guys” committing one with no consequences in a movie.

                  In conclusion, “The Dirty Dozen” is one of the great guy movies in the war movie genre.  It is required viewing for men of my generation.  It created a template for numerous imitators and some of them are superior to the original.  I feel that “Kelly’s Heroes” and “Where Eagles Dare” are better and more entertaining and yet neither made the Greatest 100.