The Professionals

Burt Lancaster and Lee Martin headline the top-notch, rip roaring Western action/adventure The Professionals. Four soldiers of fortune are hired by a wealthy Texan oil baron (Ralph Bellamy) to rescue his kidnapped wife (Claudia Cardinale), who's been spirited across the Mexican border by a band of mercenaries led by Jesus Raza (Jack Palance). The four rugged professionals, each regarded as a specialist in his selected field - an expert marksman and tracker (Woody Strode), the explosives master (Lancaster), horse handler (Robert Ryan) and one skilled in tactics and weaponry (Marvin) - make their way across the treacherous landscape to retrieve the beautiful kidnappee, but discover all is not what it seems in the explosive climax. Excellent performances from an all-star cast, Maurice Jarre's haunting musical score and surprising plot twists make The Professionals a true classic.

The Professionals garnered three 1966 Academy Award nominations; two for Richard Brooks (Best Direction and Best Adapted Screenplay) and another for the esteemed Conrad Hall (Best Cinematography).