8mm Forum: The Longest Yard Full Feature

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Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 23, 2015, 04:24 PM:

Thursday evening we decided to filmguard our full length marketing feature of
The Longest Yard, (aka in the UK as The mean machine) with Burt Reynolds. Once it was done we hesitated putting it through for a viewing as we last watched it in 2007. Being a marketing film we thought it must have faded, especially as every full length feature we read about from marketing always seems to either be red or well on the way.
Well, what a terrific surprise, the colour is as good today as it was when we bought it God knows how many years ago. It was just after they released the 3 x 400 footer which we had but thought it was a poor cut. The image is also pin sharp, this is either a total fluke or its been kept in optimum conditions here but either way it was a great relief as this was one of the very few full features we purchased brand new.
Print quality is and A an the sound B+/A-.Good clear sound but could have done with a little more bass, luckily we put all our films through a Pioneer stereo amp so this makes up for it. Originally supplied on 6 very full 400 ft spools and in an awful cheap card box. We have since mounted it on 3 x 800 ft spools with a good old home made Tom Photiou box.
I think most people know the plot by now but just in case you don’t here it is.

Paul "Wrecking" Crewe is a former star pro football player & walks out on his wealthy girlfriend Melissa (Anitra Ford) in Florida. He takes her Maserati-engined Citroën SM without permission and leads police on a car chase, choreographed by Hal Needham With Burt Reynolds doing his own stunt driving. Crewe is eventually caught and sentenced to 18 months in Citrus State Prison.
The convicts disrespect Crewe because he was dismissed from the National Football League for point shaving. The sadistic warden, Rudolph Hazen, is a football fanatic who manages a semi-pro team made up of prison guards & wants Crewe to help coach the team and win the championship.
Responding to pressure from the guards' leader and coach, Captain Wilhelm Knauer, Crewe initially refuses, but eventually relents, (after a beating), and agrees to form a prisoner team to play the guards' team in an exhibition tune-up game. Paul Crewe forms a team that includes Samson, a 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) former professional weightlifter played the late Richard Kiel, credited in this film as Dick Kiel, and Connie Shokner, a serial killer and martial arts expert, (Robert Tessier).
With the help of the clever Caretaker, (James Hampton), former professional player Nate Scarborough and the first black inmate willing to play, "Granny" Granville, plus long-term prisoner Pop , and with an assist from the warden's amorous secretary, Miss Toot—Crewe moulds a team nicknamed the "Mean Machine". He agrees to play quarterback himself. After witnessing Granny being harassed by some of the prison guards without breaking, the black inmates decide to volunteer their services and join the team. Unger, one of the prison trustees, persistently asks Crewe if he can replace Caretaker as manager of the team, which Crewe refuses to do. In retaliation, Unger attempts to kill Crewe by fashioning a home-made bomb from a light bulb filled with a combustible fluid, designed to detonate inside Crewe's cell when he turns on the light. However, Caretaker is killed instead when he enters Crewe's cell to retrieve some papers and Unger closes the cell door, locking him in and preventing rescue. Crewe's team mates are given a stern lecture from Hazen about the consequences of any attempted escape after the game. Afterward, Crewe re-energizes the team with a surprise - presenting them with professional uniforms (stolen from the guards by Caretaker before he was killed). They run onto the field, to the shock of the guards and Hazen, in their new uniforms.
The "Mean Machine" starts out surprisingly well, and at halftime the game is close, with the guards leading, 15-13. Hazen threatens Crewe as an accessory to Caretaker's murder unless Crewe loses the game to the guards by at least 21 points. Crewe reluctantly agrees, but obtains a promise from Hazen that if he cooperates, the other prisoners will not be harmed.
Hazen double-crosses him, telling Captain Knauer to order his players to "inflict as much physical punishment on the prisoners as humanly possible" as soon as they are ahead by 21 points. Crewe makes deliberate mistakes, putting the "Mean Machine" down by more than three touchdowns, 35-13, & then takes himself out of the game. The teammates feel betrayed. The guards then take out their anger on the prisoners, causing several injuries.
A depressed Crewe goes back into the game. At first, the prisoners provide him with no protection or co-operation, but he convinces them of his change of heart. The "Mean Machine" gets back into the game, trailing 35-30. Knowing that Crewe needs help, Nate, despite his bad knee, scores one of the touchdowns, but is immediately cut down at the knees by guard Bogdanski, crippling him. As he is wheeled off the field, Nate tells Crewe to "screw Hazen" and win the game. They turn the tables on the guards in terms of the violence, including a clothesline from Samson that apparently breaks a guard's neck.
Crewe scores the winning touchdown with no time left and the "Mean Machine" wins, 36-35. As the prisoners celebrate and Crewe walks across the field in what appears to be an attempt to escape, Hazen furiously orders Knauer to shoot him with a rifle, but he refuses before Crewe picks up the football and hands it to Hazen.

This is a film that has everything, comedy, drama & action with a very good cast of characters. To be honest I could never understand why they re-made this film not once but three times, all of them pretty awful.
First one was in 2001 with Vinnie Jones, hopeless and lacking in any characters,
Second one in 2005 the longest yard with Adam Sandler & featuring Burt Reynolds in a supporting role.
third In 2015 as "Captain Masr" Which translates to "Egypt's Captain" starring Mohamed Imam, taking place in Egypt and changing the sport from American Football to Association Football.
These images were all taken during projection but really don't do the print any justice.

I suspect this full length feature was not a big seller but it remains one of the best films in our collection and it actually did quite well upon its cinema release in 1974.
The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy in 1975. Burt Reynolds was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Eddie Albert was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, and James Hampton was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on April 23, 2015, 04:38 PM:

Great story Tom and a lovely print Tom.
It's a funny thing this fading issue with Marketing prints as I have always found they differ wildly from one example to another, even on the same title it has to be said. Yours however is definitely up there with the best of what's out there now from the ones I own. Well done Tom you have clearly kept it in optimum condition for minimizing the fade and at the same time kept it in fabulous condition. [Smile]

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 23, 2015, 04:45 PM:

Thanks Andrew, the one thing i do remember was when we ordered it we were told it was coming from the states.We assumed it was only Germany that printed the marketing films but apparently not.The USA were often much better in those earlier days. [Wink]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on April 23, 2015, 04:55 PM:

Yes, I did know Marketing Films were based in NYC as well as Germany but if memory serves me correctly, the U.S. distributors folded first I think which was sad really with the timing because I believe they had some really exciting full length features lined up for imminent release but sadly, it never happened.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 23, 2015, 05:02 PM:

yes i did read that to,there were going to be some really good titles.

Posted by Clyde Miles (Member # 4032) on April 23, 2015, 05:22 PM:

tom, what film stock is it on?

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 23, 2015, 05:32 PM:

im not too sure but will check tomorrow and get back to you

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on April 24, 2015, 06:14 AM:

I watched the 400ft Once Upon a Time in the West from Marketing last night, the colours left me puzzled. There was very little colour range in the film but the Marketing logo at the from was pristine. I think it has always been that way and I can only assume the master material (print) was faded at the time of making the negative.

I'll have to check the cut-down of The Longest Yard later.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 24, 2015, 06:26 AM:

Brian, we have the 3 x 400 of once upon a time, it is a strange one this, there isn't that much colour in the film anyway but every time we watch it we think its fading but as soon as the titles are gone and the opening shot of Claudia Cardinale hits the screen its perfect.

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on April 25, 2015, 02:34 AM:

Hi Tom,

I have a copy of the longest yard spooled onto a 2400ft spool - I bought the print from Barry at Independent 8 - the colour is as good as yours at in some parts but the scenes in the swamp have gone a little red - but as some of the contrast is slightly dark in these scenes - it doesn't detract from the overall viewing experience - I love this film and apart from Deliverance and maybe Hustle and possibly Shamus. I feel this is one of Burt Reynolds best films - full of humour and pathos and some great action scenes - when the cons go against the guards. I was lucky enough to buy a full length copy of Shamus from Ian at Perry's a few years ago - a little faded but still worth watching.

David

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 25, 2015, 08:31 AM:

I agree David, defiantly one of Reynolds best films along side of Deliverance, he was/is a very good a actor and was very good weather he did serious stuff or comedy, not all actors can pull that off. So far the swamp and dark scenes are all still good on this one. I think the fact that this films is 95% shot in very well it and bright outdoor scenes has helped slow down the fading. Fingers crossed for a few years yet.

[ June 15, 2015, 12:12 PM: Message edited by: Tom Photiou ]

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 25, 2015, 01:48 PM:

Tom, what is the film-stock? Many of these Marketing features, if not printed on low fade, look terrible these days, so I'm wondering if you might have lucked out on a Fuji or Agfa print of this feature?

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on April 27, 2015, 02:32 PM:

Here are some stills from my 200ft extract.

As it was hard masked to widescreen rather than 3x4 I put in my isco 10mm lense to fill the screen height so had to point camera and projector up at the screen giving distortion. Surprisingly for the colours left (and not showing pink)the film edge has Eastman 00 1 Safety on the edge. I assume this does not mean LPP. I assume this is a generation or two down on the longer and full length prints.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 27, 2015, 02:43 PM:

Brian that print looks pretty good to, what is the content of the 200 footer?

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on April 28, 2015, 01:44 PM:

Just a little leading up to the arrest then discussions about setting up the team and straight into the football game.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 30, 2015, 04:45 PM:

WE ALSO HAD THE 3 X 400 FOOTER, THIS ONE WAS OK BUT WE FOUND IT CUT OUT SOME OF THE FUNNIEST PARTS SO THAT'S WHEN WE ASKED IF WE COULD RETURN IT AND PURCHASE THE FULL FEATURE, WE WERE SURPRISED BYUT PLEASED WHEN THEY SAID NO PROBLEM.

SORRY ABOUT THE CAPITOLS. [Confused]

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on May 01, 2015, 07:02 PM:

Thanks for the great review Tom.

Marketing Films (USA branch)was always good about customer service. I remember when I first joined their discount club (Mountain Film Club), I received perks for joining. Then, about a year later, they had a special for new joining members- GREASE full-feature for $99! Even though I wasn't eligible, since I was already a member, I asked and they let me get the $99 special anyway [Smile]

!

Sorry- off topic!

James

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 02, 2015, 09:38 AM:

Good though, [Wink]

I always thought prints from the USA were generally much better, Walton were always pretty good and of course Deranns.
Marketing feature films these days appear to be 99% red or fading, I think this one was a lucky strike. Not sure what percentage of the Marketing features did come from the USA but it looks as though the film stock was better.

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 31) on June 15, 2015, 01:06 AM:

I went to see this in the movie theater with my dad it was a fun movie. Seeing this thread brings back memories. Nice it see it on S8.

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