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Just Another World War II MovieBy ROBERT E. GOLDEN“The Dirty Dozen,” playing at- the Century Thomas Mall arid Cinema Park theaters, has an adventure-appealing title and an impressive, talented cast, but the film has a “Made in Hollywood” tag on it.Hollywood apparently intends no mercy for film viewers bored with worn and weary World War II plots. This particular example falls neatly into both categories. It is, in the faithful tradition of its numerous predecessors, an off-shoot of “Guns of Navarrone,” the latter being the prototype in WW1I behind-the-lines sabotage films.This one's about 12 criminals who “volunteer” to under take the highly dangerous task of parachuting behind German lines in France to blow up a mansion housing a large number of ranking Nazi officers.IT ALL BEGINS when Gen. Worden (Ernest Borgnine) conscripts Maj. Reisman (Lee Marvin) to train the dozen for the mission. The major, it seems, has a tendency toward frankness and flippancy withmuch of the film is taken upwith the six months* training of the men. One begins to wohder whether there’s time to execute the sabotage before the second feature starts.THE PLAN does come off, of course, and in true-blue Holly* wood fashion. It’s slick, polished and explosive. But even Hollywood forges Us commercial license when all the Germans supposedly guarding the Nazi fortress disappear in time for the saboteurs to climb a rope and enter the Nazi haven.Another fact is curiously disturbing: the mission takes place just days prior to D-Day, and it’s worth wondering just what’s the siginficance of killing a score or so high-ranking Nazi functionaries at this stage of theshow.CCiaSi0tleCcs:AJim Brown, Former Football Star TurnedAs One Of “The Dirty Dozen” He Gels AnotherActorChancesenior officers and carries an unenviable service record to prove it. Hence, his assignment.The 12 men are convicted murders, rapists or thieves andare set to be executed shortly or begin serving their time. The reward, if the men live to enjoy it, are cleared service records andactive duty at former rank. TooActing emerges as the movie’s only solid plus. Lee Marvin knows his character well and plays it to its fullest. lie succeeds in carving a vivid officer —■ one the audience gets to know, understand and appreciate.Movies on Television6Pleasure of His Company9 BestBorgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes Telly Savalas and Clint Walker all perform well and with pol-iished professionalism.“The Dirty Dozen” with a fairly shary script, plenty of excitement and adventure and a good cast still doesn't swim above the flood tide of over done World War II movie themes.►V-i in A VfAL L rtf' I A nnninin « I I ft 1 n n n 51 riM
Newspaper Details
Phoenix Arizona Republic
Phoenix, Arizona, US
Fri, Jun 30, 1967
Page 29
Full Page
Clipped by
Rotten T.
USA 20 Nov 2020
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