The Longest Yard come from one of the more underappreciated directors from Hollywood’s Golden Age, Robert Aldrich was one of the era’s auteurs with a remarkable versatility in many genres. First breaking into the industry with RKO Radio Pictures, he worked as an assistant director and in television before making his directing debut with MGM’s Big Leaguer (1953); Aldrich would rise to greater success in the 1950’s and 1960’s with – and this is just an abbreviated list – Apache (1954), Vera Cruz (also 1954), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) and The Dirty Dozen (1967). In the 1970’s, partnered with Burt Reynolds on two films, the first being The Longest Yard. Originally released on DVD by Paramount, Kino has licensed the movie for its simultaneous release on Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray.
The Production: 4.5/5
Following a car chase from police in his wealthy girlfriend’s “borrowed” Citroen – which he proceeds to dump in the waters of Palm Beach and get in a fight with a “miniature” officer – former NFL quarterback Paul “Wrecking” Crewe (Burt Reynolds) is sent to Citrus State Prison to serve his sentence of 18 months. However, upon arriving, Warden Rudolph Hazen (Eddie Albert) has other plans for Paul: he wants Crewe to form a semi-pro team of convicts to go up against his semi-pro football team comprising of the prison’s guards. Crewe declines at first, but then changes his mind as circumstances forces him to form the “Mean Machine” and turn it loose in a no holds barred football match that may just see Paul go the distance to regain his lost glory.
One of the most beloved football movies of all time, The Longest Yard is also a feather in the cap of director Robert Aldrich’s career. Despite not being familiar with comedy – the director admitted the genre was certainly not his strongest suit – Aldrich proves remarkably adept at blending schtick and action in the story. The film is also strong with providing the illusion of real life: much of the film is shot on location in the Georgia State Prison at Reidsville – the locale doubling for Florida and the fictional Citrus State Prison – and several real-life football players are among the cast as well, lending extra credibility to the climactic football game. Best of all, the film – scripted by Tracy Keenan Wynn (the son of longtime character actor Keenan Wynn) from a story by the film’s producer Albert S. Ruddy – never feels padded out or sluggish in pace; indeed, the opening car chase – notably with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Saturday Night Special” playing on the radio during the chase – sets the tone that doesn’t let up. In the end, The Longest Yard represented a step out the comfort zone for its director that paid off considerably and is now recognized as one of Aldrich’s best films.
Coming following his breakthrough performance in John Boorman’s Deliverance (1972), Burt Reynolds has one of his most memorable roles – sans his signature mustache for much of the movie – as Paul Crewe; he would return for the 2005 remake starring Adam Sandler, but in the role of Nate Scarborough. As the prison’s alternately charming and vicious warden, Eddie Albert is given one of his most notable film roles as well; he would reunite with Aldrich and Reynolds a year later, playing a similar role with a harder edge in Hustle (1975). Just a couple of years after making his debut in Dirty Little Billy (1972) – he was a standup comedian prior to making the leap to the big screen – Ed Lauter got one of his most notable roles as the brutish Captain Knauer; like Reynolds, he too would appear in the Sandler headlined remake in a different part. Rounding out the cast here are Michael Conrad as the former NFL coach Scarboro, James Hampton as the clever “Caretaker”, Harry Caesar as “Granny” Granville, the first inmate to take up Crewe’s offer to join the “Mean Machine”, John Steadman as the elderly “Pop”, Charles Tyner as the vengeful trustee Unger, Richard Kiel as “Samson”, Anitra Ford as Melissa, Ray Nitschke as the guard Bogdanski, former NFL players Jim Nicholson, Joe Kapp, Pervis Atkins, Ernie Wheelwright, Ray Ogden and Sonny Sixkiller as various convicts and guards in the football game and Bernadette Peters as Miss Toot, the warden’s secretary who also assists Crewe in the formation of the “Mean Machine”.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The film is presented in its original 1:85:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new Dolby Vision HDR master created from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative; on the UHD Blu-ray disc, the film is presented in HDR, while the accompanying Blu-ray disc on this release presents the movie in SDR. Film grain, color palette and fine details are all presented faithfully with minor cases of scratches, tears and dirt present. Overall, this release bests the previous “Lockdown Edition” DVD and is likely the best the movie will ever look on home video.
Audio: 5/5
The film’s original mono soundtrack is presented on a DTS-HD Master Audio track for both UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray discs on this release. Dialogue, sound mix and Frank De Vol’s score are all presented with strength, clarity and minimal cases of distortion, hissing and crackling present. Overall, this release is another improvement over the previous Paramount DVD and is likely the best the movie will ever sound on home video.
Special Features: 4/5
Commentary by authors/film historians Alain Silver and James Ursini – Newly recorded for this release, Silver and Ursini examine the film’s place in Robert Aldrich’s career as well as production details on the movie.
Commentary by actor Burt Reynolds and producer/co-writer Albert S. Ruddy – Carried over from Paramount’s “Lockdown Edition” DVD, Reynolds and Ruddy reflect on making the film.
Doing Time on The Longest Yard (11:38) – One of two short featurettes carried over from the Lockdown Edition DVD, a brief look at the film’s production and release; featuring interviews with Reynolds, Ruddy, actor James Hampton and sportswriters Bill Simmons, Howard Balzer and Michael Silver.
Unleashing the Mean Machine (11:02) – The second featurette from the Lockdown Edition DVD looks at the cast of the movie and brief look at the 2005 remake with Adam Sandler.
Theatrical Trailer (4:04)
Bonus KLSC Trailers – Semi-Tough, Fuzz, Shamus, White Lightning, Hustle & Gator
Overall: 4.5/5
A success with both critics and audiences, The Longest Yard both a football movie classic and a quintessential film in the careers of both Burt Reynolds and Robert Aldrich. Kino has likely delivered the definitive home video release of the movie, with a stellar HDR transfer and solid slate of special features both new and old. Very highly recommended and absolutely worth upgrading from DVD.
The Longest Yard (4KUHD) [Blu-ray]
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Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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