The Dirty Dozen
Appearance
The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film about a rebellious U.S. Army Major who, during World War II, is assigned a dozen convicted murderers to train and lead into a mass assassination mission of German officers.
- Directed by Robert Aldrich. Written by Nunnally Johnson and Lukas Heller, based on the novel by E. M. Nathanson.
Major John Reisman
[edit]- I never went in for embroidery, just results.
- You've seen a general inspecting troops before haven't you? Just walk slow, act dumb and look stupid!
- You know what to do, free the French and shoot the Germans!
Joseph Wladislaw
[edit]- Killin' generals could get to be a habit with me.
Archer J. Maggot
[edit]- It's judgment day, sinners! Come out, come out wherever you are!
Samson Posey
[edit]- I reckon the folks'd be a sight happier if I died like a soldier. Can't say I would.
Victor Franko
[edit]- Hey! What's the matter with you? You think I want to die? Ha! If you think that then you don't know Victor Franko.
Other
[edit]- Maj. Gen. Worden: This war was not started for your private gratification, and you can be damned sure it's not being run for your personal convenience, either!
Dialogue
[edit]- Major John Reisman: [Kinder has just finished a psychiatric evaluation of Reisman's troops] So what does that give you?
- Capt. Stuart Kinder: Doesn't give me anything. But along with these other results, it gives you just about the most twisted, anti-social bunch of psychopathic deformities I have ever run into! And the worst, the most dangerous of the bunch, is Maggott. You've got one religious maniac, one malignant dwarf, two near-idiots... and the rest I don't even wanna think about!
- Major John Reisman: Well, I can't think of a better way to fight a war.
- Capt. Stuart Kinder: These people don't know their enemy is the Germans. They think the enemy is their own United States Army!
- Major John Reisman: Maybe that's because the Germans haven't done anything to them yet.
- Major John Reisman: Any questions?
- Maggot: Suh? Do we have to eat with niggahs?
- [Jefferson jumps Maggot]
- Sergeant Clyde Bowren: [as Reisman exits the room] What's going on, sir?
- Major John Reisman: Oh, the gentleman from the South had a question about the dining arrangements. He and his comrades are discussing place settings now.
- Major John Reisman: Which one of you guys wants to be a general? [Pinkley raises his hand] Pinkley?
- Pinkley: What kind of general, sir?
- Major John Reisman: Just a plain, ordinary, every day, home-lovin' American general.
- Pinkley: I'd rather be a civilian, sir.
- Major John Reisman: Posey, what did they lock you up for? I mean, what did you do?
- Samson Posey: I already told you that sir.
- Major John Reisman: Well tell me again. I'm sure your friends over here would like to know too.
- Samson Posey: This fella kept pushing me. I don't like to be pushed so I hit him.
- Major John Reisman: Killed a man with your bare hands because he shoved you?
- Samson Posey: I only hit him once.
- Major John Reisman: Only him him once. And drove his jawbone right through his brain because he pushed him.
- Major John Reisman: How come you speak German?
- Joseph T. Wladislaw: My old man came from Silesia. He didn't speak German, he didn't dig coal. If he didn't dig coal, he didn't eat.
- Col. Everett Dasher Breed: Reisman! Some people may consider you a first-class officer. But as far as I'm concerned, you're a disorganized, undisciplined clown. I'm gonna' make it my business to run you out of this Army.
- Major John Reisman: I owe you an apology, colonel. I always thought that you were a cold, unimaginative, tight-lipped officer. But you're really quite emotional, aren't you?
- Samson Posey: I don't want to hurt you Major.
- Major John Reisman: You're not gonna hurt me, I'm gonna hurt you.
- Major John Reisman: What do you think, Sergeant?
- Sergeant Clyde Bowren: I think you'll do just fine, sir.
- Major John Reisman: [emphatically] Don't give me that! I said what do you think?
- Sergeant Clyde Bowren: I think the first chance one of those lovers gets, he's going to shoot the Major right in the head... sir.
- [after being given his mission]
- Maj. Gen. Worden: What do you say, Major?
- Major John Reisman: lt confirms a suspicion l've had for some time now, sir.
- Maj. Gen. Worden: Think we might share that suspicion? l think you should.
- Major John Reisman: Since we are over here to try to win the war, it shouldn't be advertised that someone we work for is a raving lunatic.
- Gen. Denton: Major Reisman is heading toward a court martial of his own. He's the most ill-mannered, ill-disciplined officer that it's ever been my displeasure to meet.
- Maj. Gen. Worden: You think so, Denton? You may be right. But he's sure right about one thing. Somebody up there must be a raving lunatic.
- Major John Reisman: [briefing the dozen] And kill any officer in sight.
- Victor R. Franko: Ours or theirs?
Taglines
[edit]- Train them! Excite them! Arm them!...Then turn them loose on the Nazis!
- D-Day Began When The Dirty Dozen Were Done!
Cast
[edit]- Lee Marvin - Major John Reisman
- Ernest Borgnine - Major Gen. Sam Worden
- Charles Bronson - Joseph Wladislaw (number 9: death by hanging)
- Jim Brown - Robert T. Jefferson (number 3: death by hanging)
- John Cassavetes - Victor R. Franko (number 11: death by hanging)
- Richard Jaeckel - Sergeant Clyde Bowren
- George Kennedy - Major Max Armbruster
- Trini Lopez - Pedro Jimenez (number 10: 20 years' hard labor)
- Ralph Meeker - Captain Stuart Kinder
- Robert Ryan - Colonel Everett Dasher Breed
- Telly Savalas - Archer J. Maggott (number 8: death by hanging)
- Donald Sutherland - Vernon L. Pinkley (number 2: 30 years' imprisonment)
- Clint Walker - Samson Posey (number 1: death by hanging)
- Robert Webber - Brigadier General James Denton
- Tom Busby - Milo Vladek (number 6: 30 years' hard labor)
- Ben Carruthers - S. Glenn Gilpin (number 4: 30 years' hard labor)
- Stuart Cooper - Roscoe Lever (number 5: 20 years' imprisonment)
- Robert Phillips - Corporal Carl Morgan
- Colin Maitland - Seth K. Sawyer (number 7: 20 years' hard labor)
- Al Mancini - Tassos R. Bravos (number 12: 20 years' hard labor)
External links
[edit]- The Dirty Dozen quotes at the Internet Movie Database
- The Dirty Dozen at Allmovie