MovieChat Forums > The Professionals (1966) Discussion > Woody Strode got the shaft in the credit...

Woody Strode got the shaft in the credits

posted 16 years ago by gimmal
28 replies | jump to latest

You know, I'm not one to make drama offstage here, but I'm noticing, and I'm thinking it's sadly ironic: Woody Strode[1] had one of the principal roles in the film, but -- even in the blamed, recent Sony/Columbia repackaging of it -- his name is not anywhere in the top credits.

Now, I know, not every principal necessarily gets top billing, but he's the only one of the principals, in this film, who is not named on the cover of that recent Sony/Columbia repackaging. I'm thinking, What gives, people?

I know, I know it's easy to come up with excuses. I'm sure Mr. Strode must've heard quite a few, in his day.

So, here's to "the token black man" character, is it?

Nope.

Here's a word in appreciation of his performance, in that role that Strode must have been able to actually perform in -- not like some cheap pandering poster-child for the sterotype brigade, one Jake Sharp -- and to the fulfillment of a 'black character', one who the writers didn't have getting shot out of the script, in the first gunfight.

Jokes aside, here's to the realization of an original character, one who played a driving, crucial role in the plot.

[1] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834754/

[–] ecarle 16 years ago

Probably a matter of the credits as originally agreed to via contract.

Another interesting thing is that the poster isn't:

Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin in "The Professionals."

It is Burt Lancaster in "The Professionals," with

Lee Marvin down below the title along with Robert Ryan and Claudia Cardinale.

Marvin hadn't won his Best Actor Oscar when he signed for "The Professionals"; evidently Burt Lancaster's agents had secured only his name as "the star."

---

These things can be arranged.

A 1968 movie called "Bandolero" went into production with the contract billing: " James Stewart, Dean Martin, and Racquel Welch in "Bandolero."
Co-Starring George Kennedy."

George Kennedy won the Supporting Oscar for "Cool Hand Luke" during filming, and the Bandolero producer had to approach Stewart, Martin and Welch to approve moving Kennedy up top of the credits with them. The other three stars said "yes."

---

At least Woody Strode is treated well in the on-screen opening credit sequence in "The Professionals." He gets a separate introductory scene (bringing the Indian in for jail) and his name all alone on the screen, the same size type as Marvin, Ryan, and Lancaster.

[–] critic-2 15 years ago

African-American bass-baritone William Warfield got, I believe, ninth or tenth billing in the 1951 movie version of "Show Boat", even though he sang "Ol' Man River", the show's most famous song. In the movie credits (but not in the movie poster), Leif Erickson, who played Pete, the boat engineer and has less time onscreen than Warfield, got billed just above him. (Erickson was not billed at all in the posters.)

But that was partly because Warfield was not a big star at the time. Paul Robeson, who played the same role in the 1936 movie version of "Show Boat", got fourth billing because he was a huge star at the time.

[–] Hancock_the_Superb 15 years ago

It might be race, but I might also point out that Strode wasn't a big star the way the other three leads were. Lancaster was a legend and Marvin, having just made Cat Ballou and won an Oscar for it, was one of the hottest names in Hollywood at the time. Ryan was a well-respected actor who had a few starring roles and many prominent villain roles in other films. Strode was mostly a bit character, Sergeant Rutledge excepted; he was buried far down the cast list in movies like The Buccaneer, Spartacus, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Two Rode Together, etc.

Mr. Rusk. You're not wearing your tie!

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] kimpunkrock 15 years ago

I totally agree with you.
Woody was a great actor and really added to any movie he was in.
I really loved him in The man who shot liberty valance.
He is amazing in the professionals.

Great post!

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index.jsp?cid=186977

The Truth is out there.

[–] freedom-from-sanity 15 years ago

Glad that someone else feels the same about this.
Just watched this film and noticed that Woodys name wasnt on the cover of the DVD and yet, Jack Palance and Ralph Bellamy are both there emblazend above the title and they have less than half the screen time that Woody has. Now regardless of what was in the original contracts and who was famous back in 66 its now 2009 and its about time they gave credit to Woody, he is one of the main four in the movie after all.
Come on Columbia, you know it makes sense.

[–] gribfritz2 12 years ago

More famous back in 66? Yet in 2009, Jack Palance and Ralph Bellamy were STILL more famous than Woody Strode.

[–] pasojabber 15 years ago

I don't have any problem with Woody Strode not getting top billing, because for this movie, his part was supporting - what's known as a featured player (he does get top billing in the new Blu-Ray edition, even though his part was still supporting.) Don't get me wrong, he certainly held his own on any set or stage, and his part certainly should have been larger. What does bother me, though, for such a 'revisionist' western as this one was - it still has bits of the old Hollywood racism. For example, when the four principles are looking at Raza's camp, peeking over a boulder, there are some restless noises made by the horses; at which point Lee Marvin's character looks over at Woody's character and says, "Jake, keep those horse quiet." Now, shouldn't he have said that to Robert Ryan's character? You know... the wrangler? I've seen this movie many, many times, and it didn't dawn on me what was being said, and to who, for many years after it came out. Such is the persistence of prejudice. We see something like this, and it goes unrecognized. It sits there and percolates, until one day the light goes on, and we say to ourselves "Hey... wait a minute?" Why should Jake go tend to the horses? Should he stay right where he is, and continue scoping out the lair of the bandits (I mean, he's the one who has to shoot those dynamite-laden arrows, right?) As much as I respect Brooks (and I do,) he sure fell down on this one!

Even with this one regrettable lapse of good judgment, it's still a western masterpiece - and probably my favorite of all time!

[–] wohara1-1 15 years ago

I thought that I was the only person to note that Jake was sent off to watch the horses before Chiquita's breasts were exposed.
I don't care where Strode's name appears in the credits. He stole the whole damn film in every scene he was in. I refused to watch the pan and scan version for years because Strode was usually cropped from the scene.
I understand that he was wiped out at the premier of Once Upon a Time in the West because he had never had such a closeup in any other film.

We deal in lead, friend.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] ronwall173 11 years ago

What Richard Brooks did was correctly represent the attitudes towards Blacks in the early 1900's. In this instance, working with them wasn't a problem and that was how each race addressed each other THEN. Blacks in the west were even allowed to marry Mexicans so I think we may be reading something into Mr Strode being sent to the horses that wasn't intended. Maybe they wanted him to also be aware of their flank and 'Jake' would have been better at that than 'Ehrengard'. For the record, I'm Black.

[–] robhansen 15 years ago

I remember a Mad magazine parody of this film at the time depicting Woody Strode looking at the viewer and saying something like "You notice no one ever asks me what I think.You do know why that is don't you?".
I wonder if his character was sent to keep the horses quiet because the producers didn't want to show a black man lusting over a woman's naked breasts?
USA is probably the most racially diverse country in the world,but seems to have more hangups about race(I live in the UK)than anyone else.Let's hope your racially mixed president will change things(no,I'm not holding my breath!)

[–] tightspotkilo 15 years ago

In 1966 there were no black movie stars, period, and certainly none being marketed to white audiences. Sidney Poitier being the only possible exception to that.

Get the facts first - you can distort them later!

[–] Alfriend 15 years ago

Woody Strode was a great actor and a great athlete. Few people remember him not only for the wonderful roles he played but also that he was in effect the Jackie Robinson of Professional Football being one of the first four African-Americans to join Pro-Football in the 1946. Which was the same year that Jackie played with the Dodgers minor league team in Montreal.

I agree that he deserved star billing with the other four. His part is as large and important as the other three stars. Although he was not considered a star, he was great in the film. My only complaint was the way his part was written, calling all the other people Mister and they call him by his first name. It was a little subserviant even for the time, as I remember seeing it in the theatres as an 11 year old. It just bothered me.

Woody Strode along with the amazing Brock Peters and a number of other great African-American actors and actresses paved the way for those who followed. He is largely unsung today. But , I'm glad to see that there are some who remember him.

Other than the way Woody Strode's part was written, I do love this film. My favorite western for sure. And the cast was all great with some classic lines!

Dolworth: I'll be damned!
Rico: Most of us are.

J.W. Grant: You bastard.
Rico: Yes, Sir. In my case an accident of birth. But you, Sir, you're a self-made man.

Rico: So what else is on your mind besides hundred-proof women, ninety-proof whiskey and fourteen-carat gold?
Bill Dolworth: Amigo, you just wrote my epitaph!

[–] Bussssss69 15 years ago

Rico: So what else is on your mind besides hundred-proof women, ninety-proof whiskey and fourteen-carat gold?
Bill Dolworth: Amigo, you just wrote my epitaph!

Thanku I wanted that line

[–] beauhooligan 14 years ago

>>Dolworth: I'll be damned!
Rico: Most of us are.

J.W. Grant: You bastard.
Rico: Yes, Sir. In my case an accident of birth. But you, Sir, you're a self-made man.

Rico: So what else is on your mind besides hundred-proof women, ninety-proof whiskey and fourteen-carat gold?
Bill Dolworth: Amigo, you just wrote my epitaph!<<

I have a pretty good suite of video gear, and when looking at the DVD in extreme closeups, it looks to me (despite being por le whiskey), that Lancaster was doing much of his rope work stringing the dynamite in the pass. He was doing gymnastics every morning before shooting, and had to be warned about doing walking handstands along the roof of the motel they stayed in while shooting the Valley of Fire sequences. As far as I can tell, it was Burt Lancaster and Woody Strode scampering over the rocks and setting those charges in the rocks. Can you imagine George Clooney going hand over hand up a 7/8 inch manila line above a rocky floor in a modern film? That is why this film has that "for real" feel that so many films try to capture, and fail so badly. The outcome of this film is one that cannot be divulged, only experienced.

To Walter Jack Palance; Palance is at his very best in this film. He was deserving of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, had it not been for Lee Marvin.

To my brother Lee Marvin (a Purple Heart Marine from Saipan: Semper Fi): I can understand why he is the study in perfection with weapons in this film. He demonstrated his teaching skills with the US M1917 .30 caliber machine gun during the credits (doing an excellent job of demonstrating how to produce short bursts from an automatic weapon). In the film, he carried a 1911 Colt .45 in a flap holster on his right hip, and though he produced it twice, I never saw him fire it. He did a nice twist draw left handed several times with the Colt New Service (probably .45 Colt), carried on his left hip, and did the required deed with it repeatedly. He also handled the Lewis Gun quite well, as well as the US1903 rifle in .30-06 Springfield and, best of all, John Moses Browning's 1897 pump action shotgun. I love that shotgun, having five of them myself, the last being made in 1957, and in both 12 and 16 guage. Lee Marvin was a great man, a great actor, and a great Marine.

With the guns of The Professionals, on ground they knew well, a few well trained men could stop a platoon of day modern soldiers, or if not, make them bleed to where they were useless, or even win the day.

Hene the bastards seems to have won the day.

Except that one has been left behind... and when seen through binoculars...

"...and that gentlemen, is the whirlingist dervish of them all!".

"The Lady is going home!"
"We had a contract...

Watch the film and you will see the rest. And if you don't understand this I would like you to know that I don't react well to anything less than hundred-proof women, ninety-proof whiskey and fourteen-carat gold.

Beauhooligan

[–] Gloede_The_Saint 15 years ago

Most likely because he isn't famous.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] dsrelf 15 years ago

I just saw this film on Turner Classic Movies, and Woody Strode received third billing in the opening credits, BEFORE Burt Lancaster. It occurs as the film introduces each of the four main characters in a short scene defining each of their expertises. Strode's character is delivering a prisoner to the local sheriff, and after a short physical confrontation with the prisoner, he receives a letter from Grant via the sheriff. His name is superimposed during this short scene.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] HenryCW 14 years ago

As one of the posters above had pointed out, I was actually quite surprised that the Woody Strode character was introduced in the opening sequence before the Burt Lancaster character. So I think that was more than fair to him. He was simply not that famous, either before or afterwards. His role in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was barely noticeable. I think his first important film role was in Sergeant Rutledge in which he played the titular character. I also remembered him as the Abyssinian gladiator who fought Kirk Douglas in Spartacus.