The Professionals

 One weekend late in 1966, I visited my brother and sister-in-law, Joel and Judy, in Flushing, Queens.  I was fixed up on a blind date.  It was decided we would first go to the movies to see a new release, The Professionals which had an amazing cast:  Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, Ralph Bellamy, Jack Palance and Claudia Cardinale.

After the movie, which I enjoyed very much, I asked my date if she knew a place where we could go and talk.  She took me to a bar with very loud music where we could talk only when the band was on a break.  Never saw her again.  

Regarding the film, in the early 20th Century, a wealthy American named Grant (Bellamy) hires a team of professionals: Fardan (Marvin), Dolworth (Lancaster), Ehrengard (Ryan) and Sharp (Strode).  Their job (for $10,000 each) is to travel into Mexico and rescue Grant's wife Maria (Cardinale) who has allegedly been kidnapped by a bandit named Raza (Palance).

After travelling to Raza's camp and sneaking into the bedroom where Maria is being kept(?), Fardan and Dolworth discover they'd "been had."  Maria wasn't kidnapped, but had escaped from an arranged marriage to return to her lover.  

But instead of abandoning their mission, Fardan wants to finish the job as promised.  The four professionals take Maria by force and attempt to deliver her back to her husband in America.  

Along the way the four have to defend themselves from Raza and his army of men and one woman.  In fierce fighting, Raza is wounded (but not abandoned) and all his followers are killed.

At the conclusion, the four professionals deliver Maria to Grant.  She however prefers the company of Raza.  Grant orders one of his men to kill a defenseless Raza.  Dolworth stops this.  Fardan then allows Maria to take Raza in a horse drawn wagon back into Mexico.  

Grant angrily turns to Fardan and says "You bastard!" to which he retorts: "Yes, sir, in my case an accident of birth. But you, sir, you are a self-made man." The professionals ride behind the fleeing wagon.

In essence, the Raza's army of supporters were killed for nothing.  They were trying to prevent the professionals from taking Maria back to Grant.  They failed.  But in the end, the professionals allowed Maria and Raza to escape Grant and return together to Mexico.  What a waste!