The Mean Machine

Original title: The Longest Yard

1974
X
2h 1m

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

22K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer4:07

Football Prison Drama Comedy Crime Drama Sport

A sadistic warden asks a former pro quarterback, now serving time in his prison, to put together a team of inmates to take on (and get pummeled by) the guards.A sadistic warden asks a former pro quarterback, now serving time in his prison, to put together a team of inmates to take on (and get pummeled by) the guards.A sadistic warden asks a former pro quarterback, now serving time in his prison, to put together a team of inmates to take on (and get pummeled by) the guards.

Director
- Robert Aldrich
Writers
- Tracy Keenan Wynn
- Albert S. Ruddy
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

22K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,892

969

Director
- Robert Aldrich
Writers
- Tracy Keenan Wynn
- Albert S. Ruddy
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 4 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 4:07

Official Trailer

Photos185

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Sports Illustrated's Rick Telander wrote in the Oct. 17, 1988 issue: After the cast and crew of "The Longest Yard" departed from Georgia State Prison, the inmates played Georgia State Troopers using the equipment left behind by the film crew. The game quickly got out of hand, with inmates pummeling the out-of-shape troopers for their alleged arrogance. The game was called at the half, with the inmates ahead 66-0. End of prison football in Georgia.

Goofs
Melissa warns Paul not to touch her Maserati. The car was sold in the US as a Citroen/Maserati SM, a Citroen with a Maserati engine. The owner would be more likely to refer to it as Maserati.

Quotes
Paul Crewe: My, you have lovely hair. You ever find any spiders in it?

Alternate versions
The 1995 VHS USA re-release does not feature the song "Saturday Night Special" by Lynyrd Skynyrd during the chase scene. Instead, there is no music during the chase.

Connections
Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Burt Reynolds/Dom DeLuise/Art Carney/Ace Trucking Company (1974)

Soundtracks
Saturday Night Special
Written by Ronnie Van Zant and Edward King (as Edward Calhoun King)
Performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Recording Supervised by Al Kooper
Courtesy of Sounds of the South/MCA Records

User reviews81

Featured review

7/10

I Don't Know Why I Like It

If there ever was a manipulative film, this is it. By the end you are rooting for the prisoners (the nice guys, you know, armed robbers, murderers, rapists, child molesters) against those awful guards. Those poor sweet prisoners, being taken advantage of by those sadistic guards. Then there's the warden, Mr. Douglas from Green Acres, Eddie Albert. Rotten to the core. Bert Reynolds is his mugging best, first selling out, then winning one for the Gipper. It is violent, raucous, ridiculous from the stolen uniforms to the cross dressing cheerleaders. I am a non violent person, I knew everything was designed to work over my prejudices and my primitive feelings of revenge. And yet, when the game started, I was transfixed. I don't get it. Have I no taste?