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The Rewatchables ·

The Longest Yard

year 1974decade 70sdirector Robert Aldrichgenre Sportsgenre Comedygenre Drama
host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Van Lathanproducer Craig Horlbeck theme 70s Sports Movie Month
All 33 categories

The film

The Longest Yard (1974)

Directed by Robert Aldrich · Sports

121 minutes

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Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Burt Reynolds Paul "Wrecking" Crewe
Eddie Albert Warden Rudolph Hazen
Ed Lauter Captain Wilhelm Knauer
Michael Conrad Nate Scarboro
Jim Hampton James "Caretaker" Farrell
Harry Caesar "Granny" Granville
Mike Henry Lieutenant Rasmussen
Jim Nicholson "Ice Man"

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

1:10:05

Casting What-Ifs

James Hampton as Caretaker; modern equivalents for Joe Kapp, Ray Nitschke, and Sonny Sixkiller

James Hampton as Caretaker; modern equivalents for Joe Kapp, Ray Nitschke, and Sonny Sixkiller

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:05Read transcript
  • James Hampton was reportedly intended for Unger before pushing to play Caretaker. — Bill Simmons
  • The observed Joe Cap and Ray Nitchke are identified as real football stars in the cast. — Bill Simmons
  • Kirk Cousins is proposed as a present-day Joe Cap equivalent. — Bill Simmons
  • Khalil Mack and Fred Warner are considered as Ray Nitchke equivalents. — Bill Simmons
  • The observed player is reported as a former University of Washington quarterback who also played in the WFL. — Van Lathan
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1:13:49

Recasting Couch

Glen Powell is favored over Ryan Gosling as a modern Paul Crewe.

Glen Powell is favored over Ryan Gosling as a modern Paul Crewe.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:49Read transcript
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1:14:45

What Would Tony Romo’s Director’s Commentary for This Movie Sound Like?

Chris Collinsworth is favored over Tony Romo.

Chris Collinsworth is favored over Tony Romo.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:45Read transcript
  • Tony Romo and Chris Collinsworth are proposed for football commentary over the movie. — Bill Simmons
  • Collinsworth is favored for explaining the repeated success of Split Right on Two. — Bill Simmons
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1:15:23

Half-Assed Internet Research

Albert S. Ruddy’s story, Robert Aldrich’s comedy takes, the real inmate-trooper game, Reynolds’s rapport with prisone...

Albert S. Ruddy’s story, Robert Aldrich’s comedy takes, the real inmate-trooper game, Reynolds’s rapport with prisoners, Aldrich’s treatment of Michael Conrad, and the Maserati sale

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:23Read transcript
  • Producer Albert S. Ruddy is reported to have conceived the story in the late 1960s and hired a screenwriter. — Bill Simmons
  • The production shot at Georgia State Prison with cooperation from then-governor Jimmy Carter. — Bill Simmons
  • Aldrich reportedly kept cameras rolling for what he called schtick takes so Reynolds could improvise comedy. — Bill Simmons
  • After production, inmates used the remaining equipment to play state troopers and reportedly led 66–0 at halftime. — Bill Simmons
  • Reynolds reportedly ignored warnings and ate with prisoners during meal breaks. — Bill Simmons
  • Aldrich reportedly feuded with Michael Conrad and called him the Polish princess. — Bill Simmons
  • The recovered Maserati was reportedly sold by the producer for seven thousand dollars. — Bill Simmons
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1:21:45

Picking Nits

The unbribed referees, two NFL players sharing a prison, the disappearing push-up athlete, the warden’s obsession, Ca...

The unbribed referees, two NFL players sharing a prison, the disappearing push-up athlete, the warden’s obsession, Caretaker murder logistics, team hierarchy, Chicago prisoners in Florida, the coin toss, play calls, and comeback clock

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:45Read transcript
  • The warden’s extensive effort to fix the game makes failing to bribe the referees conspicuous.
  • Two former NFL players sharing one Florida prison without Crewe knowing is treated as implausible. — Chris Ryan
  • The skilled push-up prisoner largely disappears after the swamp sequence. — Chris Ryan
  • The warden’s intense investment in a semipro prison team is questioned and partly defended by real prison-sports culture.
  • Unger’s light-bulb murder device seems too elaborate to escape notice.
  • Nate’s head-coach status conflicts with Crewe initially calling him an assistant. — Chris Ryan
  • The Chicago Youth Authority prisoners’ presence in a Florida state prison is unexplained.
  • A modern viewer questions why the team did not defer after winning the coin toss. — Bill Simmons
  • Split Right on Two is too simple a call for a reverse pass. — Bill Simmons
  • The final comeback appears to require multiple unseen defensive stops in very little game time. — Bill Simmons
  • Knauer’s poor clock management is partly explained by the warden demanding a larger margin. — Bill Simmons
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1:31:35

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The score without Crewe tanking, the guards’ real competition, prison sports-talk narratives, Crewe’s age, Caretaker’...

The score without Crewe tanking, the guards’ real competition, prison sports-talk narratives, Crewe’s age, Caretaker’s resemblance to Red, Crewe’s statistics, and Knauer’s fate

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:35Read transcript
  • The panel asks how badly the Mean Machine wins if Crewe never throws the third quarter. — Chris Ryan
  • The guards’ national runner-up status is questioned after a team assembled in four weeks beats them. — Chris Ryan
  • The day-after prison sports shows and their treatment of Crewe are imagined.
  • Crewe’s claimed eleven-year career and eight-year exile seem inconsistent with his apparent age. — Bill Simmons
  • The panel asks whether Red in The Shawshank Redemption resembles Caretaker or a broader prison-fixer trope.
  • Crewe’s passing and rushing statistics are estimated from the game. — Bill Simmons
  • The panel asks whether the warden will have the observed Canauer killed after the loss. — Bill Simmons
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1:35:18

Best Double Feature

North Dallas Forty
The Longest Yard
Smokey and the Bandit
North Dallas Forty
Slap Shot
Heaven Can Wait
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:35:18Read transcript
  • Smokey and the Bandit is proposed as a Burt Reynolds charisma pairing. — Bill Simmons
  • North Dallas Forty is the leading same-era football pairing.
  • Slap Shot and Heaven Can Wait are additional 1970s sports options.
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1:41:01

Producer review

The producer praises the football and final forty minutes, finds the first hour dated, admires the older stars’ natur...

The producer praises the football and final forty minutes, finds the first hour dated, admires the older stars’ natural presence, wants a stronger final speech, and argues Crewe should have thrown the game

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:01Read transcript
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Mentions across The Rewatchables

Recorded movie reference

Breaking Away

The Rewatchables · aired June 11, 2024

Seventies sports pyramid; 1979 domestic box-office list (twelve named)

Transcript time unavailableRead transcript
Source 1