The Longest Yard (1974)

Plot:  An imprisoned ex-NFL QB puts puts together a rag-tag football team of inmates and plays the prison guard team.
Stars: Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Bernadette Peters
Best Quote: Oh I ain't saying you did or you didn't. All I'm saying is that you could have robbed banks, sold dope or stole your grandmother's pension checks and none of us would have minded. But shaving points off of a football game, man that's un-American.

This is one of Reynold's best roles, as he plays a ex-NFL QB leading a prison football team vs, the Guards.  Burt was a college football player, so the role fits him like a glove. As does being a cynical smart-ass -  tossing off quips.  Eddie Albert, does equally well,  showing unexpected range as the charming but evil Prison Warden. Various familiar faces from TV and film lend adequate support.

Flaws: Unfortunately, the last 1/3 of the movie is a filmed football game - talk about Dullsville.  Its not 1940, anymore. We've all seen lots of REAL football on TV- and the Hollywood version looks fake, fake, fake.  Other problem - there's that painfully patronizing 1970's attitude toward blacks. The black actors (inmates) are given little screen-time or characterization - but to make up for that  - they're shown as super-athletic, "super-cool" dudes who don't want to hang with the  uncool Whites. That is, until even more "cool" Burt convinces them to join the team.  Ouch. Yeah, some liberal white nerd wrote the script - no black writers were involved.

Summary: One of Reynold's best roles, its pretty good - until the way too long football game starts. Worth a look on DVD, where you can press the fast-forward button.