Movie review – “The Longest Yard” (1974) ***

Broad, bawdy, flabby comedy which gave Robert Aldrich his first hit in a long while. Burt Reynolds is perfectly cast as the former football player who winds up in prison and is forced to play against the guards. Aldrich always loved football and excels with masculine stories so he’s perfectly at home here. There’s not a lot of actual jokes – the funniest bit is when Richard Kiel bursts out crying – so may perhaps be more accurately described as an inspirational sports movie.