"The Professionals," a 1965 motion picture starring Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin, was filmed entirely in the United States, whose desert southwest was portrayed as being north central Mexico.

Opening with the title credit was a background of an adobe brick wall of a burned out building. The wall had numerous pock marks, probably bullet marks, plus graffiti with phrases like "viva Villa," etc. This location was shown twice more as extended locations. Is the wall still standing perhaps as a tourist or scenic location?

There is a extended scene of protagonists and Mexicans during a horrendous sand storm. People wore face scarves to protect themselves. Horses and mules did not. As your best judgment, how severely were the animals eyes and respiratory tracts damaged by the effect from huge fans blowing the sand to create the storm special effect?

All of the handguns were Colts. I've observed that essentially no revolvers in motion pictures were S&W solid frame double action revolvers until the 1950s. In reality were Colt double action revolvers so dominant in the United States, again, until the 1950s?

I never saw a Smith Schofield until about 18 years ago. In the 1950's there was still a lot of Colt SAA pistols around.

Everyone is making reproduction Colt Armys and Schofields now.

Maybe the gun contractor could only get Colts.

Cabin? Don't know.

Dust on horses? Don't know.

Never judge Reality by a movie.

Grizz

If you want accurate and interesting gun movies watch some of those directed by John Milius !

First off, the movie release date is 1966 rather than 1965. It opened in New York on November 2, 1966. A great flick, IMO. I first watched this movie in Bangkok, Thailand in early 1967 while on my RVN tour R&R break.

As a collector of U.S. martial arms I am particularly interested in the U.S. weapons used in the flick, which is set in 1917. Every firearm I see is correct for the period.

It was filmed entirely in California, primarily Death Valley. The movie received 3 1967 Academy Award nominations.

Lee Marvin served in WWII as a Marine in the Pacific and was familiar with all the weapons. Burt Lancaster was a notorious Hollywood liberal.

Call the Mojave Desert Movie Museum it is either in on CA-395 between Ridgecrest and Bishop. Neat old western movie and sci-fi museum.

We usually stop by there on our way home from Mammoth Hot springs when we were living in Ridgecrest.

Neat place.

The wall was likely a set.

Great movie + I agree that Milius is the best.I remember the last line by Lee Marvin to Ralph Bellamy, You call me a bastard sir. Well for me it was a matter of birth,but you sir are a self made man." Kinda maybe,been years since I watched it.Got the concept though if not totally verbatim.

Horses and mules can handle about any sandstorm, without damage just like most any animal, Ive been in many sandstorms, and their is a lot of sand and wind, but it doesn't sand blast you it just clogs up your ears, eyes and nose,and is generally very uncomfortable, the worst of which is in and around El Paso, Texas and the nearby sandhills and those of nearby So. New Mexico and in farm areas mostly, not to leave out South of Hobbs NM and east of the Texas border North of Pecos, Midland and Odessa..

The border area from El Paso to Brownsville has hundreds of old adobe building just like the one in the movie..but the area in question IMO was filmed in Border California or Old Mexico. Its Sonorian desert country..