DIRTIER BY THE DOZEN

THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967)
dir: Robert Aldrich

DIRTIER BY THE DOZEN
MAD #116, January 1968
w: Lou Silverstone
a: Mort Drucker

Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) is at a military prison seeing a prisoner being executed. He has been brought there by General Worden (Ernest Borgnine) to begin his next mission, which involves using death row prisoners as his troops. Among them are Joseph Wladislaw (Charles Bronson), Vernon Pinkley (Donald Sutherland), Victor Franko (John Cassavates), Pedro Jimenez (Trini Lopez), Archer Maggott (Telly Savalas), Robert Jefferson (Jim Brown), and Samson Posey (Clint Walker).

   -Savalas' character is deeply religious and his interpretation of the Bible believes that even the slightest hint of sex is a sin.
   -Trini Lopez was previously known solely for being a singer. He is called 'Jose Jimenez' in this after a character that was one of the final remnants of the ethnic comedian.
   -Jim Brown had been a player for the Cleveland Browns.

Reisman tells the prisoners of their terms if they agree to this mission and they go through weeks of training.

In their training they need to undergo a psychiatric evaluation from Capt. Stuart Kinder (Ralph Meeker) and refuse to act as one cohesive unit until Reisman sets them straight.

As a reward for what they've gone through so far, the troops are given a party and set up with prostitutes. [Not in this parody: This proves to be the final straw for Reisman's commanding officer (Robert Ryan), who never approved of the program in the first place and decide to pull the plug on it. Another officer (George Kennedy) suggests a series of war games. The troops win by cheating, but ultimately prove themselves worthy.] The next day, they begin their mission.

The mission involves trapping Nazis in the mansion where they're having a party and blowing it up. As promised those killed in the line of duty are honored as such, and Wladislaw, the one troop remaining, is absolved of his crimes.