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Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas were inexorably linked not just by their co-starring films together, but by the fact that Hedda Hopper in one of her books did a chapter on both of them. She entitled the chapter, The Terrible Tempered Twins and she bemoaned the fact that these two instead of being good little captives of the studio system that kept her in business, had the audacity to chart their own careers. Go into the production end and take total responsibility for the work they did.

It would never have worked had not Lancaster and Douglas not been good judges of the roles they were best suited for. Some stars never wanted that kind of responsibility or felt they were poor judges. William Holden said point blank after one picture where he was the producer, the responsibility was too much for him. Robert Taylor was widely quoted that he stayed with MGM as long as he did because he felt they knew best how to present him and what were good film properties.

But Burt and Kirk knew their minds and made their own careers work. Fortunately before both of them in the Nineties were felled by illness and Lancaster left us, they gave us one more co-starring part.

This one's a comedy though, something different for them. As Harry Doyle and Archie Long two elderly crooks released after a thirty year stretch for robbing the West Coast Flyer train, they find roles perfectly suited to their age and personality.

Lancaster's old and he knows it, but he still wants to be treated with some dignity. Douglas hasn't quite figured it out yet, but in time he gets the fact that time's caught up with him. They just can't adjust to changing times so they try all kinds of things to fit in. And then they decide on one spectacular coda to their lives and careers in the wonderful world of crime.

The two men are in great form and they get some able support from Alexis Smith, Charles Durning and Dana Carvey in the supporting cast. But special comment must be made for Eli Wallach's seeing eye hit-man. Good thing his part is not as long as the stars because he steals every scene he's in.

Tough Guys is the 7th and final film legendary actors Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster made together . They play Harry Doyle ( Lancaster ) and Archie Long ( Douglas ) , the last American train robbers who just finished a 30 year prison sentence. A lot has changed since the 1950's as they attempt to adjust to civilian life in 1980's Los Angeles.Tough Guys as a film holds up real well due to the great chemistry of Lancaster and Douglas .Eli Wallach nearly steals the show as an aging hit-man who 's waited 30 years to kill Doyle and Long .Charles Durning and Dana Carvie are great as well in this fast paced ,nostalgic action comedy . Also check out an early performance from The Red Hot Chili Peppers before they blew up and were still part of the LA punk scene. Tough Guys is still funny and is easily one of the most overlooked comedies to come out in the late 80's . Definitely needs a US DVD release as my VHS tape won't last forever.Tough Guys is a great comedy classic that should satisfy fans of the 80's.

Tough Guys (1986)

*** (out of 4)

Lifelong friends Harry Doyle (Burt Lancaster) and Archie Long (Kirk Douglas) are being released from prison after thirty-years. They were in there for the last train robbery in American history but once on the outside they find that times have changed. They find it hard fitting in with the current world so that's when Archie gets the idea of robbing the train one last time.

If you're looking for a hard-hitting drama or some sort of nasty comedy then TOUGH GUYS certainly won't be for you. I'm really not sure why this film has gotten so many negative reviews. Look, I'll admit that this isn't a masterpiece or a classic but at the same time it's great getting to see Lancaster and Douglas working together. It's not like they were given countless great roles later in their careers so getting to see them having some fun together makes this movie worth watching.

As far as the comedy goes, I thought a lot of it was rather funny. Yes, the story is pretty simple and the basic gag is having these two old men walking around and having to deal with "young" people. A lot of these situations are quite funny thanks to the two actors being good sports about it. There's the scene where Douglas enters a gay bar not knowing it. There are a couple other scenes where Douglas has to battle people at his pathetic jobs. With Lancaster, he plays it more straight and this includes a relationship with an old fling (Alexis Smith) of his.

The reason to watch this movie is for the actors. Lancaster and Douglas have a wonderful chemistry together and they have no problem fitting these roles. The two of them play well off of each other and they certainly add a lot of charm to the film. Charles Durning is the cop who originally brought him down and he too has some nice scenes with the boys. Dana Carvey is fun in his supporting role as is Smith. Eli Wallach plays a nutbag trying to kill the boys and he too adds a lot of fun.

TOUGH GUYS isn't a masterpiece and there's no question that it overstays its welcome with the extended running time. With that said, if you're a fan of the veteran cast then you'll certainly get a kick out of the film.

Watched it again on late night TV. Still funny after all these years. You could still see the occasional flashes of the old Kirk D, chilling look etc and Burt still has the movement of an athlete even at age 73, and his trade mark mirthless laugh but it was Eli Wallach who stole the film, absolutely brilliant. I think his character was stolen by the writers of a BBC TV comedy called "Last of the Summer Wine" which has a very short sighted character called Eli. So many scenes were so good that it makes it difficult to pick the best but I think the scene outside the old folks home is excellent when Leon B. Little picks himself up using the Zimmer frame, cruel but funny.

The ending was a bit of an anticlimax (same comment applies to "The Blues Brothers".

Kirk Douglas. Burt Lancaster. 'Nuff said! As two train robbers, released from prison after a 30 year stretch, this dynamic duo try to adjust to life in the '80's and all the changes that have taken place. Douglas looks great for a man in his 60's and eventually attracts the eye of a young aerobics instructor. Their scenes together are both funny and sincere, as the differences between them eventually dictate the direction of their relationship. Kirk is also forced to work in menial jobs that involve him dealing with rude customers and a boss who doesn't like ex-cons. These scenes provide the film's best humor. Lancaster's role however is far less interested, as he is relegated to an old-folks home, wherein he becomes somewhat of a revolutionary. Realizing that they just don't fit in with society anymore, the two return to train robbing and the film moves downhill from this point. Eli Wallach contributes some funny scenes as a near-sighted hit-man who has waited 30 years to fulfill a contract to kill the duo. Despite the thin script, this is a very enjoyable film that may best be viewed with a senior citizen family member who can both identify with the characters and who remembers Lancaster and Douglas when they were A-List actors. I recommend it.