Chiquita (The Professionals)

Chiquita
The deadly si si Chiquita

Chiquita (Marie Gomez) appears in the 1966 movie The Professionals.

Bill Dolworth (Burt Lancaster) and Henry "Rico" Fardan (Lee Marvin) are two professional mercenaries and guns for hire working in and out of Mexico. They are hired by an older rich man named Joe Grant (Ralph Bellamy) to rescue his young Mexican wife, Mrs. Maria Grant (Claudia Cardinale) who has been kidnapped by Jesus Raza (Jack Palance).

Dolworth and Rico assemble a group of experts to help with the mission. They hire Jake Sharp (Woody Strode) and Hans Ehrengard (Robert Ryan).

Each team member is an expert in a different field. Rico is a weapons specialist, Dolworth is an explosives expert, the horse wrangler is Hans Ehrengard, and Jake Sharp is a traditional Apache scout, skilled with a bow and arrow.

The group does not really have a name but they are the Professionals mentioned in the movie’s title.

The Professionals manage to “rescue” Mrs. Grant, only to find at the last moment that she and Raza are lovers. And they have known each other since they were children. It was Mr. Grant that took Maria away. 

Dolworth and the Professionals have taken Mr. Grant’s money. To complete their mission they have to bring Maria back up from Mexico unharmed, but now they are being pursued by Raza’s gang.

Chiquita six-gun on her hip.

Raza’s gang is also made up of mercenaries and Dolworth and Rico know most of them at a glance epically Chiquita (Marie Gomez).

Chiquita isn’t just a camp follower, but a full-fledge member of the gang. She is also the former lover of both Dolworth and Rico as she has quite an appetite for men. 

They spot her in the other sides line up as they seek shelter in a rock formation.

Dolworth points her out to Rico.

Dolworth: Lieutenant Si Si Chiquita.

Rico: Now, there's a woman worth a ransom.

Chiquita is also a dead shot with a six-gun and not afraid to use it. 

The Professionals are cornered by Raza’s gang and that night and (unseen by the camera but implied by the dialog) Chiquita entertains the men in her gang. Rico and Dolworth have to watch at what must have been Raza’s men taking turns with Chiquita. 

Chiquita entertaining the men at night.

As they are men of honor the Professionals have to go without the pleasure of womanly company that night as they don’t dare touch Maria as they have been paid to bring her back unharmed.

Chiquita is shown dancing around the campfire as Dolworth remarks somewhat bitterly. 

Dolworth: That Chiquita. She can lick a whole regiment, but she can't dance worth a lick.

The next day Dolworth and Chiquita banter while staying out of range of each other’s weapons. 

Dolworth: Hey Chiquita! How's your love life!

Dolworth holds Chiquita after shooting her.

Chiquita: Terrific! You want some?

Dolworth: Don't you ever say no?

Chiquita: Never!

Dolworth manages to shoot and wound Raza. Chiquita mounts her horse to ride for help. Raza tells her not to go. But Chiquita doesn’t believe her former lover will harm her.

Dolworth and Chiquita rival mercenaries on the wrong side of a bad deal part as lovers.

Chiquita: A woman he will not shoot.

Dolworth shoots and wounds her. He then goes to where she has fallen and holds her in his arms as she is dying.   

While he takes a drink from his canteen, she pulls out her pistol and points it at his head.  Unfortunately for her, she finds that her gun is empty.  She takes her last breath and Dolworth lays her back down on the ground. 

Trivia

• The Professionals is a 1966 American Western film written, produced, and directed by Richard Brooks and starring Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, and Claudia Cardinale, with Jack Palance, Ralph Bellamy, and Woody Strode in supporting roles.
• The script was adapted from the 1964 novel "A Mule for the Marquesa" by Frank O'Rourke.

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