Charley Varrick is a small-time crook who outfoxes the Mob in this fast-paced offbeat thriller directed by Don Siegel. Academy Award winner Walter Matthau stars in a rare dramatic role, along with the powerful Joe Don Baker, as a tough Mafia hitman. Charley robs small banks with small payrolls. That keeps him out of trouble until he stumbles onto the Mob's secret stash. The chase is on as the Big Boys go after the "Last of the Independents." It's a heart-pounding ride that builds to a fiery airborne climax as Charley makes his last desperate run for the Mexican border and safety.
1 not a fan of pan & scan
My rating if for the presentation, not the film. I haven't actually seen the film, but I want to. But I don't want to see it in pan & scan, so I guess I'll pass on buying or renting this until it comes out in widescreen. I don't know if/when that will be. Luckily there are a lot of other good films out there to keep me occupied until that time.
2 Respect the Film, Not the Format
First let me say that I was as disappointed as anyone when this film finally made it to DVD in a full-screen format. I have pampered and treasured my VHS version for years, and I guess I will continue to do so. But, in a way, I shouldn't have been surprised by universal's decision to go the cheap route. This great film has never - and apparently will never - get the respect it deserves.
Charlie Varrick is an underappreciated gem that belongs at the very top of the list of the Director, Don Siegal's work. It is, in my opinion, a tighter film that Coogan's Bluff and a less sentimental film than Dirty Harry (I love both these Eastwood vehicles, however, so don't get me wrong). There is something very tough and realistic about Charlie Varrick, though, that makes this movie one of the best depictions of a professional criminal that can be found anywhere.
Charlie Varrick is a professional bank robber that has inadvertently stolen some mob money. Trouble follows in the form of Joe Don Baker, the enforcer sent to get the money back.
Baker is one of the reasons this film is so strong. This is one of his early rolls, made just about the same time that he starred in Walking Tall, which was the career-defining role for the actor. He is better used in this film, which really takes advantage of his sadistic grin and slit-eyed malevolence. Baker is all about power in this film, striding along Varrick's trail like Texas royalty in cowboy hat and boots, smashing the peasants that litter his path with distain as he stalks Verrick and the mob money. His enjoyment in causing pain is palpable, and he is the very last guy in the world you want looking for you.
Walther Matthau is the main show, though. Today, folks tend to remember Matthau as a lovable grump, basically a comedic actor with a rumbled face and a clever way with caustic one-liners. But Matthau was in a few of the more interesting action films in 1970's, including The Laughing Policeman, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and this film, which is his best. As usual, his great strength in this kind of drama is his gift for understatement and his ability to convey intelligence. Matthau always projected the competence of a professional - always icy cool and smart.
Like most of Don Siegal's work, this is a lean, clean film that hits like a hammer. Nothing flashy or prosaic, just a great story put on film with tremendous maturity and confidence.
All right, the DVD full-screen format is a big let down, but for now it is the only way you will see this film. And you really should see it. So don't cut off your nose to spite your face. Buy it and watch it. Without question it is still a film worth having. -Mykal Banta
3 Charlie Varrick
I was all set to buy this CD when I noticed in the review it was poorly released in full screen. What a waste of an excellent film and one of the few dramas that Mathau starred in. Regrets, I'll pass on this CD.
4 A heist movie with brilliant small touches thanks to matt...
This terrific heist movie shows how the new generation of heist movies are pretty much all flash and no substance. Walter Matteau demonstrates here why he was a truly great actor-as he gives an absolutely honest truthful performance. His rendering of subtle moments via a glance or demeanor makes you feel you're getting into this character's soul. There is something so self-effacing about the script, the direction, the casting that makes for a seamless engrossing experience that lots of American actors and directors today seem just not able to attain--perhaps because they are trying too hard, or are self-conscious about themselves as actors. Or maybe they've watched too many "Inside the Actor's Studio" episodes. After reading about the DVD release, I rushed to get a VHS of the movie, since there are moments here that just resonate in my head, years after I saw it, similar to the way a great news photograph sticks to the mind because it captures something so human, you just have to say "wow!"
5 What the (bleep) is this?
What the (bleep) is Universal doing releasing one of the best crime thrillers of the early '70's onto DVD in a full-screen print? Are they crazy? Donald Siegel is a great director who gave us "Dirty Harry", among other fine thrillers. He deserves better. Walter Matthau was one of the finest actors of all time, who had an incredible run of creative, artistic and popular success in the '70's. And "Charley Varrick" is a terrific, nail-biter of a suspense thriller, with one of Matthau's best performances as the title character bank robber, and that's saying a lot. Yet, it's all for naught, because Universal decided to dump it onto DVD with no extras and a full-screen print. It's enough to make you want to scream.
I just don't get it. Whenever the DVD sales chart comes out, widescreen copies of new releases routinely outsell fullscreen copies of the same title. There is a demand for widescreen on DVD. Besides, who isn't comfortable with the format by now? Yet just about every DVD company now is releasing more and more titles exclusively in fullscreen. This is especially galling since the same titles usually have no special features, which means there is ample room on the disc for both formats. But I guess the myopic bean counters in Hollywood just don't care. How sad it is.
Take my word for it. "Charley Varrick" is a wonderful film, one of three great deadpan crime dramas Matthau made in 1973-74. The other two, "The Taking of Pelham One-Two-Three" and "The Laughing Policeman", are available in top-notch widescreen versions. My advice is to buy those other films instead and let "Charley Varrick" gather dust on the counters and in the vaults until the bean counters come to their senses.
Film: **** (out of *****) DVD: (no stars)
6 Pan and scan garbage
I saw this was to be broadcast tonight, but decided to buy the DVD.
Was I mad to see that it was pan and scan. So I guess I will just watch it on the tube.
7 Five Star Movie Regardless of Aspect Ratio
I too am bothered by the crummy pan and scan presentation of this DVD, but I just had to own this movie. If you have not seen it, you are in for a treat. This movie is underserving of its relative obscurity. The understated master director Don Siegal has created yet another small masterpiece involving a bank heist, cropdusting, mob hitmen, and revenge. Walter Matthau gives another great dramatic performance (see also The Laughing Policeman) as the titular character who outfoxes everybody and has a great time doing it.
Get the DVD and see this great movie. I doubt Universal will reissue this movie with a different aspect ratio since they seem fond of releasing alot of their stock titles as bare bones no-frills products. The shame of it. Don't deprive yourself of a rare movie-going treat, especially in this age of "Catwoman" and "New York Minute."
8 Disappointed--like everyone else
I thought I had learned to be more careful in ordering--i.e. to make sure the DVD was in widescreen. Fooled again--does anyone still watch "full screen" format? Anyway the 3 stars is because of the movie, the best I can give under the circumstances.
9 Charlie Varrick
I echo all of the negative reviews for this great film. I saw it years ago when it first came out and really enjoyed it. Don Siegel deserves better than a low grade DVD release for this film.
The movie credits show Technicolor AND Panavision, which is 2.35 Anamorphic. Ebay recently had an original movie poster showing the Technicolor/Panavision feature promently listed on the sheet. The link is follows if it is still active.
[...]
I preordered two of the DVDs, thinking that they would be at least on a par with the recent MGM/Warner Brothers classics (Gone With The Wind, Singing In The Rain, Robin Hood), instead, it comes in a TV Print Pan-And-Scan.
Even some of the other DVD releases will offer the widescreen version on one side, the "Full Screen" or Pan-And-Scan on the other.
For reference, check out www.widescreenmuseum.com. Panavision in the movie credits is 2.35 ratio. "Filmed with Panavision Equipment," or "Panaflex" in the credits can be anywhere from 1.33 to usually 1.85 ratio.
The bottom line is that I will never again preorder anything from Universal if they play this game of not adhering to the original movie format. In this age of widescreen HDTV, there is no excuse for this release.
10 Five Star Movie, Stellar Cast, Disgraceful release format
I totally subscribe to the views expressed by many reviewers. This is a travesty of a release. Charley Varrick is a superb film with a cult status only because it has never been adequately presented or marketed. I bought this in advance of its release on the bizarrely timed date at the end of december 2004 (Have the marketing department never heard of Christmas?) and I was thoroughly disappointed. The print looks like a bad 70's piece of television and the ratio is the same. This film was shot and screened in the cinemas as a panavision 1:85 or wider ratio. Who wants to look at something that doesn't reflect its true worth? Don't buy this even though it is a great film. Wait until someone wakes up and does a proper job!
11 Yeah, but is the MOVIE any good?
"Charley Varrick" appears on the NY Times list of best 1000 movies of all time. And we can see from the notes left by other Amazon users that the DVD is less than hoped. But what about the movie? Certainly we all know how far you can trust the typical movie critic, NY Times or otherwise.
Walter Matthau stars as a middle-aged former barnstorming stunt pilot and cropduster who, with his wife and a couple of business associates, decides they're tired of scraping for a living. So they set out on a life of crime, namely robbing banks. The film begins with a robbery about to be undertaken, and it goes horribly wrong...then goes so WAY right that it has to be WAY wrong. Stumbling across $0.75 mil of mob money in a tiny New Mexico town's lone bank, well, that's more take and more trouble than Charley Varrick ever bargained for. At least Varrick is smart enough to figure that out, while his only surviving associate doesn't seem to have the sense God gave a goony bird.
The setup sounds like it could be played for laughs, and any film with Matthau would seem to lead that way. But no, this is a full-bodied, complex drama, with multiple double crosses, manhunts, and inventive chase scenes. (Nary a cliche in the climactic chase that matches a Mafia hit man and his car chasing Varrick in a biplane around a field on the edge of the desert.)
There's a lot to like about this rather small film, directed by Don Siegel of "Dirty Harry" fame and co-starring Joe Don Baker of the original "Walking Tall." Varrick himself seems too clever and gifted as a criminal mastermind, given his low station in life, but this gives the impression of an intelligent, regular good guy who just finally got frustrated with said low station. Shots of his trailer are perfect in setting this atmosphere; here's a guy who never got a good break except that he married his soulmate, and even that is taken away from him in a series of scenes played with perfect pathos. Baker plays his sadistic role with panache and relish, and veteran character actor John Vernon, Dean Wormer of "Animal House," is again terrific as a shifty-eyed snake of the upper class who's out to undermine our antihero.
I don't know if this really belongs among the 1000 best movies ever, though. For instance, how did the local sheriff stumble across the identity of the bank robber? I never did see any hint of how this came to pass. And if you need comedy relief from Varrick's neighbor, could we please have something a little more fun than the stock crazy little old lady? Does anybody think the mob secretary would have inexplicably wound up in bed with pug-ugly Matthau, having basically been his hostage, if this were written by someone who understood women at all?
Regardless of a couple of nitpicks, "Charley Varrick" is the kind of bank caper flick that many such films aspire to: It's smart, engaging, and it works, with a minimum of imperfections. Yeah, I can see how it might squeeze into the bottom end of a list of 1000 best films. The ending, which ties up a number of apparent loose ends tossed out during its nearly 2-hour length, is as ideal as one could hope for too. Recommended.
12 SHAME ON UNIVERSAL
I've been waiting for this dvd for years, and this is what you give us? It's time to get smart and release this cult classic in its proper theatrical aspect ratio. You've given a 5-star movie less than 1-star treatment.
13 "Old" should command more respect
I agree with the strong emotional orientation of other reviewers of this "full-screen" disc. I don't see why this Walter Matthau movie has not been released on disc before in its original format ... It is a great story, and to release it in a fore-shortened format (AND NO CAPTIONS, EITHER) invites the criticism of stupidity. In this vein, I would like to point out that in general the market for these older movies is getting older and older, and for some of us the extra cost of a quality production is well worth it. I can assure whoever it is that makes the selections of what to produce, the younger generation is only sparsely interested to see, let alone buy, movies older than the youngster. Please attend to these older movie productions in a quality manner while you still have any market for them left.
14 To Be Matted Or Not Be Matted
So long as studios continue to release DVDs shot with wide-angled lenses in only a reformatted television aspect ratio, we should all protest as vociferously as possible. Unfortunately, it appears that the outcry over `Charley Varrick' as shown by numerous critiques on this site and elsewhere is misinformed and does not apply. At the Internet Movie Data Base site (www.imdb.com), it is stated under the technical notes for `Charley Varrick' that the movie was filmed using the spherical lens system. This means that it was NOT filmed in a wide-angled lens format, but rather in the standard television aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which is what a spherical lens provides. For those who recall viewing it in a widescreen form in theaters or on cable shows like Bravo, this was because the movie was then `soft' matted into a 1.85:1 aspect following filming, by artificially masking the frame across the top and bottom, thus cutting off what was intended to be superfluous objects and views in those areas (note for example how the credits are centered to leave large spaces both above and below for the matting). When, as Universal does on the current DVD release, the movie is then declared `reformatted to fit the standard television screen,' what is meant is that the matting itself is not provided (unlike the laser disc release), and what the viewer is seeing is the original, spherical 35 mm print before it was masked. While one would perhaps feel more comfortable seeing it in its theatrically matted form, in reality nothing is lost in the DVD version as it would be if it was from a film shot with a wide-angle lens.
So please let us save our outcry for those films shot in the various wide-angle lens ratios that are then criminally released in the reformatted, 1.33:1 television aspect. I am referring, for example, to pick another Universal title, to a movie such as Van Damme's `Timecop,' originally shot in a 2.35:1 Panavision aspect and then cruelly cut down on the DVD for the standard television screen. This as far as we consumers go should not be tolerated, but we do need to aim our protests in the correct direction and not misfire when a matted rather than a genuine widescreen aspect movie is involved. (For an expert description of the various widescreen techniques, the site www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/4303/vertical35mm.html is strongly recommended.) In the meantime, hopefully we can all settle down and enjoy the quirky delights of Walter Matthau and Charley Varrick as it was originally filmed in the 1.33:1 television aspect ratio. As for those who MUST have the film as it appeared in theaters, by the way, the application of an inch or two of black masking tape across the top and bottom of your TV screen should give a reasonable representation of that original feeling!
15 Awful Full Screen Release
This is a great film. Worthy of the full five star rating, unfortunately, the pin-heads at Universal have decided to release this gem in a full screen, pan and scan version. Why, when the majority of T.V.'s sold are widescreen sets do these film companies persist in releasing these versions. I live in the U.K. where this film has never been released in any format, so I was eagerly awaiting this release, unfortunately I will not be purchasing it until the widescreen version arrives, and I guarantee that in a year or two it will and everyone who has bought this disc will need to upgrade again. I will stick to my TV recorded version which is uncut, without commercials and is also fullscreen. But why spend $10 to get exactly the same version that almost everybody who loves this film, already owns!!
16 Pan & Scan !!! Forget it .....!!!
This is a great little film from a genre I love. Do I want to buy it? YES INDEED; but NOT in 4:3 Pan & Scan.
For heavens sake,it's 2005. This needs to be preserved on dvd in widscreen , otherwise just stick with the equally old fashioned VIDEO TAPE.
17 A "fool screen" version? May it burn.
I've waited a few years for "Varrick" to come out on DVD.
And now that it did come out, I will not buy it.
That is because I do not enjoy watching 60% of a film. When the studio halfwits realize that only brain damaged in-duh-viduals want to see the cut, blurred by panning-and-scanning full screen version, and when they decide to release "Varrick" in a proper, widescreen version instead - *then* I will purchase a copy. As for this one, I would not want it for free.
18 Thanks for nothing, Universal
Charley Varrick is a great movie. Walter Matthau is excellent, and Don Siegel is a great director.
Why oh why did Universal decide to release this in a cropped version? This DVD is a 1.33:1 transfer of a film that was shot in 1.85:1.
When the same thing happened with Sydney Pollack's under-rated gem "Castle Keep", mavericks like Martin Scorsese lobbied to have a widescreen version of the film released on DVD, and they were triumphant. Hopefully that will happen with this equally-worthy film.
19 A five star film gets a one star rating
Great film, messed up by pan and scan -- avoid and wait for the Panavision version
20 LITTLE KNOWN GEM FROM THE 1970'S
This little movie comes from the 1970's at a time when Star Walter Matthau was doing quite a few dramatic roles such as this, The Laughing Policeman, and the Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.
Charley Varrick (Walter Matthau) and his small-time gang of accomplices rob a small-town bank expecting to pull in $75,000 and our shocked to findout that they've netted around a quarter-of-a-million dollars in cash. The catch? It's laundered mafia money waiting to be picked-up. The Mob of course is none to happy about this and they sends a big, brutal, businesslike hitman named "Molly"(Joe Don Baker) after Varrick and his surviving associate Harman(Andy Robinson).
Varrick, afraid that his mentally-challenged colleague will give them away by going on a spending spree, hides the money. When the hitman tracks them down, he beats Varrick's colleague to death when he is unable to "persuade" him to reveal the money's location (which he doesn't know). Varrick, fighting for his life, and on the run from the mob and the police turns out to be quite a resourceful and ingenious crook.
This is a nice little thriller with tremendous performances. Baker as the hit man Molly is positively sadistic in a southern-gentlemanly way. Sheree North is a local photographer who helps Charley by providing a new identification for him to disappear and John Vernon, uncredited in the role...is the dirty Banker mixed up with the mob and fearing they'll blame him for the lost money.
Unfortunately the DVD is in full-screen only but I still recommend this great little gem of a movie.
21 Here we go again
Here we go again. The DVD of Charlie Varrick, a brilliant thriller by Don Siegel, comes out in full screen. Just like the DVD of Moonstruck, available only in full screen. I have the letterboxed Moonstruck, recorded off Bravo, and the letterboxed Charlie Varrick, also recorded off Bravo. What is the matter with these companies? Why put a 185:1 movie out in full screen?
22 Don Siegel Rocks!
This is not minor Siegel, this is a major movie. Walter Matthau is a revelation as the title character, a small time bank robber who hits the wrong bank at the wrong time. What should have been a simple heist turns into something much more sinister. The mob uses this bank as a money laundering drop for it's Vegas operations. As a coincidence this just happens to be time they've stashed a very large sum of money in this bank. When they discover that their money has been taken, it's like the character played by John Vernon says, "the boys from Vegas don't believe in coincidences, Harold". Hitman Joe Don Baker is sent to retrieve the loot. The cat and mouse between Matthau and Baker is priceless. This kind of realism in American cinema is just about gone, you almost feel as if you're right there in the New Mexico locations used in this movie. There are no bad performances here and everyone seems perfectly cast.
Highly recommended, this is 70's moviemaking at its very best.
23 But which aspect ratio?
This is a fine little film, and highly recommended. But it is in the same Universal release series as Colossus: The Forbin Project, which is apparently only being released in full-screen. Amazon has no info on the aspect ratio of this film, which deserves to be seen in its original format. We need to stand up to studios that release films in FS, and then try to sell it again the following year in WS. This is a cynical exploitation of consumers.
24 Great Film - Must Have
Cannot wait for this bad boy to debut on DVD!
Still have the letterboxed laserdisc.
How badly was Director Don Siegel screwed over on this one?
After it was shot, scored and about to be released Lew Wasserman (head of Universal) screened it and was appalled that loveable Walter Matthau was playing a BAD GUY! He found the movie repellent (it's not, far from it) and had it released on the bottom half of some cruddy double bill. Poor Don's career was then taken down another notch by the 'Powers That Be'
This film, Dirty Harry (natch ;-) and 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' would be my favorite trio of Siegel films.
Own them all! Come on you cheap b*st*rd, buy it!
Wait! Forgetting 'Telefon' with C Bronson. That's a good one too!
25 Cool Matthau Film.
Another classic action film that seems to go relatively unknown. Matthau is a stunt pilot and thief who pulls off a great caper against the Mob. Joe Don Baker is also terrific as the nasty heavy sent to kill Matthau. Smart, well written, with a good twist to end it all. Recommended. If you like Matthau and Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, et al) this is a winner.
26 Superb crime thriller from Dirty Harry director, Don Siegel.
"Charley Varrick" has got to be one of the finest sleeper movies of the 1970's ! Maverick thriller director Don Siegel was riding high on the success of films like "Madigan", Dirty Harry" and "The Beguiled" when he also directed this slick caper movie that see's Walter Matthau play the lead character of the film's name. Varrick is a small town crop duster who supplements his income carrying out intimidating bank robberies with his wife Nadine ( Jacqueline Scott ) and smart talking Harman Sullivan ( Andy Robinson ).
However, one bank heist goes horribly wrong with several deaths, a botched escape and the terrible realisation that they have accidently stolen nearly $750,000 of mob money. Whilst the mob moves in ( suspecting an inside job ) sending vicious hitman Molly ( a cold blooded performance by Joe Don Baker ) and crooked bank president Maynard Boyle ( John Vernon at his traiterous best ), Varrick and Sullivan try to plan a way out of the escalating pressure.
Everyone in this cast is just superb in this underplayed thriller, with solid support lent from wonderful character actors Benson Fong, Norman Fell and Woodrow Parfrey. It's been a long wait to get this on DVD, and fans of this gritty film are eagerly looking forward to its release. If you are a fan of director Don Siegel's other fine work, then you won't be disappointed by the dynamic "Charly Varrick".
27 You must have this movie!
I love this movie. It is definately one of my all time favorites. I can't believe it took this long to make it to DVD. Walter puts in a great performance. Of course Joe Don Baker is a classic. He has tons of quotable lines. Andy Robertson (the psycho from Dirty Harry part 1) plays Charlie Varrick's partner. Another great performance.
The movie is about a guy who has a crop dusting business. Unfortunately the crop dusting business is going the way of all buffalo because of changes in how pesticides are applied etc. So Charlie Varrick decides he needs a way to make a little money to retire on. He and a couple other guys decide to rob a bank. They rob a little bank out in the middle of Nevada. They make a HUGE score and that is the problem. It turns out the mafia is using the bank to launder money. The rest of the movie is Charlie trying to get away from the mafia and outsmart the goon that they send after him (Joe Don Baker).
Please do yourself a huge favor and buy it right now.
28 Amazing realism, great performance by Matthau!
This has to be refered to as a hidden gem, it's such a great movie. Mattheu's performance is just amazing, and the story is deliberately intriguing, probably my favourite movie of all time!
29 Let's hope it's letterboxed -- brilliant film!
Here's a relatively little-known, terrific crime thriller from the early 70s, starring Walter Matthau in a great, non-comedic role. Director Don Siegel, still rolling from Dirty Harry, knew how to strike exactly the right note for these crime thrillers, and this one doesn't disappoint. Particularly good supporting work from Joe Don Baker and Sheree North. LET'S JUST HOPE IT'S LETTERBOXED!!!!!!!
30 The Last of the Independents
Matthau steals a huge load of money from a rural new mexico bank only to find out it was mob money. the ensuing chase from mafia tough guy john doe baker is amazing and makes for a great game of cat and mouse that finally allows crime to pay. this adaptation is fantastic, and although not readily available, charley varrick is a must see.
31 Charley Varrick
Bad Guy Walter Matthau? Serious part, a good/bad guy, good direction, script, minimum dialog, pure acting/action.
A TRUE SLEEPER!
32 A Neglected Gem
This is an off-beat film in which Walter Matthau stars as a small-time thief who, with accomplice Harman Sullivan (ably played by Andrew Robinson), robs a money laundering operation which is cleverly disguised as small-town bank in New Mexico. (Had streetsmart Varrick known of the Mob's involvement, he would not have robbed the bank.) Of course neither the Mob nor the police are pleased with the loss of about $750,000. With that in hand, Varrick and his partner struggle to decide what to do next. Meanwhile, the Mob has assigned one of its ablest representatives, Molly (Joe Don Baker), to locate the thieves, eliminate them, and recover the money. Credit director Don Siegel with selecting Matthau to be Varrick. I have always thought that Matthau's talents as a serious actor were under-appreciated. He is brillliant in this role. All other members of the cast are first-rate, notably John Vernon (Maynard Bock) and Sheree North (Jewell Everett). Siegel makes a brief appearance as Murph. Those who enjoy this film should check out The Outfit (1973) in which Baker also appears as well as The Getaway (1994).
33 matthau fans must have
As a Matthau fan I had to ad this to my collection. It grabs you from the beginning and never lets go. I watch it over and over.
34 Likeable.
Not a dull moment.
35 Superbly done and highly entertaining
This film about a bank robber being pursued by the mob for monies that he unwittingly stole from them is one of the best pictures of the crime-chase genre that I have ever seen. Not only is the pace and suspense admirably sustained by the much underrated action film director Don Siegal, and moreover, with mordantly witty (almost Hitchcockian) touches throughout, but the characters all come across as highly distinctive, even idiosyncratic, instead of generic types (as is often the case in such films). Matthau shines in an effectively low key portrayal as the unassuming but ultimately crafty and resourceful crop duster pilot/bank robber, Charley Varrick, as does Joe Don Baker, who uses his hulking presence to come across as genuinely fearsome as the hit man, Molly (how do you like that as a choice of name for a villain?). Also, John Vernon is both sophisticated and sinister as the white-collar executive bagman for the mob.
Highly recommended as a very fun watch.
36 Matthau In Taut, Enjoyable Crime Yarn
Walter Matthau went through a change of pace in his career in the early 1970s. Known for his comedies, Matthau in 1973-4 returned to the drama genre with three of his best films. Among them is this interesting tale of a small-time bank robber who bites of more than he can chew.
Matthau, Andrew Robinson, and Jacqueline Scott (The Fugitive's Donna Kimble Taft) stop in front of a rural bank in New Mexico and Matthau, as the titular Charley Varrick, goes in to cash a check. A passing deputy sheriff notices their car's plates and has them checked. They check out as hot plates from a stolen car - just as Matthau pulls a gun and two masked compatriots pull guns and begin cleaning out the bank's coffers.
Matthau has the manager open the basement vault, and two huge bags are lifted. But outside deputy sheriffs corner Scott; she fires a gun from her purse, and when the melee ends one of their comrades is killed and she must drive Matthau and Robinson through the car of the town sheriff (William Schallert) and into the nearby mountains.
But Scott dies, and Matthau and Robinson must blow up the car and don their guise as crop dusters to make good their escape.
But their escape is just the beginning, for their haul is far bigger than any rural bank has any right to possess. When a radio bulletin gives a deliberately inaccurate list of the bank's losses, Matthau deduces that they've grabbed very dirty money, and its owners will kill to get it back.
Mattahu's misgivings prove justified in the form of a bullying hitman (Joe Don Baker) who kills a man (Albert Popwell) and uses his red car to tail Charley Varrick. Varrick goes through a laborous effort to cover his tracks and even telephones the rightful owner of the money (John Vernon), but the hitman may be unstoppable.
Producer-director Don Siegel originally wanted Clint Eastwood as Varrick, but Eastwood was already filming High Plains Drifter and other projects at the time, so Siegel recruited Matthau, who was a joy to work with and brings deadpan sympathy to the role, and thus served to remind audiences that he was as gifted in straightr drama as he was in humor.
37 Charley Varrick-1973
This was a great movie! One of those movies that never got a lot of PR, but a great storyline. Walter Matthau shines! I received the video extremely fast and am very happy with the Amazon seller I worked with. Thanks!!
38 Highly Entertaining
For those who are tired of run-of-the-mill crime dramas, this one is worth a try. Pilot-turned-bank-robber Walter Matthau matches wits with mob enforcer Joe Don Baker, and both actors play their roles to perfection. Matthau is superb as the laid-back bandit, while Baker is truly menacing as the sadistic mobster who pursues him. The supporting cast is also excellent, and the script contains some clever and original plot twists. This may not be one of the best-known films of the 70's, but it is certainly one of the most entertaining. Get this one - you will enjoy it!
39 Thriller-diller from one of the masters
Walter Matthau and Joe Don Baker, two actors I can usually take or leave, are brilliant as evenly matched adversaries with very different styles in director Don Siegel's marvelously entertaining thriller. Matthau is Varrick, a rumpled but very resourceful hustler whose take from a small town bank heist turns out to be laundered Mafia money. Baker is the glib, no-nonsense gorilla hired to recover the bucks. Siegel makes flawless use of Southwestern locales as his stars engage in a fascinating game of cat and mouse that has the brutish Baker (he insults friendly whores, abuses a wheelchair-bound gun merchant and smacks sexy photographer Sheree North around before bedding her) always just a baby step behind the ingenuity of Matthau's likeable anti-hero. The junk yard-set climax, a masterfully choreographed battle pitting Matthau's crop-duster against Baker's car, is pure, edge of your seat Siegel. Who wins? Suffice to say, the ending packs one wallop of a surprise, but you will NOT be disappointed. Very highly recommended.
40 Siegel+Matthau=Near Gold!
An odd combo: cult director Don Siegel, who forever changed the "Lone Cop" genre with "Dirty Harry", and provided Duke Wayne with his final film "The Shootist"; mixed with Oscar-winning comedian Matthau, who personified Oscar Madison in "The Odd Couple" and the Sleazy Brother-In-Law/Lawyer in "The Fortune Cookie". But it works. Don Siegel brings his trademark hard-edge and mean-sprited characters, while Matthau borders on deadpan thru the whole thing as a bank robber who unwittingly knocks over a Mob-controlled bank in the middle of rural New Mexico. There's also a lean, mean hitman on his trail played by Joe Don Baker, and one of the 60's and 70's best sleazeball white collar villians: John Vernon. Add in the beautiful Felicia Farr (Jack Lemmon's wife), the "Blow-torch and Pliers" line that Quentin Tarantino "borrowed" for "Pulp Fiction", and a great denoument, and you have a cracker-jack action-drama, with a hint of comedy-similar in tone to Matthau's "Taking Of Pelham 1,2 &3", which came out a year or so after this. In short, a quintissential 70's cult movie: memorable, tough, and near-great.
41 Matthau as James Bond
Haven't much to say about Charley Varrick -- been a long time since I've seen it -- but it's not to be overlooked just for its obscurity and terrible title. I have no idea why it wasn't called The Last of the Independents, which is painted on Varrick's van in bright bold letters after all, and pretty much sets the theme for the movie as aptly as one could hope.
The plot concerns Varrick, an itinerant cropduster, who with an associate or two engages in occasional, highly disciplined bank robbery on the side. When a job goes too right, Varrick spends the balance of the film getting himself out of trouble as coolly as you could possibly hope for.
It's a very functional slow-boil action/thriller, and the mood of the film is fascinating and unique for the genre. Sad how overlooked the film is, even if it isn't, shall we say, a great film... Matthau's work is truly excellent.
42 Matthau at his best!
This is a great tale of a crop dusting Matthau who turns bank robber... Great plot/ Matthau is superb.
