Charley Varrick
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| Charley Varrick | |
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 Film poster |
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| Directed by | Don Siegel |
| Produced by | Don Siegel |
| Written by | John Reese[1] (novel) Dean Riesner Howard Rodman |
| Starring | Walter Matthau Joe Don Baker Andrew Robinson John Vernon Felicia Farr |
| Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
| Cinematography | Michael C. Butler |
| Editing by | Frank Morriss |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 19, 1973 |
| Running time | 111 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Charley Varrick is a 1973 crime film directed by Don Siegel and starring Walter Matthau, Andrew Robinson, Joe Don Baker and John Vernon. The film was based on the novel The Looters by John Reese[2].
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[edit] Plot
Charley Varrick (Matthau) is a crop-duster by trade. (Siegel wanted his company's motto, "Last of the Independents," to be the title of the film.) By inclination Varrick prefers armed robbery to crop dusting, but the aging trailer-park dweller has clearly not been too successful. Together with three others, including his wife Nadine (Jacqueline Scott) and edgy Harman Sullivan (Robinson), Varrick robs a small bank in Las Cruces, New Mexico. During the robbery, two policemen and the fourth robber are killed, and Nadine is mortally wounded.
Varrick and Sullivan find themselves with $750,000 -- far more money than they expected. However, the bank manager (a timid character played by Woodrow Parfrey) reports only $2,000 stolen. Realizing they have stolen the proceeds of a money-laundering Mob operation, Varrick and Sullivan find themselves in trouble not only with the police, but with several shady characters, in particular Mob ally Maynard Boyle (John Vernon) and amoral killer Molly (Joe Don Baker).
Also being threatened by Sullivan, his own partner, Varrick decides to double-cross him (before Sullivan can do so to him). He decides to flee the country and puts in a rush order for two fake passports with a pretty photographer, knowing this will put Molly on their trail. The sadistic Molly catches up with Sullivan and brutally beats him - in the end cutting his throat - in an attempt to determine Varrick's whereabouts.
Boyle, meanwhile, terrifies the mousy bank manager with the threat that the Mob will suspect the robbery was an inside job with him the inside man. One of the descriptions of torture that Boyle suggests involves a pair of pliers and a blow torch, imagery later used by the character Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction. The bank manager soon commits suicide with a gunshot to the head.
After seducing Boyle's secretary (played by Felicia Farr), Varrick sets up a meeting with Boyle, arriving for it in his crop duster. Getting out of his plane, he greets Boyle so warmly that Molly is convinced they are partners. Molly angrily runs down Boyle with a car. Meanwhile, Varrick has set a booby trap for Molly, who is blown up. In the remains of the explosion are a number of hundred dollar bills and Sullivan's dead body to be mistaken for his (Varrick had earlier switched dental records). Driving away, Varrick vanishes with the money.
[edit] Locations
Charley Varrick was set in New Mexico, but filmed primarily in two Nevada towns, Dayton and Genoa. These scenes were shot in Genoa: the opening bank robbery and the police chase of Varrick and his gang (shot near Genoa and Highway 395). The trailer park scenes were shot in Dayton at the trailer park near today's Red Hawk Casino and the Carson River near Highway 50. The closing flight scene was filmed at City Auto Wrecking located at Rt. 1 Mustang near the old Mustang Ranch, ten miles east of Reno. The Chinese restaurant scene was filmed at what is today a Starbucks Coffee in Reno, at Virginia and California Streets. The photographer's studio and gun store scenes were filmed in Gardnerville, Nevada. Director Don Siegel filmed several of his movies in Northern Nevada, including Charley Varrick, The Shootist, and Jinxed!.
[edit] DVD release
The film was released on 28.12.2004 R1 DVD.The transfer is poor, full frame and no extras. On 14.02.2008 the film was released on R2 DVD in Europe. The transfer has notably approved, the dvd has an anamorphic transfer (1:1,85) and a booklet in German. Both versions are uncut.
[edit] External links
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