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 H. Reese[1] (novel) Dean Riesner Howard Rodman |
| Starring | Walter Matthau Andrew Robinson Joe Don Baker 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 |
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 H. Reese.[1]
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[edit] Plot
Charley Varrick is a crop-duster and former stunt pilot by trade, but he prefers armed robbery. The aging trailer-park dweller has clearly not been too successful. Together with three others, including his wife Nadine and edgy Harman Sullivan, a heavily disguised Varrick robs a small bank in Tres 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. The bank manager, timid Harold Young, reports only $2,000 stolen. Realizing they have stolen the proceeds of a mob money-laundering operation, Varrick and Sullivan find themselves in trouble not only with the police, but with several shady characters, in particular mob money man Maynard Boyle and an amoral hired killer called Molly.
Also being threatened by Sullivan, his own partner, Varrick decides to double-cross him before Sullivan can do the same to him. He makes a plan to flee the country and puts in a rush order for two fake passports with Jewell Everett, a pretty photographer. But she promptly betrays Varrick and puts Molly on his trail. The sadistic Molly catches up with Sullivan at the trailer and brutally disposes of him while attempting to determine Varrick's whereabouts.
Boyle, meanwhile, terrifies the mousy bank manager Young with the threat that the mob will suspect the robbery to be an inside job. One of the descriptions of torture that Boyle suggests involves a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. Young commits suicide.
Varrick gets in his plane, then surprises and seduces Boyle's secretary, Sybil Fort. He sets up a meeting with Boyle in a remote automobile wrecking yard back in New Mexico, arriving for it in his crop duster. He greets Boyle so warmly that Molly becomes convinced the men must be partners. Molly angrily runs down Boyle with his car.
Now he comes after Varrick, who tries to escape by plane. Molly damages the crop-duster's tail with his car before it can take off. Varrick's crippled plane flips over. Flat on his back in the wreckage, Varrick can do nothing to save himself except tell Molly where the money is hidden.
Seemingly in mortal danger, Varrick has actually set a booby trap for Molly, flipping the plane on purpose, a trick he learned back in his barnstorming days. Molly goes to retrieve the hidden money and 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 that of Varrick, who had earlier switched dental records. Varrick scoops up the remaining money and makes his getaway.
[edit] Cast
- Walter Matthau as Charley Varrick
- Andy Robinson as Harman Sullivan
- Joe Don Baker as Molly
- John Vernon as Maynard Boyle
- Sheree North as Jewell Everett
- Felicia Farr as Sybil Fort
- Norman Fell as Garfinkle
- Woodrow Parfrey as Harold Young
- William Schallert as Sheriff Horton
- Jacqueline Scott as Nadine
- Benson Fong as Honest John
- Joe Conforte as himself
[edit] Locations
Charley Varrick was set in New Mexico, but filmed primarily in two Nevada towns, Dayton and Genoa. The opening bank robbery exterior shots were filmed in Genoa and the police chase of Varrick and his gang were filmed nearby at U.S. Route 395). The interior bank scene was filmed in Minden. The trailer park scenes were shot in Dayton at the trailer park near today's Red Hawk Casino (closed in 2008) and the Carson River, near U.S. Route 50, at the corner of Hart and Louie Streets. The closing flight scene was filmed at City Auto Wrecking, located at Rt. 1 Mustang Exit, Sparks, near the now-defunct Mustang Ranch brothel, ten miles east of Reno. The Chinese restaurant scene was filmed at what is today a Starbucks coffee shop in Reno, at Virginia and California Streets. The photographer's studio and gun store scenes were filmed in Gardnerville. Director Don Siegel filmed several of his movies in northern Nevada, including Charley Varrick, The Shootist, and Jinxed!
[edit] Awards
British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards — Best Actor, 1974, Walter Matthau
[edit] Award Nominations
British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards — Best Editing, 1974, Frank Morriss
[edit] DVD release and aspect ratio controversy
The film was released to Region 1 DVD on December 28, 2004. The transfer is poor, full frame and no extras. On February 14, 2008 the film was released on Region 2 DVD in Europe. The transfer is notably improved, with an anamorphic transfer (1:1.85) and a booklet in German. Both versions are uncut.
There is a long discussion on the IMDB message board for Charley Varrick about the true aspect ratio for the film. Although the full screen DVD does not show the movie with the same aspect ratio as was used in theaters (1:1.85), it does show the movie in the aspect ratio that it was filmed in which was 1:1.33. In order to achieve the 1:1.85 look for theaters and widescreen DVD, the top and bottom of the movie were simply cut out.
[edit] Production notes
Director Don Siegel wanted Varrick's company's motto, "Last of the Independents," to be the title of the film. The motto appears on the movie poster and briefly as a subtitle in the film trailer.
[edit] References
- ^ a b John Reese (I)
[edit] External links
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