Charley Varrick

Charley Varrick
Film poster
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	110 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]

Plot

Charley Varrick is a crop-duster and former stunt pilot by trade. 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 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. She promptly betrays Varrick and puts Molly on his trail. The sadistic Molly catches up with Sullivan at the trailer, brutally beating and killing 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 by shooting himself.

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 body, to be mistaken for that of Varrick, who had earlier switched dental records. Varrick scoops up the remaining money and makes his getaway.

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
• Marjorie Bennett as Mrs Taft
• Joe Conforte as himself

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 at the old court house. Google Street view:http://maps.google.com/maps?q=100+main+st.,+genoa,+nevada&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wl The police chase of Varrick and his gang were filmed nearby at Genoa Lane, and U.S. Route 395. The interior bank scenes were 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 plane flight scene was filmed at City Auto Wrecking, located at Rt. 1 Mustang Exit, Sparks, near the defunct but now reopened Mustang Ranch brothel, ten miles east of Reno. The Chinese restaurant scene was filmed at 538 S. Virginia St., reno, Nevada. Today a Starbucks coffee shop and Ceol Irish Pub in Reno, are at this location. 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! The street scene where Varrick buys roses from the boy: the flower seller was played by Walter Matthau's real life son, Charles, and the apartment building where Varrick meets Miss Fort is the Arlington Towers in Reno.

Awards

British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards — Best Actor, 1974, Walter Matthau

Award Nominations

British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards — Best Editing, 1974, Frank Morriss

DVD release

The film was released to Region 1 DVD on December 28, 2004. It has no extras and a poor fullscreen (1.33:1) transfer rather than the matted 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio. On February 14, 2008 the film was released on Region 2 DVD in Europe. The transfer is notably improved, with an anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer and a booklet in German. Both versions are uncut.Charley Varrick is also available online with Netflix.

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.

Cultural references

• In Ray Davies' semi-fictional autobiography, X-Ray, the film Charley Varrick is mentioned approvingly several times, and he claims it is his "favourite video".^[2]

• The song "Last of the Independents" by Rory Gallagher was also inspired by Charley Varrick, according to his long-time bassist Gerry McAvoy in his book, Riding Shotgun'".^{[3] [4]}

• The line "..go to work on you with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch." is paraphrased in Pulp Fiction ^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} John Reese (I)
2. ^ Davies, Ray X-Ray New York: The Overlook Press, 1995.
3. ^ McAvoy, Gerry with Pete Chrisp Riding Shotgun Maidstone, Kent: SPG Triumph, 2005.
4. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069865/quotes
5. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/quotes

External links

• Charley Varrick at the Internet Movie Database
• Onion AV Club review