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| director = [[Don Siegel]]
| director = [[Don Siegel]]
| producer = Don Siegel
| producer = Don Siegel
| writer = {{ubl|[[Dean Riesner]]|[[Howard A. Rodman]]}}
| writer = {{ubl|[[Dean Riesner]]|Howard Rodman}}
| based_on = {{based on |''The Looters'' (novel)|[[John H. Reese]]}}
| based_on = {{based on |''The Looters'' (novel)|[[John H. Reese]]}}
| starring = {{ubl|[[Walter Matthau]]|[[Andrew Robinson (actor)|Andrew Robinson]]|[[Joe Don Baker]]|[[John Vernon]]|[[Felicia Farr]]}}
| starring = {{ubl|[[Walter Matthau]]|[[Andrew Robinson (actor)|Andrew Robinson]]|[[Joe Don Baker]]|[[John Vernon]]|[[Felicia Farr]]}}
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}}
}}


'''''Charley Varrick''''' (aka '''''The Last of the Independents''''' and '''''Kill Charley Varrick''''') is a 1973 American [[neo noir]] [[crime film]] directed by [[Don Siegel]] and starring [[Walter Matthau]], [[Andrew Robinson (actor)|Andrew Robinson]], [[Joe Don Baker]] and [[John Vernon]]. The film was based on the novel ''The Looters'' by [[John H. Reese]].
'''''Charley Varrick''''' (a.k.a.'''''The Last of the Independents''''' and '''''Kill Charley Varrick''''') is a 1973 American [[neo-noir]] [[crime film]] directed by [[Don Siegel]] and starring [[Walter Matthau]], [[Andrew Robinson (actor)|Andrew Robinson]], [[Joe Don Baker]] and [[John Vernon]]. ''Charley Varrick'' is based on the novel ''The Looters'' by [[John H. Reese]], and is the first of four consecutive films in which Matthau appeared that were not comedies (although his role in ''[[Earthquake (1974 film)|Earthquake]]'' is comedic).


==Plot==
==Plot==
Charley Varrick is a [[Aerial application|crop duster]] and former [[Stunt flying|stunt pilot]] with knowledge about explosives. He, his wife, and two others, Al and Harman, rob a bank in rural [[New Mexico]]. Al and Charley's wife are killed when the crime turns violent. Having gotten away to a distant [[trailer park]], Charley and Harman discover that the heist netted more than three-quarters of a million dollars. When a news outlet reports that less than $2,000 was stolen, Charley correctly concludes that the bank was being used to [[Money laundering|launder]] illicit [[Mafia]] cash.
Charley Varrick is a [[Aerial application|crop-duster]] and former stunt pilot. Charley, his wife Nadine, longtime accomplice Al Dutcher, and youngster Harman Sullivan, rob a bank in the rural community of Tres Cruces, New Mexico. While Nadine waits in the getaway car, the heavily disguised Charley and his two accomplices draw their guns and begin the heist. A police officer passing by recognizes the getaway car. When the officers approach Nadine, she shoots at them, killing one instantly and seriously wounding the other, but the second officer returns fire, wounding her. The melee outside distracts the robbers, enabling the bank guard to kill Dutcher. Sensing that the bank manager is concealing something, Charley forces him to reveal two large satchels of cash. Charley, Harman, and Nadine flee, but Nadine dies soon thereafter. Charley and Harman swap vehicles and prepare to blow up the getaway car, with Nadine's body inside. They are stopped by another police officer, but before he can search their van, the explosion goes off and the officer races away.


Charley tells Harman that the mob will never stop looking for the money, and that their best chance of staying safe is to live their normal lives for the next few years, doing nothing that draws attention to them. Harman tells Charley, however, that he intends to be a spendthrift with his share of the loot. Although mourning his wife's death, Charley takes steps to get away. He hides the money and arranges to get passports for him and Harman.
When they count the money, it totals $765,118 - much more than expected. After a local news broadcast reports that only $2,000 was stolen, Charley says the bank must be involved in a money-laundering operation. He warns Harman that the Mafia will pursue them relentlessly and that their only chance of surviving is by laying low and not spending the money for three or four years; but Harman insists that he should be free to spend his share on women and good times. Meanwhile, Maynard Boyle, president of the bank, dispatches tall, burly, and sadistic hitman Molly to recover the money.


Meanwhile, a [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]]-based [[gangster]] named Boyle hires a sadistic contract murderer, "Molly", to find the stolen cash and make an example of the robbers. Molly's search leads him to Harman. While Charley is hiding outside of the trailer, Molly torments Harman in an attempt to learn about the money, and beats him to death. Boyle secretly meets with the bank manager, Harold Young. He tells Young that his Mafia superiors will suspect that the robbery was an inside job because it occurred during the brief period when the money was on site. He suggests that Young will be tortured to learn the extent of his involvement. Terrified, Young ends his life.
Realizing that Harman's rashness will get them both killed, Charley double-crosses him. Charley knows that he, Nadine, and Harman all had dental work done recently, so he breaks into the dentist's office, stealing his and Nadine's X-rays and swapping Harman's for his. To obtain passports, Charley contacts Tom, an old accomplice of Dutcher, who directs him to local photographer Jewell Everett. He has his photograph taken, but he also gives her Harman's driver's license, thereby ensuring that Molly will find Harman. Tom immediately informs on Charley. Jewell also betrays Charley, but he never returns for the passports. Molly arrives at Charley's trailer and tortures Harman to get information about the money, then beats Harman to death.


Charley flies his crop-dusting [[biplane]] to Reno and contacts Boyle's secretary. She warns Charley not to trust her boss, and they spend the night together. Charley phones Boyle and offers to return the stolen money. He arranges a meeting the next morning at a remote junkyard, and tells Boyle to be there. Molly is with Boyle at the time and comes up with a plan of his own.
Boyle meets secretly with Tres Cruces bank manager Harold Young, advising Young that his Mafia superiors will suspect that the robbery was an inside job, because it occurred during the brief period when the money was there. He suggests that Young will be tortured. Young, terrified, commits suicide.


Charley lands his plane at the junkyard and, in an effort to fool observers, acts overjoyed and hugs a confounded Boyle. Watching from a distance, Molly assumes that Boyle and Charley have been working together.
Charley purchases dynamite, then flies to Reno, where he has flowers delivered to Boyle's secretary, Sybil Fort, so he can identify her and follow her home. He seduces Fort in her apartment. Fort warns Charley not to trust her boss.


Molly runs down Boyle with his car, killing him. Molly chases Charley's plane with his car and damages it so that it will not be able to fly. Charley deliberately flips the plane upside down, a stunt that he used to do in his [[barnstorming]] days.
Charley then contacts Boyle, offering to return the money. He arranges a meeting at a remote automobile wrecking yard and insists that Boyle come alone. Charley overflies the wrecking yard and spots Molly's car. After landing, Charley hugs the confounded Boyle, acting overjoyed; Molly falls for the ruse and assumes that Boyle is Charley's accomplice, so he runs Boyle down with his car, killing him. Molly then chases Charley, who tries to fly away, but Molly damages the crop-duster's tail with his car and the aircraft flips over. Trapped in the wreckage, Charley tells Molly that the money is in the trunk of a nearby car. However, Charley had flipped his aircraft on purpose. When Molly opens the trunk, he sees Harman's body, wearing Charley's wedding band, and the bank satchels; an instant later, he is killed by a booby trap. Charley throws a wad of hundred-dollar bills toward the burning car, then, after a couple of false starts, drives away.

Apparently trapped in the wreckage, Charley tells Molly that the money is in the trunk of a nearby car. Molly opens the trunk but sees Harman's body and the bank satchels. A moment later, the trunk explodes, killing Molly. Charley frees himself. He throws a wad of $100 bills on the flames of the burning car, gets into another car, and drives away.


==Cast==
==Cast==
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* [[Bob Steele (actor)|Bob Steele]] as Bank Guard (uncredited)
* [[Bob Steele (actor)|Bob Steele]] as Bank Guard (uncredited)
* [[Don Siegel]] as Murphy
* [[Don Siegel]] as Murphy
* [[Joe Conforte]] as himself
* [[Joseph Conforte|Joe Conforte]] as himself
* [[James Nolan (actor)|James Nolan]] as Clerk
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


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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 film poster and briefly as a subtitle in the [[Trailer (promotion)|film trailer]].
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 film poster and briefly as a subtitle in the [[Trailer (promotion)|film trailer]].


When the hitman Molly arrives at Jewell's photo studio and introduces himself, Jewell sarcastically replies, "Yeah, I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood". The role of Varrick was written for Eastwood, who turned it down, reportedly because he could not find any redeeming features in the character. Matthau was also reported to have been unimpressed by the film, and Siegel later claimed that Matthau hurt the film's box-office by publicly stating that he neither liked the film nor understood what it was about. Matthau sent Siegel a note that said, "I have seen it three times, and am of slightly better than average intelligence (IQ 120) but I still don't quite understand what's going on. Is there a device we can use to explain to people what they're seeing?"<ref>George Anastasia & Glen Macnow, ''The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies'' (Running Press, 2011), Chapter 78</ref>
When the hit man Molly arrives at Jewell's photo studio and introduces himself, Jewell sarcastically replies, "Yeah, I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood". The role of Varrick was written for Eastwood, who turned it down, reportedly because he could not find any redeeming features in the character.


Matthau was also reported to have been unimpressed by the film, and Siegel later claimed that Matthau hurt the film's box-office performance by publicly stating that he neither liked the film nor understood what it was about. Matthau sent Siegel a note that said, "I have seen it three times, and am of slightly better than average intelligence (IQ 120) but I still don't quite understand what's going on. Is there a device we can use to explain to people what they're seeing?"<ref>George Anastasia & Glen Macnow, ''The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies'' (Running Press, 2011), Chapter 78</ref>
⚫
Varrick's aircraft is a converted [[Boeing-Stearman Model 75|Boeing PT-17 Stearman Kaydet]] (N53039) crop-duster flown by Hollywood aerial pilot [[Frank Tallman]]. The modified crop-duster belonged to a California agricultural spraying business.This same aircraft crashed in Oakdale, California on December 31, 1976, killing the pilot, who was crop dusting. The plane's wing caught an electric wire and crashed. <ref>Santoir, Christian. [http://www.aeromovies.fr/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=2570 "Charley Varrick".] ''Aeromovies''. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>

⚫
Varrick's aircraft is a converted [[Boeing-Stearman Model 75|Boeing PT-17 Stearman Kaydet]] (N53039) crop-duster flown by Hollywood aerial pilot [[Frank Tallman]]. The modified crop-duster belonged to a California agricultural spraying business. This same aircraft crashed in [[Oakdale, California|Oakdale]], California, on December 31, 1976, killing the pilot, who was crop-dusting. The plane's wing caught an electric wire and crashed.<ref>Santoir, Christian. [http://www.aeromovies.fr/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=2570 "Charley Varrick".] ''Aeromovies''. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>


===Locations===
===Locations===
Director Don Siegel filmed several of his movies in northern Nevada, including ''Charley Varrick'', ''[[The Shootist]]'' and ''[[Jinxed! (1982 film)|Jinxed!]]'' ''Charley Varrick'' was set in [[New Mexico]], but was filmed primarily in two small [[Nevada]] towns, [[Dayton, Nevada|Dayton]] and [[Genoa, Nevada|Genoa]]. Both towns lay a claim to being the oldest towns in the state. The opening bank robbery exterior scenes were filmed in Genoa, at the old Douglas County court house. The sheriff's chase of Varrick and his gang was filmed nearby on Genoa Lane, and on [[Nevada State Route 207]].
Director Don Siegel filmed several of his movies in northern Nevada, including ''Charley Varrick'', ''[[The Shootist]]'' and ''[[Jinxed! (1982 film)|Jinxed!]]'' ''Charley Varrick'' was set in [[New Mexico]] but was filmed primarily in two small [[Nevada]] towns, [[Dayton, Nevada|Dayton]] and [[Genoa, Nevada|Genoa]]. Both towns lay a claim to being the oldest towns in the state. The opening bank robbery exterior scenes were filmed in Genoa, at the old Douglas County court house. The sheriff's chase of Varrick and his gang was filmed nearby on Genoa Lane and [[Nevada State Route 207]].

The interior bank scenes were filmed in [[Minden, Nevada|Minden]]. The trailer park scenes were filmed in Dayton by Hwy 50, at the trailer park, located near the Red Hawk Casino (which was closed in 2008) and the Carson River, at the corner of Hart and Louie Streets. The photographer's studio and gun store scenes were filmed in [[Gardnerville, Nevada|Gardnerville]]. The crop duster flight scenes at the conclusion were filmed at the (now closed) City Auto Wrecking east of [[Sparks, Nevada|Sparks]], near Lockwood Nevada, by Canyon Way Road. The Reno, Nevada filming locations included the Chinese restaurant scenes, filmed at 538 South Virginia Street, and the [[Arlington Towers]] condominium building at 100 N. Arlington Avenue. This condo tower is where Varrick meets Miss Fort.<ref name="Locations">[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069865/locations?ref_=tt_dt_dt "Locations: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)."] ''IMDb''. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>
The interior bank scenes were filmed in [[Minden, Nevada|Minden]]. The [[trailer park]] scenes were filmed in Dayton by [[U.S. Route 50|US Route 50]] at the trailer park, located near the Red Hawk Casino, which closed in 2008, and the [[Carson River]], at the corner of Hart and Louie Streets. The photographer's studio and gun store scenes were filmed in [[Gardnerville, Nevada|Gardnerville]]. The crop-duster flight scenes at the film's conclusion were filmed at the now-closed City Auto Wrecking, east of [[Sparks, Nevada|Sparks]], near Lockwood Nevada, by Canyon Way Road. The Reno filming locations included the [[Chinese restaurant]] scenes, filmed at 538 South Virginia Street and the [[Arlington Towers]] condominium building at 100 N. Arlington Avenue. This condo tower is where Varrick meets Miss Fort.<ref name="Locations">[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069865/locations?ref_=tt_dt_dt "Locations: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)."] ''IMDb''. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>


==Reception==
==Reception==
⚫
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a rating of 82% from 28 reviews with the consensus: "With Walter Matthau adding hangdog soul to Don Siegel's propulsive direction, ''Charley Varrick'' is a crime thriller that really scores."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/charley_varrick|title=Charley Varrick|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>
⚫
Although very well received critically, it was a disappointment at the box office. Reviewer Paul Tatara described ''Charley Varrick'' as "intelligent, commercial filmmaking at its finest. They rarely make them like this anymore."<ref>Tatara, Paul. [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/70654/Charley-Varrick/articles.html "Articles: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)."] ''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>


{{quote box|width=30em|bgcolor=cornsilk|fontsize=100%|salign=center|quote= "The 'normal' world—the terrain Seigel usually works in— is depicted by him as not at all normal…the characters are counterpoised against an environment which is as deranged as they are. The straight world is as phony, dishonest and evil as the criminal's, without the one qualification which may be an improvement on the normal: they [the criminals] are honest about their lawlessness…"—Biographer Judith M. Kass in ''Don Seigel: The Hollywood Professionals, Vol. 4'' (1975)<ref>Kass, 1975 p. 127</ref>}}
⚫
[[Vincent Canby]] in his review for ''[[The New York Times]]'' considered ''Charley Varrick'' as both an action film and a mystery:
⚫
Although critically very well received, the film was a disappointment at the box office. Reviewer Paul Tatara describes ''Charley Varrick'' as "intelligent, commercial filmmaking at its finest. They rarely make them like this anymore."<ref>Tatara, Paul. [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/70654/Charley-Varrick/articles.html "Articles: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)."] ''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>

⚫
[[Vincent Canby]], in his review for ''[[The New York Times]]'', considered ''Charley Varrick'' as both an action film and a mystery:
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
An intelligent action melodrama is probably one of the most difficult kinds of film to make. Intelligence in this case has nothing to do with being literate, poetic, or even reasonable. It has to do with movement, suspense, and sudden changes in fortune that are plausible enough to entertain without challenging you to question basic premises. If you start asking whether such-and-such could really have happened, or if so-and-so would have acted in a certain way, the action film falls apart.<ref>Canby, Vincent. [https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173EE760BC4851DFB6678388669EDE "Movie Review: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)."] ''The New York Times'', October 20, 1973.</ref>
An intelligent action melodrama is probably one of the most difficult kinds of film to make. Intelligence in this case has nothing to do with being literate, poetic, or even reasonable. It has to do with movement, suspense, and sudden changes in fortune that are plausible enough to entertain without challenging you to question basic premises. If you start asking whether such-and-such could really have happened, or if so-and-so would have acted in a certain way, the action film falls apart.<ref>Canby, Vincent. [https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173EE760BC4851DFB6678388669EDE "Movie Review: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)."] ''The New York Times'', October 20, 1973.</ref>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>


[[John Simon (critic)|John Simon]] said Charley Varrick was one of more accomplished specimens of the gangster genre.<ref>{{cite book |title=Reverse Angle: A Decade of American Film|url=https://archive.org/details/reverseangledeca0000simo|url-access=registration|last1=Simon|first1=John |publisher=Crown Publishers Inc. |year=1982 |page=[https://archive.org/details/reverseangledeca0000simo/page/129 129]|isbn=9780517544716}}</ref>
[[John Simon (critic)|John Simon]] at ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine said that ''Charley Varrick'' is one of the more accomplished specimens of the gangster genre.<ref>{{cite book |title=Reverse Angle: A Decade of American Film|url=https://archive.org/details/reverseangledeca0000simo|url-access=registration|last1=Simon|first1=John |publisher=Crown Publishers Inc. |year=1982 |page=[https://archive.org/details/reverseangledeca0000simo/page/129 129]|isbn=9780517544716}}</ref>


While not strictly a "remake," ''[[2 Guns]]'' (2013) has many of its film elements lifted from ''Charley Varrick.''<ref>Bierly, Mandy. [http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/08/02/2-guns-bill-paxton/ "'2 Guns': Bill Paxton explains how he became one of summer's best scene-stealers."] ''Entertainment Weekly'', August 2, 2014. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>
While not strictly a "remake", ''[[2 Guns]]'' (2013) has many of its film elements lifted from ''Charley Varrick.''<ref>Bierly, Mandy. [http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/08/02/2-guns-bill-paxton/ "'2 Guns': Bill Paxton explains how he became one of summer's best scene-stealers."] ''Entertainment Weekly'', August 2, 2014. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>

⚫
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a rating of 84% from 25 reviews with the consensus: "With Walter Matthau adding hangdog soul to Don Siegel's propulsive direction, ''Charley Varrick'' is a crime thriller that really scores."<ref>https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/charley_varrick</ref>


==Awards==
==Awards==
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==Home media==
==Home media==
''Charley Varrick'' was released as a [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] DVD with no extras on December 28, 2004. On February 14, 2008, the film was released as a Region 2 DVD in Europe in widescreen with some special features. Both DVD versions are uncut.<ref>Erickson, Glenn. [http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1489varr.html "Review: 'Charley Varrick'."] ''DVD Savant'', February 6, 2005. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref> On March 19, 2015, the film was released in a Region B locked Blu-ray in Germany. This edition included a 72 minutes documentary on the making of the film, "Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of Charley Varrick." On November 12, 2019, the film was released in a Region A locked Blu-ray by [[Kino Lorber]] with an exclusive new 4K remaster. This edition includes the "Last of the Independents" documentary, "Refracted Personae", a new video essay with critic [[Howard S. Berger|Howard S Berger]], an archival episode of [[Trailers from Hell]], and a new audio commentary with critic Toby Roan.
''Charley Varrick'' was released as a [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] [[DVD]] with no extras on December 28, 2004. On February 14, 2008, the film was released as a [[Region 2, Northwest Territories|Region 2]] DVD in Europe in [[widescreen]] with some special features. Both DVD versions are uncut.<ref>Erickson, Glenn. [http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1489varr.html "Review: 'Charley Varrick'."] ''DVD Savant'', February 6, 2005. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref> On March 19, 2015, the film was released as a Region-B locked [[Blu-ray]] in Germany. This edition includes a 72-minute documentary on the making of the film, titled "Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of Charley Varrick".
On November 12, 2019, the film was released in a Region-A locked Blu-ray by [[Kino International (company)|Kino Lorber]] with an exclusive new [[4K resolution|4K]] remaster. This edition includes the "Last of the Independents" documentary, "Refracted Personae", a new video essay with critic [[Howard S. Berger|Howard S Berger]], an archival episode of [[Trailers from Hell]], and a new audio commentary with critic Toby Roan.


==Cultural impact==
==Cultural impact==
According to [[Rory Gallagher]]'s long-time bassist [[Gerry McAvoy]], in his book ''Riding Shotgun: 35 Years on the Road with Rory Gallagher and 'Nine Below Zero''', Gallagher's 1978 song "Last of the Independents" was inspired by ''Charley Varrick''.<ref>McAvoy and Chrisp 2005 {{Page needed|date= December 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://www.rorygallagher.com/#/songs/the_last_of_the_independents_photo_finish "The last of the Independents."] ''rorygallagher.com''. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref>
According to [[Rory Gallagher]]'s long-time bassist [[Gerry McAvoy]], in his book ''Riding Shotgun: 35 Years on the Road with Rory Gallagher and {{'}}Nine Below Zero{{'}}'', Gallagher's 1978 song "Last of the Independents" was inspired by ''Charley Varrick''.<ref>McAvoy and Chrisp 2005 {{Page needed|date= December 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://www.rorygallagher.com/#/songs/the_last_of_the_independents_photo_finish "The last of the Independents."] ''rorygallagher.com''. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.</ref> The "Last of The Independents" logo appears in the film on the back of the Varrick company's jumpsuits and on his truck.
<!---Cruft----John Vernon's line "...&nbsp;go to work on you with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch&nbsp;..." is paraphrased in the 1994 film, ''[[Pulp Fiction]].'' {{Cn|Date= December 2015}}
In [[Ray Davies]]' 1995 semi-fictional autobiography, ''X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography'', the film ''Charley Varrick'' is mentioned approvingly several times, and he claims it is his "favourite video."<ref>Davies 1995, pp. 169, 259.</ref> ---->

==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1973]]
* [[List of American films of 1973]]


==References==
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Notes===
{{Reflist}}


===Bibliography===
== Sources ==
*{{cite book |last1=Kass |first1=Judith M. |title=Don Seigel: The Hollywood Professionals, Volume 4 |date=1975 |publisher=Tanvity Press |location=New York |isbn=0-498-01665-X |page=207 |edition=1975}}* Davies, Ray. ''X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography''. New York: The Overlook Press, 1995. {{ISBN|978-0-8795-1664-2}}.
{{Refbegin}}
* Davies, Ray. '' X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography''. New York: The Overlook Press, 1995. {{ISBN|978-0-8795-1664-2}}.
* McAvoy, Gerry with Pete Chrisp. ''Riding Shotgun: 35 Years on the Road with Rory Gallagher and 'Nine Below Zero'.'' Maidstone, Kent, UK: SPG Triumph, 2005. {{ISBN|978-0-9550-3200-4}}.
* McAvoy, Gerry with Pete Chrisp. ''Riding Shotgun: 35 Years on the Road with Rory Gallagher and 'Nine Below Zero'.'' Maidstone, Kent, UK: SPG Triumph, 2005. {{ISBN|978-0-9550-3200-4}}.
* Siegel, Don. ''A Siegel Film: An Autobiography''. New York: Faber & Faber, 1996. {{ISBN|978-0-5711-6270-3}}.
* Siegel, Don. ''A Siegel Film: An Autobiography''. New York: Faber & Faber, 1996. {{ISBN|978-0-5711-6270-3}}.
{{Refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0069865|title=Charley Varrick}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0069865|title=Charley Varrick}}
* {{tcmdb title|70654|Charley Varrick}}
* {{TCMDb title|70654|Charley Varrick}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|charley_varrick}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|charley_varrick}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070926223028/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/8805 Onion AV Club review]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070926223028/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/8805 Onion AV Club review]
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[[Category:American neo-noir films]]
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Latest revision as of 04:42, 26 September 2024

Charley Varrick
Film poster
Directed byDon Siegel
Written by
Based onThe Looters (novel)
by John H. Reese
Produced byDon Siegel
Starring
CinematographyMichael C. Butler
Edited byFrank Morriss
Music byLalo Schifrin
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • October 19, 1973 (1973-10-19)
Running time
111 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Charley Varrick (a.k.a.The Last of the Independents and Kill Charley Varrick) is a 1973 American neo-noir crime film directed by Don Siegel and starring Walter Matthau, Andrew Robinson, Joe Don Baker and John Vernon. Charley Varrick is based on the novel The Looters by John H. Reese, and is the first of four consecutive films in which Matthau appeared that were not comedies (although his role in Earthquake is comedic).

Plot

[edit]

Charley Varrick is a crop duster and former stunt pilot with knowledge about explosives. He, his wife, and two others, Al and Harman, rob a bank in rural New Mexico. Al and Charley's wife are killed when the crime turns violent. Having gotten away to a distant trailer park, Charley and Harman discover that the heist netted more than three-quarters of a million dollars. When a news outlet reports that less than $2,000 was stolen, Charley correctly concludes that the bank was being used to launder illicit Mafia cash.

Charley tells Harman that the mob will never stop looking for the money, and that their best chance of staying safe is to live their normal lives for the next few years, doing nothing that draws attention to them. Harman tells Charley, however, that he intends to be a spendthrift with his share of the loot. Although mourning his wife's death, Charley takes steps to get away. He hides the money and arranges to get passports for him and Harman.

Meanwhile, a Reno-based gangster named Boyle hires a sadistic contract murderer, "Molly", to find the stolen cash and make an example of the robbers. Molly's search leads him to Harman. While Charley is hiding outside of the trailer, Molly torments Harman in an attempt to learn about the money, and beats him to death. Boyle secretly meets with the bank manager, Harold Young. He tells Young that his Mafia superiors will suspect that the robbery was an inside job because it occurred during the brief period when the money was on site. He suggests that Young will be tortured to learn the extent of his involvement. Terrified, Young ends his life.

Charley flies his crop-dusting biplane to Reno and contacts Boyle's secretary. She warns Charley not to trust her boss, and they spend the night together. Charley phones Boyle and offers to return the stolen money. He arranges a meeting the next morning at a remote junkyard, and tells Boyle to be there. Molly is with Boyle at the time and comes up with a plan of his own.

Charley lands his plane at the junkyard and, in an effort to fool observers, acts overjoyed and hugs a confounded Boyle. Watching from a distance, Molly assumes that Boyle and Charley have been working together.

Molly runs down Boyle with his car, killing him. Molly chases Charley's plane with his car and damages it so that it will not be able to fly. Charley deliberately flips the plane upside down, a stunt that he used to do in his barnstorming days.

Apparently trapped in the wreckage, Charley tells Molly that the money is in the trunk of a nearby car. Molly opens the trunk but sees Harman's body and the bank satchels. A moment later, the trunk explodes, killing Molly. Charley frees himself. He throws a wad of $100 bills on the flames of the burning car, gets into another car, and drives away.

Cast

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Production

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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 film poster and briefly as a subtitle in the film trailer.

When the hit man Molly arrives at Jewell's photo studio and introduces himself, Jewell sarcastically replies, "Yeah, I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood". The role of Varrick was written for Eastwood, who turned it down, reportedly because he could not find any redeeming features in the character.

Matthau was also reported to have been unimpressed by the film, and Siegel later claimed that Matthau hurt the film's box-office performance by publicly stating that he neither liked the film nor understood what it was about. Matthau sent Siegel a note that said, "I have seen it three times, and am of slightly better than average intelligence (IQ 120) but I still don't quite understand what's going on. Is there a device we can use to explain to people what they're seeing?"[1]

Varrick's aircraft is a converted Boeing PT-17 Stearman Kaydet (N53039) crop-duster flown by Hollywood aerial pilot Frank Tallman. The modified crop-duster belonged to a California agricultural spraying business. This same aircraft crashed in Oakdale, California, on December 31, 1976, killing the pilot, who was crop-dusting. The plane's wing caught an electric wire and crashed.[2]

Locations

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Director Don Siegel filmed several of his movies in northern Nevada, including Charley Varrick, The Shootist and Jinxed! Charley Varrick was set in New Mexico but was filmed primarily in two small Nevada towns, Dayton and Genoa. Both towns lay a claim to being the oldest towns in the state. The opening bank robbery exterior scenes were filmed in Genoa, at the old Douglas County court house. The sheriff's chase of Varrick and his gang was filmed nearby on Genoa Lane and Nevada State Route 207.

The interior bank scenes were filmed in Minden. The trailer park scenes were filmed in Dayton by US Route 50 at the trailer park, located near the Red Hawk Casino, which closed in 2008, and the Carson River, at the corner of Hart and Louie Streets. The photographer's studio and gun store scenes were filmed in Gardnerville. The crop-duster flight scenes at the film's conclusion were filmed at the now-closed City Auto Wrecking, east of Sparks, near Lockwood Nevada, by Canyon Way Road. The Reno filming locations included the Chinese restaurant scenes, filmed at 538 South Virginia Street and the Arlington Towers condominium building at 100 N. Arlington Avenue. This condo tower is where Varrick meets Miss Fort.[3]

Reception

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 82% from 28 reviews with the consensus: "With Walter Matthau adding hangdog soul to Don Siegel's propulsive direction, Charley Varrick is a crime thriller that really scores."[4]

"The 'normal' world—the terrain Seigel usually works in— is depicted by him as not at all normal…the characters are counterpoised against an environment which is as deranged as they are. The straight world is as phony, dishonest and evil as the criminal's, without the one qualification which may be an improvement on the normal: they [the criminals] are honest about their lawlessness…"—Biographer Judith M. Kass in Don Seigel: The Hollywood Professionals, Vol. 4 (1975)[5]

Although critically very well received, the film was a disappointment at the box office. Reviewer Paul Tatara describes Charley Varrick as "intelligent, commercial filmmaking at its finest. They rarely make them like this anymore."[6]

Vincent Canby, in his review for The New York Times, considered Charley Varrick as both an action film and a mystery:

An intelligent action melodrama is probably one of the most difficult kinds of film to make. Intelligence in this case has nothing to do with being literate, poetic, or even reasonable. It has to do with movement, suspense, and sudden changes in fortune that are plausible enough to entertain without challenging you to question basic premises. If you start asking whether such-and-such could really have happened, or if so-and-so would have acted in a certain way, the action film falls apart.[7]

John Simon at New York magazine said that Charley Varrick is one of the more accomplished specimens of the gangster genre.[8]

While not strictly a "remake", 2 Guns (2013) has many of its film elements lifted from Charley Varrick.[9]

Awards

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Matthau won the 1974 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards for Best Actor in Charley Varrick.[10] In addition, Frank Morriss was nominated for the 1974 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards for Best Editing.[11]

Home media

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Charley Varrick was released as a Region 1 DVD with no extras on December 28, 2004. On February 14, 2008, the film was released as a Region 2 DVD in Europe in widescreen with some special features. Both DVD versions are uncut.[12] On March 19, 2015, the film was released as a Region-B locked Blu-ray in Germany. This edition includes a 72-minute documentary on the making of the film, titled "Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of Charley Varrick".

On November 12, 2019, the film was released in a Region-A locked Blu-ray by Kino Lorber with an exclusive new 4K remaster. This edition includes the "Last of the Independents" documentary, "Refracted Personae", a new video essay with critic Howard S Berger, an archival episode of Trailers from Hell, and a new audio commentary with critic Toby Roan.

Cultural impact

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According to Rory Gallagher's long-time bassist Gerry McAvoy, in his book Riding Shotgun: 35 Years on the Road with Rory Gallagher and 'Nine Below Zero', Gallagher's 1978 song "Last of the Independents" was inspired by Charley Varrick.[13][14] The "Last of The Independents" logo appears in the film on the back of the Varrick company's jumpsuits and on his truck.

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ George Anastasia & Glen Macnow, The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies (Running Press, 2011), Chapter 78
  2. ^ Santoir, Christian. "Charley Varrick". Aeromovies. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.
  3. ^ "Locations: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)." IMDb. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.
  4. ^ "Charley Varrick". Rotten Tomatoes.
  5. ^ Kass, 1975 p. 127
  6. ^ Tatara, Paul. "Articles: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.
  7. ^ Canby, Vincent. "Movie Review: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)." The New York Times, October 20, 1973.
  8. ^ Simon, John (1982). Reverse Angle: A Decade of American Film. Crown Publishers Inc. p. 129. ISBN 9780517544716.
  9. ^ Bierly, Mandy. "'2 Guns': Bill Paxton explains how he became one of summer's best scene-stealers." Entertainment Weekly, August 2, 2014. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.
  10. ^ "Film | Actor in 1974". BAFTA. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Awards: 'Charley Varrick' (1973)." IMDb. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.
  12. ^ Erickson, Glenn. "Review: 'Charley Varrick'." DVD Savant, February 6, 2005. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.
  13. ^ McAvoy and Chrisp 2005 [page needed]
  14. ^ "The last of the Independents." rorygallagher.com. Retrieved: December 1, 2015.

Sources

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  • Kass, Judith M. (1975). Don Seigel: The Hollywood Professionals, Volume 4 (1975 ed.). New York: Tanvity Press. p. 207. ISBN 0-498-01665-X.* Davies, Ray. X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography. New York: The Overlook Press, 1995. ISBN 978-0-8795-1664-2.
  • McAvoy, Gerry with Pete Chrisp. Riding Shotgun: 35 Years on the Road with Rory Gallagher and 'Nine Below Zero'. Maidstone, Kent, UK: SPG Triumph, 2005. ISBN 978-0-9550-3200-4.
  • Siegel, Don. A Siegel Film: An Autobiography. New York: Faber & Faber, 1996. ISBN 978-0-5711-6270-3.
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