A 1973 heist-and-pursuit
action movie directed by
Don Siegel, starring
Walter Matthau and
Joe Don Baker.
Walter Matthau is Charley Varrick, methodical leader of a
bank robbery gang. His gang hits the
Tres Cruces Bank, but his wife, another accomplice and a guard are killed. Varrick and the other surviving thief Harman Sullivan (played by
Andrew Robinson, the killer from
Dirty Harry)
dispose of the bodies and evidence and find that the
haul was much bigger than expected.
The Tres Cruces Bank is an uninsured private bank that happens to be a
front for organized crime. The mob was transferring funds through the bank the day it was hit and they are very upset about getting ripped off. Molly, a
professional bad-ass played by Joe Don Baker, is put on the case to punish the thieves more than to retrieve the money.
Molly pursues Varrick efficiently and Varrick is very clever about evading him. They both sleep with some hot broads,
70's style. In the end, everyone gets what's coming to them.
Don Siegel had directed
Clint Eastwood in several movies immediately previous to this, especially
Dirty Harry. The same gripping and intense, but thoughtful style is reflected in Charley Varrick. Walter Matthau is very good as Varrick, particularly when showing restrained emotion when his wife dies. Joe Don Baker does an excellent
cold-blooded killer, and gets some awesome lines. Andy Thompson is spectacular as always. (I think that guy got typecast from Dirty Harry. He only plays evil dudes until
Garak on
Deep Space Nine.)
The English title was "Kill Charley Varrick." The production title Don Siegel preferred was "
The Last of the Independents."
Recommended Highly for a Saturday Night Diversion.
Source: www.imdb.com