Rent Charley Varrick (1973)
3.8 of 5 from 109 ratings
1h 46min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Charley Varrick is a small-time crook who outfoxes the Mob in this fast-paced offbeat thriller directed by Don Siegel. Academy Award winner Walter Matthau stars in a rare dramatic role, along with the powerful Joe Don Baker, as a tough Mafia hitman. Charley robs small banks with small payrolls. That keeps him out of trouble until he stumbles onto the Mob's secret stash. The chase is on as the Big Boys go after the "Last of the Independents". It's a heart-pounding ride that builds to a fiery airborne climax as Charley makes his last desperate run for the Mexican border and safety.
- Actors:
- Felicia Farr, Walter Matthau, Joe Don Baker, Andrew Robinson, Sheree North, Norman Fell, Benson Fong, Woodrow Parfrey, William Schallert, Jacqueline Scott, Marjorie Bennett, Rudy Diaz, Colby Chester, Charlie Briggs, Priscilla Garcia, Scott Hale, Charles Matthau, Hope Summers, Monica Lewis, James Nolan
- Directors:
- Don Siegel
- Producers:
- Don Siegel
- Writers:
- John Reese, Howard Rodman
- Others:
- Arthur Lowe, Frank Morriss, Marlon Brando
- Studio:
- Fremantle
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Thrillers
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 27/10/2008
- Run Time:
- 106 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono
- Subtitles:
- None
- DVD Regions:
- Region 0 (All)
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
- Colour:
- Colour
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 22/01/2018
- Run Time:
- 111 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 1.0, English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of'Charley Varrick' (2015, 75 mins): feature-length documentary containing interviews with actors Andy Robinson and Jacqueline Scott, stunt driver Craig R. Baxley and Siegel's son, Kristoffer Tabori
- The John Player Lecture with Don Siegel (1973, 75 mins): archival audio recording of an interview conducted by Tony Sloman at London's National Film Theatre
- The Guardian Lecture with Walter Matthau (1988, 89 mins): archival audio recording of an interview conducted by Tony Sloman at London's National Film Theatre
- Super 8 version (18 mins): original TJniversal Eight' cut-down home cinema presentation
- Original theatrical trailer
- Josh Olson and Howard Rodman trailer commentary (2013, 6 mins): a short critical appreciation Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
- UK Blu-ray' premiere
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Reviews (2) of Charley Varrick
Crackerjack heist thriller has it all - and then some! - Charley Varrick review by IM
Despite its age this holds up as a beautifully constructed and directed heist-gone-wrong caper, superbly cast, highly entertaining and memorable. Enjoy!
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Top 70s Crime Drama - Charley Varrick review by GI
This is a neat crime film from the 1970s directed by Don Siegel who made a well respected series of westerns and cop/crime dramas in the 60s and 70s including Coogan's Bluff (1968), Madigan (1968) and Dirty Harry (1971). Charley Varrick has grown in stature over the years and has been cited as a favourite of Quentin Tarantino. Siegel had, of course, used the then big box office star Clint Eastwood in many of his films and so the use of Walter Matthau is an interesting one. Here he plays the worldly wise Charley, an experienced criminal, who along with his wife and two men rob a small New Mexico bank. It all goes wrong when the police show up and Charley's wife is killed but his troubles just get worse when the haul from the robbery is very large indeed and Charley realises they have inadvertently stolen mafia money that the bank was laundering. Soon Charley must use all his wits to outwit both the police and the mob who have sent their chief hitman (Joe Don Baker) to find him and retrieve the money. Matthau was a very versatile actor who could do comedy as well as serious drama and be menacing if needed. He's perfect here as the weary criminal who needs to outfox some serious bad guys and stay out of prison. The film has a good support cast of Siegel regulars including John Vernon and Woodrow Parfrey. The 1970s was the heart of the American New wave and pushed the boundaries in film especially adult cinema and whilst this has nothing compared to the violence seen today this was a gutsy film for its time and well worth seeking out.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.