Charley Varrick

Product Description

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.

System Requirements:

Running Time 111 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Best of Matthau ???.......2007-08-24

Wonderful movie with great bad guys, even the good guys are bad guys, action, and lots of twist and turns. One of my favorites. This and Hopscoth are a pair to own. Both good "rainy Day" movies.

Santini's Review.......2007-08-24

This is a great old classic film....Matthau is especially good in this one. Good action and story line!

More awful work from Universal.......2007-06-04

This DVD is a 1.33:1 transfer of a film that was shot in 1.85:1.

What was a masterpiece is now half a movie...Just don't buy it.

Main Character Undermines Film.......2007-05-25

"Charley Varrick" has every reason to work but it just left me cold. Don Siegel at the helm. Walter Matthau in the title role. Stalwarts like Joe Don Baker, John Vernon, Andy Robinson(Scorpio in "Dirty Harry"), and Sheree North in supporting roles. Now Matthau has proven himself as a versatile actor, not only in his curmudgeonly comic persona but also in dramatic roles. I just didn't buy him as a hardbitten type here. The film's basic premise, a caper where a group of thieves inadvertently steal laundered mob money, isn't much to write home about. "Charley Varrick" is certainly watchable but a tad of a disappointment.

Thought-Provoking; Truly Effective Low Key Thriller; Filmed in Nevada.......2007-02-21

This movie was actually filmed in Nevada (or at least most of it was), the airport scenes at the end with the crop duster were shot at the Fernley, Nevada air field, about 35 miles east of Reno. The air field still looks pretty much the same (minus the junk cars). Exterior shots of Charley Varrick hooking up with the mob secretary were shot in Reno.
Walter Matthau could do it all, comedy and drama. His portrayal of the detached, rather humble Charley Varrick was excellent. Fans of this movie might enjoy the short-lived 72-74 "Banacek" TV series which pops up on internet auctions sites, George Peppard played a detached good-guy insurance investigator ("Banacek" does depend on a lot of dialogue).
And yes, this film deserves a much better DVD.

DVD:

DVD

DVD