September 8, 2025 – So far this year I haven't seen many good films, so I looked farther afield and found one of those hidden gems on YouTube featuring a good script, good acting and a top notch director (Don Siegel, who also directed “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “Escape from Alcatraz”). Shout out to the VintageVerse YouTube channel for highlighting this movie. It is available on YouTube, Amazon Video and Apple TV.

This 1973 movie, named “Charley Varrick,” (AKA The Last of the Independents and Kill Charley Varrick) stars Walter Matthau (“The Odd Couple”) as the title character, along with Joe Don Baker (“Goldeneye”) and John Vernon (best known for playing Dean Wormer in “Animal House”).

Varrick is a down-on-his-luck former flying circus pilot and crop duster who has become a small-time bank robber, along with his partners, Harman Sullivan (played by Andy Robinson) Nadine (Jacqueline Scott of “Duel”) and Al Dutcher (Fred Scheiwiller). They rob a bank in a sleepy little New Mexico town called Tres Cruces and run into a world of trouble when they end up with $750,000 that belongs to the Mafia. Nadine and Dutcher both die of wounds received in a shootout during the robbery.

Other deaths follow when bank executive Maynard Boyle (John Vernon) hires mob hit man Molly (Joe Don Baker) to get the money back before he gets into more trouble with his mob bosses in Nevada. Molly is not subtle as he kills and strong arms his way along the trail of Varrick and Sullivan. Varrick quickly realizes that the money he has stolen in the bank robbery is Mafia money. He tells Sullivan they can't spend this money for three or four years, or they will be found and killed.

Sullivan refuses to go along with Charley's plan. He wants to spend the money immediately and seems to be oblivious to the danger he is in. Charley keeps his cool and quickly begins planning a way to get away with the money clean by outsmarting both the cops and the mobsters. What follows is a clever scheme that is very cold and calculated, similar to a confidence swindle. It includes false clues and hidden traps.

This story is one that includes action, suspense and devious plans. This appears to be a low-budget movie, where dead people can be seen breathing and actors sometimes trip and stumble. Bugs land on them. Such scenes would usually be re-shot or cleaned up in editing, but somehow this ends up making the movie look more realistic for the most part.

It is clear that Charley loves Nadine, and part of his scheme is to have some vengeance, but this movie is not romantic, despite a one night stand with the beautiful secretary Sybil Fort (Felicia Farr of “3:10 to Yuma”) and another one night stand between Molly and an informant forger, Jewell Everett (Sheree North of “The Shootist”). These one night stands are strictly film noir — sex without love.

Charley's partner, Harman Sullivan is played by Andy Robinson, an actor who had become very famous in an earlier movie directed by Don Siegel, “Dirty Harry,” (1971) where Robinson plays a crazed killer opposite Clint Eastwood. Sheree North would go on to play a role in another Don Siegel movie, three years later, “The Shootist” (John Wayne's last film).

Another well known actor in this movie is Norman Fell (“Bullitt,” “The Graduate” and “Inherit the Wind”) who plays Tres Cruces district attorney Garfinkle. Another well-known actor in this movie is the ubiquitous William Schallert (“The Incredible Shrinking Man” and “In the Heat of the Knight”). He plays frustrated Sheriff Horton. Schallert, who died in 2016, has nearly 400 TV and movie acting credits over a career spanning six decades. If you have watched much TV or seen many movies, you have seen him.

Walter Matthau is best known for his comedy roles, but here shows his versatility as an actor. This is a film noir crime drama, but Matthau handles the role well, and even gets to show his comic chops here and there. Joe Don Baker, who is no stranger to comedy himself, is great at playing heavies. He plays a ruthless killer who seems to enjoy his work. John Vernon does a fine job playing a mobster who fails to realize he is in over his head. Sheree North and Felicia Farr are convincing as women who are wise in the ways of the world and are also smarter than most of the men around them.

Written by Howard Rodman, Dean Riesner and John Reese, based on the novel The Looters by John H. Reese, this is a well-written, acted and directed movie. Rodman wrote “Coogan's Bluff” along with Riesner, and Riesner also wrote “Dirty Harry,” and “Play Misty for Me.” This movie rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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