The heist movie so good they made a movie ABOUT making it.
Don Siegel’s classic crime thriller "Charley Varrick," made in 1972 in the wake of the immensely successful "Dirty Harry," stars Walter Matthau in what is probably the actor’s finest dramatic role, airshow pilot turned crop duster turned bank robber turned mob target Charley Varrick. This feature-length documentary takes the viewer back to the time of the shooting of this cult item and features original interviews with Siegel’s son, Kristoffer Tabori, actors Andy Robinson and Jacqueline Scott, stunt driver and actor Craig R. Baxley, composer Lalo Schifrin and Howard A. Rodman, whose father co-wrote the screenplay.
Direction
Siegel's ruthless efficiency under studio pressure.
Acting
Matthau's against-type casting genius explained.
Director
Robert Fischer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Charley Varrick flopped theatrically but found its audience on 1970s television, where its cynical tone perfectly matched the era's post-Watergate mood.
Andy Robinson, interviewed here, played the Scorpio killer in Dirty Harry—the role that made Siegel bankable enough to get Varrick made.
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