10 Unjustly Forgotten Films By Famous Directors

4. Don Siegel - Charley Varrick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ8l-nt2Lxk Don Siegel is possibly the rarest of Hollywood rarities: the director whose best work came at the end of his career. Not that Siegel's films of the 1950s are bad (in fact, his 1956 version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers is a masterpiece), but it wasn't until after the late 1960s that he really came into his own. Along with playing a huge role in making Clint Eastwood into the action hero we know him as best, through the classic cop thriller Dirty Harry, he also made a number of impressive action flicks, including Escape From Alcatraz, Coogan's Bluff, and John Wayne's last film, The Shootist. Not nearly as mentioned as much as the above films, however, is Siegel's follow-up to Dirty Harry, Charley Varrick. Based on a little-known book titled The Looters by a little-known author named John Reese, Charley Varrick revolves around the title character (Walter Matthau), a former stunt pilot turned crop duster/small-time crook who robs a small New Mexico bank with his gang, only to discover that the bank was a drop point for the La Cosa Nostra, being a collection point for money laundering. Naturally, the mafia doesn't take a theft of their money lying down; they send a western-themed hit man named Molly (Joe Don Baker) after Varrick and his gang. Molly picks off what's left of Varrick's gang, all one of them (the rest of 'em were killed in the bank robbery), leaving Varrick for last; however, Varrick, being smarter than the mafia thinks, falls back on some stunt-pilot tricks to escape the mafia's threat. Like Brewster's Millions, this film isn't flashy; you can tell it was made on a very small budget. In this case, however, the low-budget feel helps the film, making this little crime story feel grittier and meaner. It's great to see Walter Matthau in a rare dramatic role; it shows just how great an actor he was. The screenplay is tautly constructed and moves like a shot. There a few scenes that may make more conservative audience members cringe (Joe Don Baker's character is unapologetically racist and sexist), but they're short and few. Ultimately, this is a wonderful little thriller that is a can't-miss for fans of action and crime films. And, fortunately for said fans, this film is available for free on Youtube.