The Outfit (1973)

When the small criminal Macklin is released from prison, he learns that shortly before his brother was shot by two killers. They didn't know that the bank they robbed was owned by the ... See full summary »

Director:

John Flynn

Writers:

Donald E. Westlake (novel), John Flynn

Stars:

Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Duvall	...	Macklin
Karen Black	...	Bett Harrow
Joe Don Baker	...	Cody
Robert Ryan	...	Mailer
Timothy Carey	...	Menner
Richard Jaeckel	...	Chemey
Sheree North	...	Buck's Wife
Felice Orlandi	...	Frank Orlandi
Marie Windsor	...	Madge Coyle
Jane Greer	...	Alma
Henry Jones	...	Doctor
Joanna Cassidy	...	Rita
Tom Reese	...	First Man
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Carl (as Elisha Cook)
Bill McKinney	...	Buck

Storyline

When the small criminal Macklin is released from prison, he learns that shortly before his brother was shot by two killers. They didn't know that the bank they robbed was owned by the syndicate. When he's almost offed by a killer too, he pays the mobster Jack Manner a visit and demands reparation. His friend Cody helps him to gratify his thirst for revenge.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | mobster | revenge | police shoot out | barking dog | 

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Taglines:

Nobody plays rougher than The Outfit...

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Revolte in der Unterwelt

Filming Locations:

Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brian Garfield, in an intro to a reprint of the novel this film is based on, notes that it was originally written by director John Flynn as a period piece, intending to be set in the postwar 1940s. That's why such "film noir" veterans such as Elisha Cook Jr., Richard Jaeckel, Marie Windsor and Jane Greer appear in it. The studio, however, decided it would be too expensive to shoot a period picture, so the script was superficially updated, the World War II vets became Vietnam vets, and actors like Robert Ryan, Karen Black and Sheree North joined the cast. The result was that the story was restored to its original conception (the series this book was based on was written and set in the then contemporary 1960s and 1970s). Had the period piece idea gone through, this would have represented a rare case of backdating a character.

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Connections

Referenced in The Hunter: A Conversation with Author Donald E. Westlake (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Your Guess Is Just As Good As Mine"
Written by Steve Gillette and Jeremy Joe Kronsberg

User Reviews

Quickly paced and exciting minimalist crime film from the best decade for them

The 70s were a great decade for American film, possibly the best. However, its unfortunate that many fine films are forgotten in the shuffle because we're all so quick to praise Coppola and Scorcese. "The Outfit" is one such overlooked film, a tough, taut, and low-key crime flick. Only in the 70s would a major studio produce such a minimalist and amoral film. The film isn't full of tight editing, explosions, or five second shots that most recent Hollywood action films are full of. Also, the supposed heroes aren't really good guys, they're just better than the bad guys.

The film is based on a novel by Donald Westlake, who specializes in these gritty crime films. The screenplay and direction by John Flynn isn't memorable but it suits the material well. The dialog especially is good and hard-boiled. The acting helps this out a lot. Robert Duvall does well as the remorseless hero. His portrayal of the character isn't as good as Lee Marvin's in "Point Blank", but mainly because hes not as interesting or developed this time around. Karen Black does an equally fine job (this is before she was mocked) and Joe Don Baker proves to be underrated (he was always good as slightly unhinged tough guys). The supporting cast, including the always dignified Robert Ryan, the sexy (even at age 41) Sheree North, and my personal favorite Timothy Carey (more restrained than usual but still a joy to watch). "The Outfit" isn't as good as "Point Blank", but its still much better than "Payback". (7/10)