Movie Type: Crime Thriller, Post-Noir (Modern Noir)
Themes: One Against the Mob, Criminal's Revenge
Main Cast: Tony Trabert, Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker, Robert Ryan, Timothy Carey
Release Year: 1973
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
A two-bit criminal takes on the Mafia to avenge his brother's death in this drama based on a novel by Donald E. Westlake. Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall) is a small time criminal who is released from prison after an unsuccessful bank robbery only to discover that a pair of gunmen killed his brother. As it turns out, the bank that Earl and his brother hit was controlled by gangster Mailer (Robert Ryan). Macklin learns that he's on the mob's hit list as well, so he teams up with his old partner Cody (Joe Don Baker) to take on Mailer and his second in command, Jake Menner (Timothy Carey). The Outfit also features a top-notch supporting cast, including Karen Black, Sheree North, Joanna Cassidy, Richard Jaeckel, and Anita O'Day; Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook, Jr. also appear, 18 years after their memorable turn together in The Killing. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Tambi Larsen - Art Director, Yvonne Wood - Costume Designer, William McGarry - First Assistant Director, John Flynn - Director, Ralph Winters - Editor, Jerry Fielding - Composer (Music Score), Jeremy Kronsberg - Songwriter, Steve Gillette - Songwriter, Jack Petty - Makeup, Bruce Surtees - Cinematographer, Carter DeHaven III - Producer, James I. Berkey - Set Designer, Ron Rondell - Stunts, John Flynn - Screenwriter, Donald E. Westlake - Screenwriter, Richard Stark - Book Author
Released from prison In Illinois after serving 2 years and 3 months for carrying a concealed weapon, professional thief and bank robber Earl Macklin (Duvall) is told by his girlfriend Bett (Black) of his brother's execution by the Outfit. It seems a bank Earl and his brother robbed was a "front" for the Outfit, who, having killed Earl's brother, now want to kill him. Earl teams up with old partner Cody (Baker) and starts to hit the Outfit to accrue $250,000 compensation he feels he's due for his brother's murder. Promised the pay-off, but then double crossed by the Outfit's Godfather figure (Ryan), Macklin and Cody decide to topple the whole organisation.
Trivia
While the theatrical version has an upbeat ending, the TV version concludes with Earl and Cody trapped within Mailer's burning house while the police and fire department surround the building.
This was one of the last performances of Robert Ryan. He died of cancer three months before the movie was released.
Reception
Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and praised it as "a classy action picture, very well directed and acted".[1] However, Time magazine wrote, "Director Flynn makes a movie that has been seen before, without either the skill or spirit that distinguished such excellent predecessors as Point Blank and Get Carter".[2] In his review for The New York Times, Vincent Canby wrote, "The Outfit is not really a bad movie. It doesn't fail in an attempt to do something beyond its means. It doesn't attempt to do anything except pass the time, which simply isn't good enough when most of us have access to television".[3]
