Character Relationship Map: Charley Varrick

Characters

• Charley Varrick (played by Walter Matthau) — protagonist

  Charley is a crop-duster and former stunt pilot who leads a rural bank robbery with Harman. After discovering that the money is Mafia cash, he replaces his dental records, arranges false passports, ou...

• Molly (played by Joe Don Baker) — protagonist

  Molly is a sadistic contract murderer hired to recover the stolen cash. He tortures Harman for information and kills him, then pursues Charley to a remote wrecking yard. After being deceived into caus...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Charley Varrick → Molly (Conflict Enemy) — Charley and Molly become the film's central opposing forces.

  Molly is hired to recover the stolen cash and eventually tracks Charley to the junkyard. He pursues Charley after killing Boyle, while Charley uses a...

Story Analysis

A resourceful thief survives a deadly pursuit after accidentally stealing money connected to organized crime.

Plot Progression

1. A Fatal Rural Heist — Charley participates in a bank robbery that produces an unexpectedly large amount of money. The escape becomes tragic when members of the group are killed.
2. The Hidden Fortune — Charley discovers that the bank concealed the true amount stolen. The television report leads him to suspect that the money belongs to a criminal laundering operation.
3. The Contract Killer Arrives — Charley prepares identification and travel documents for an escape. Meanwhile, Molly is hired to recover the cash and kills an accomplice while seeking information.
4. The Dangerous Bargain — After finding the corpse, Charley travels to Reno and offers to return the money. He arranges a meeting while suspecting that the opposing side intends to betray him.
5. The Junkyard Gambit — Charley detects Molly's presence and turns the meeting into a deception. The chase ends with a crashed plane, a booby-trapped trunk, and Molly's death.