Larry and Deke, seemingly a couple of regular guys, head off
early one morning to make some money. They drive by the local supermarket, the
Save Mart, towards a home on a quiet residential street, where Larry drops Deke
off. Deke enters the well kept home and promptly takes the people inside--a
mother and her young daughter--hostage. Meanwhile, Larry drives back to the Save
Mart, where he waits for a phone call from Deke. Once he gets the call, Larry
goes into the store and takes the money from the safe, which the manager
willingly hands over to him, because it's his wife and daughter who are being
held hostage by Deke. Everything goes according to plan, until Larry gets into
the car and finds Mary, the spaced-out young woman whom he had spent the night
with. While Larry thought he was finished with her, Mary is certainly not
finished with Larry, and so she merrily goes along for the ride. And what a ride
it turns out to be.
Released for the first time on DVD (as well as in its original widescreen format) by Anchor Bay, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is one
of the classic action films of the 1970s. It's a free wheeling adventure with a
trio of rebels tooling around California first in a Blue Chevy Impala, and then
in a '69 Dodge Charger. Peter Fonda stars as Larry, while Susan George plays the
ditzy Mary to perfection. Adam Roarke is notable as the smooth Deke, and the
late Vic Morrow chews the scenery as the police commander chasing after Larry,
Mary and Deke. Roddy McDowell, Galen himself from Planet Of The
Apes, plays the harried supermarket manager whose family is held hostage.
Tautly directed by John Hough, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is a smart, funny story with
unrelenting action that barely lets up.
With Fonda playing a racecar driver who's itching to get back on the track
behind the wheel of some big muscle cars, the movie plays like an extended car
chase--sort of like a Mad Max movie with the wild car stunts, but without the
apocalyptic scenery. While watching this film, I noted that it had two good old
boys dodging the law with a pretty girl in tow, and I couldn't help but wonder
if it inspired the creators of The Dukes Of Hazzard. For the plots--such as they
are--are a lot alike. The DVD comes with a commentary by Director Hough and DVD
producer Perry Martin, a brand new documentary looking back at the making of
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry called "Ride The Wild Side", and an original TV ad for
the 1969 Dodge Charger, one of the legendary muscle cars of its era. There are
also trailers, TV spots, radio spots and a poster and stills gallery. And so if
you're looking for a fast-paced thrill ride that tweaks the nose of authority,
then look no further than Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry. --SF
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