The Outfit (1973)

Robert Duvall, amidst carnage and chinoiserie, in The Outfit

John Flynn's The Outfit, from 1973, is a taut noir based upon a Donald E. Westlake novel. A career criminal, Robert Duvall, seeks to avenge his brother's death by waging war upon the mob, the titular "outfit". Aided by an ambivalent moll (Karen Black at her twitchiest) and a gung-ho buddy (Joe Don Baker), Duvall's character won't rest until he brings down the mob's kingpin, played with corrosive cynicism by Robert Ryan.

The film is tight and efficient, but unrelentingly rote. What helps it rise above mediocrity is an outstanding supporting cast chock full of famous faces from the heyday of noir: Elisha Cook Jr., Jane Greer, Timothy Carey, Richard Jaeckel, Marie Windsor, Archie Moore (yes, the boxer), and Tom Reese all make the most of their fleeting moments. 

Flynn, best known for Rolling Thunder, offers workmanlike direction and little else. A good point of comparison is that same year's Charley Varrick. The plot of both films is similar, a maverick criminal butts heads with the mob. Both feature the then peaking Joe Don Baker and supporting turns from Sheree North. In Charley Varrick, Don Siegel is able to guide Ms. North into giving a believable and well rounded performance that greatly adds to the depth and texture of the film. In The Outfit, Flynn directs North to offer a series of lascivious poses. This shows off Ms. North's curves to eye-popping effect and does not detract from the film, her character is a white-trash slattern and trollop, but it demarks the difference between following a genre film's conventions and transcending them. 

Sheree North strikes a pose in the Outfit