The Last Run (1971)

THE LAST RUN  (1971)  ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2
    D: Richard Fleischer
    George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere,
    Tony Musante, Colleen Dewhurst
The first thing you see in this movie is George C. Scott in a garage somewhere, tinkering with the engine of a souped-up convertible. The next thing you see, he's out on one of those winding, blind-corner highways that follow the seacoast in Portugal and Spain. He's taking it up to speeds that can accurately be described as insane, and at first you think he's out to kill himself. Then you realize that, no, he's practicing. Scott's character, Harry Garmes, is a retired getaway driver, living comfortably but getting bored in Albufeira, when he decides to go out on another job to see if he still has what it takes. The job involves driving an escaped convict and his girlfriend over the border from Spain into France. The convict is played by Tony Musante, who deserves a spot next to Andy Robinson in the screen psycho hall of fame. The girl is played by Trish Van Devere, who would eventually become Scott's wife. Interestingly, Colleen Dewhurst, Scott's wife at the time of the shoot, is in the movie, too. It's a good, literate action thriller, with European locations that let you know why movies get made there. Fleischer replaced the original director, John Huston, who, among other things, was not especially fond of George C. Scott.