Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974)

Review by Mari Lynne Rupp



Mary and Larry are two lovers who, with Larry's ace mechanic, rob a grocery store and flee the police with hopes of making the professional racing circuit. They are chased over hill, over vale by the cops, who deploy everything from a 426 Hemi to a helicopter to stop Larry's Dodge Charger culminating in a memorable ending.
Starring Susan George (Mary) Peter Fonda (Larry) and honorable mentions to Adam Roarke, Roddy McDowell and Vic Morrow, this movie has action, sex and plenty of eye candy for muscle car enthusiasts. Ever since I fell in love with Dodge muscle cars in "Death Proof", I knew I had to see this movie. It is a fabulous specimen of Grindhouse cinema, and well-paired with "Vanishing Point" as a double feature.
Susan George does a great job as Mary, a hang-loose kind of girl with more guts than brains as she trails after Larry and Deke (Roarke) after they rob a supermarket to fund their dreams of driving Nascar, her sense of adventure and outrageous screaming out her sense of survival, not clueing in that these dangerous criminals might be, you know, dangerous.
Peter Fonda as criminal/playboy/stockcar driver who's weakness for pretty is almost their undoing a few times. and Adam Roarke as long-suffering mechanic Deke, who endures Larry and Mary's banter, argueing and lovemaking. Narrowly missing law officials bent on bringing them to justice, you find yourself rooting for this unlikely group up until the surprise ending. This is a great movie for a rainy afternoon. As many rainy afternoons as you may get. 8/10

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