MovieChat Forums > Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974) Discussion > Deke dissed

Deke dissed

posted 14 years ago by choatelodge
10 replies | jump to latest

There have been people ask why Mary is 'dirty'. Probably because the writers needed a catchy title that wouldn't offend and dirty was a good enough euphemism that people reading the marquee would 'get it' but the legions from the womens' church groups would not be offended enough to picket the cinemas.

They couldn't really have 'slutty Mary...' in the name. But more to the point, why does the title omit any mention of Deke, when that guy is a full member of the original criminal duo and actually has more screen time than Mary? I mean heck, he's the guy who keeps fixing the cars that Larry keeps damaging! If Larry had just driven like a human being instead of swerving around like an idiot and banging up their getaway cars they'd most likely have gotten away with the robbery.
'Course there wouldn't be a movie worth watching, except for the scenes with tight bodied Mary in tight clothes.
But Deke gets no billing whatsoever! It should have been Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and Deke the Drunk.

But then Deke is only said to have an alcohol problem, we never see it. Actually he's the only one with a bit of brain power. He's the one who realizes there's no army of cop cars closing in on them in Walnut Grove, it's all just talk.
So maybe it should have been called 'Skanky Thief Mary, Idiot Larry, and Deke the only one with a bit of common sense.
Not enough sense to ditch those other two losers though.

[–] JWRosa 14 years ago

I like the title "Larry, Mary & Deke"... or the book's title, simply "The Chase".

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] DD-931 14 years ago

Adam Roarke steals this movie.

[–] Avenger69 13 years ago

Fonda is correct in a roundabout way when he says "Pursuit" is the title - it's is on the shooting script I have.

"It's people..."

[–] Beeracuda 13 years ago

As a matter of fact, Deke was the one that did most of the dirty work during the heist. He had to break into the manager's home, subdue his wife and kid, and set up the answering machine tape to delay them calling the cops. All Larry did was walk into the manager's office with an empty paper bag and walk out with the money.

"Move that cone!! I'm Lindsay Lohan!!"

[–] BoxOfficePoison 13 years ago

I remember seeing ads for this movie when I was a kid, and I just watched it for the first time. All these years, I never even knew there was a third person in that car.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] mcintyro 11 years ago

Deke's alcohol problem is addressed several times in film, and in subtle ways.

I must say Deke is one of my favorite movie characters, largely due to Adam Roarke's fine work.

Here they are, and there maybe more:

1) While confronting the wife and daughter at beginning, he sees a healthy liquor display in the house, and eyes it for a few seconds.

2) Larry chews him out about it, which is the most obvious.

3) They stop at a bar and he, disappointedly, orders a Coke.

This is a 90 minute chase film, well done, but they just provide enough info for you to know.

Deke was probably very, but his was a pressure job, more than Larry's, as Deke has to sweat the important racing details.

[–] maxtshea 10 years ago

If they left it open for a sequel, they could have pitted Peter Fonda up against Clint Eastwood -- Dirty Harry, Crazy Larry (!)

[–] ABBAcat 8 years ago

Came here to post just that. Film was about the 3 of them but the title only mentions 2. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, Resourceful Deke... hmmm

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