1968's Fastest Chase
Bullitt Sets a Lone Cop Standard
Got Milk? McQueen Sets a Good Example for Youthful Following |
There was a college-era bar where televisions played silent for atmosphere. One crowded night, November 1, 1973 (CBS premiere), saw imbibers transfixed as the Bullitt chase began on multiple 22" screens before us. Everyone stopped, held glasses, looking no longer at each other but at the tube. Imagination provided its own engine sounds, or maybe we remembered Bullitt screech and roar from theatres and would not need them now. It was a memorable moment for knowing what the right movie could do to a crowd otherwise distracted, Bullitt's chase hypnotic even on a night out-and-away from TV glare. To further transition, note seat belts as needed accessory where pursuit gets hot. Even the heavies use them, if nothing else than to announce a rugged drive ahead, so buckle up, and with leather gloves. We'd soon use belts for Sunday driving as well as car chasing, or ought to. It's become law in most states. Did folks disdain the precaution because it made them feel less like free spirits? Perhaps Bullitt contributed to safety straps as cool accessory, if not a necessary one. Who knows, maybe it saved some lives.
It Got Shown Lots in '68, and Now It's a Blu-Ray Extra |
Steve Wanted it Real, So Insisted Bullitt Be Made in Frisco |
Solar's Boss Calls Bullitt Shots |
A Herald That Was Inserted Into Participating Newspapers |
McQueen produced Bullitt and ran all aspects of the show, casting friends (Don Gordon, Robert Vaughn), and cutting his own dialogue to quick. He picked Peter Yates to direct after being impressed with the British Robbery (1967). McQueen to his credit also insisted on San Francisco location filming. The city still had flakes of glamour left from Vertigo's visit in 1958, but look behind Bullitt players and there is preview of squalor to come, for instance McQueen and cast driving past adult book stores that surely weren't there when Jim Stewart shadowed Kim Novak in Hitchcock's thriller. Arresting too are initial minutes of McQueen following quarry over Frisco hills, prior to break-out of the chase, lots like Stewart doing the same in Vertigo. Singular thrill is this calm morphing into This Is Cinerama on Frisco roller coaster, our driver POV a close ally to sensation had when three-panels got going.
Offbeat and Engaging Ad Copy a Hallmark of Warner 60's Selling |
Steve About To Say a Cuss Word That Will Shock (?) His Family Audience |
Harsh Crime Scene Reality as Part-Basis for Bullitt's "M" Rating |
14 Comments:
Pajamas! Glass of milk! Asparagus! Parallel parking! Wonderful, just wonderful observations in this post! What a keen eye you have, John, for the revealing details. Had to reread this piece two more times while having morning coffee, enjoying both so much!
I always loved this film and Lalo Schiffrin's music. There is an RCA Victor LP in which he performs the main theme of the film with most of his original jazz band that was recorded live in a theater in Argentina. It is in YouTube.
Dave K --- So much appreciate your generous response. As it happens, BULLITT is my very favorite 60's film.
Radiotelefonia --- There is a wonderful CD of ALL Schiffrin's BULLITT score from Film Score Monthly. Highly recommended!
My Dad wanted to see BULLITT for our payday movie but the "M" rating put the kibosh on that. Once we went to see a double feature at the drive-in and the second film was MCKENNA'S GOLD. The rating M was shown before the opening credits and Mom said 'Home, James." My Dad and I were disappointed.
In my book, NO ONE defined the term "cool" better then Steve McQueen and Dean Martin.
They didn't try to be cool, they just were.
I was recently watching "The Seven-Ups" on TCM and thought the baddie driver looked familiar so I looked him up. Turns out it was the same guy being chased by Steve McQueen in "Bullit",Bill Hickman. And if IMDB is to be believed, he also did the driving in "The French Connection". His passenger in "Bullit" with the shotgun was Tom Steele from Republic's "The Masked Marvel" who besides playing the title character, shows up a couple of times as bad guy fodder.
Really entertaining blog today John! I look forward to starting the day with your entries, and if there's not a new one, I hit the archives. Even the comments are a lot of fun!
Thanks, MikeD. Very glad to know that the archive is being enjoyed. I keep the indexes updated to make searching easier. 2177 columns at Greenbriar since 2005.
As I recall -- and you can correct me -- the chase scene relied on sound effects without a note of music. Today, it would be wall to wall score, as if mistrusting the action onscreen.
McQueen wasn't a great actor, but he was definitely a 24-karat star, the likes of which are becoming increasingly rare.
Great post. However the illustration at the top is tops. THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI just can't be topped. Not by anyone.
Here is a rarity from Lalo Schiffrin from 12 years before that is unknown to English speakers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRRzQQk9ukQ
In my home theater, when I have friends over, I do a "pre-show" - movie theater ads and snipes, an older documentary short, trailers, and a music video.
One night, I snuck in this - the prelude to the famous car chase with only the soundtrack music and no effects track. It makes for a perfect little music video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EK5MHzqcaw
Mr. KK --
Au Contaire! He was a great FILM actor, his special talent was showing what he was thinking with his eyes. Often, people on set would not see what he was doing until the rushes came back.
"His special talent was showing what he was thinking with his eyes."
That goes right back to D. W. Griffith. The movies are all about acting with the eyes.
Watched this yesterday for the first time in years (as a result of this post). Except for the car chase I had forgotten it completely. I expected Robert Vaughan to be unmasked as a puppet of the"organization" at the end. He wasn't but I still think he was up to no good.
I think McQueen's character was set up to be a fall guy.
The release of the newly revived Ford Mustang here in Canada (fourth generation [1994–2004]) was accompanied by a showing of Bullitt on CTV (our second national TV network) sponsored by Ford of Canada in 1994, focusing on a new Ford Mustang in the same colors as shown in the film.
Much recently, there's been fan art of the chase from the movie, but as done if the cars shown in the chase were like characters from the movie Cars:
https://www.deviantart.com/danyboz/art/Cars-Bullitt-141730849
https://www.deviantart.com/danyboz/art/Cars-Bullitt-Old-fashion-142147058
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