Well, I wasnt going to argue, so I said, okay, fine. McQueens stint as a stunt driver didnt last long, however. After losing control of his car and smashing into a parked vehicle, Steve McQueens then-wife Neile begged Peter Yates to use stuntmen. With reviews like that, and sharing double billing with the hit BONNIE AND CLYDE, BULLITT devastated audiences with incredible scenes of leaping, screaming automobiles that seemed to fly off the screen. This was his personal car and he wasnt a rich guy, he didnt have a real nice car. He was hired after McQueen saw his 1967 UK feature Robbery, with its extended car chase. Here we collect the 33 best car chases ever put in movies, and rank them all. An iconic film of the 1960s that helped nurture the aura of star Steve McQueen, Bullitt really came into its own with its impressive car chase through the steep streets of San Francisco. If you want to know more about where exactly the Mustang and Charger were racing in San Francisco this web page provides details and photos (from 1968 and more recently) of the physically impossible route traversed during the chase. Said Ron Riner, Pat Houstis was excellent and he was in his prime at the time. Carey Loftin has nothing but praise for Mr. Houstis and an amusing recollection. The next cut puts them eight miles away, back in the Vistacion Valley district, turning right from University St. on to Mansell St. From there they cut to Western entrance to Guadelupe Canyon Parkway on San Bruno Mountain in Daly City three miles away, heading East. Chalmers drives away in his limousine, its bumper sticker reads, Support Your Local Police.. Recalls Carey Loftin: Several years after BULLITT, an extra (on another set) was talking about BULLITT, and he was saying how it was amazing how accidents get into films and he said that the best one he ever saw was the scene where Bud Elkins did the spill off the motorcycle. But when a pair of hitmen ambush their secret location, fatally wounding Ross, things don't add up for Bullitt, so he decides to investigate the case on his own. My car was disintegrating. Now think what hed do for the star? Brit director Peter Yates set the industry standard for car chases in this San Francisco based police actioner.. In reality they only filmed on sections of the route but thats movie business for ya! [64], Steve McQueen's likeness as Frank Bullitt was used in two Ford commercials. Even on the 185, they (the audience) jumped out of their seats. They turn from Laguna St., in front of Ft. Mason, onto Marina and in front of the Safeway. We did lose a lot of hubcaps on the Charger. Leonard Maltin has called it a now-classic car chase, one of the screens all-time best. Emanuel Levy wrote in 2003 that, Bullitt contains one of the most exciting car chases in film history, a sequence that revolutionized Hollywoods standards. In his obituary for Peter Yates, Bruce Weber wrote, Mr. [31][59][71] The Kiernans used it as a family vehicle before placing it in storage in 1980. Ive always had good luck with Fords, and didnt want to spend money if i didnt have to putting a Holley on. Carey Loftin says, the extras were a big help. Popular with locals and tourists alike for many years, the citys steep streets gained international fame thanks to Bullitt. We realized we didnt know what to do because no one had ever done this before. What hadnt been done before was a chase scene, done at speed(up to 110 miles per hour) through the city streets and not on a movie studio back lot. There were car chase scenes in the movies long before Bullitt (lots of 'em), and there have been even more car chase scenes in the movies since Bullitt. Every film location has its secrets. Both Mustangs were owned by the Ford Motor Company and part of a promotional loan agreement with Warner Brothers. I dont really know; but, if I had to pick one Id pick the chase scene from the 1968 movie Bullitt. We had to weld reinforcements under the arms and stuff on the Dodge. The Hollywood Reporter's original . To prepare himself, his crew and the cars for the movie sequence, McQueen and company went to the Cotati race course near San Francisco. They really described Bill Hickman., Steve McQueen chats to young fans on location, The screenplay of the movie was written by Alan Trustman, based on the novel, Mute Witness by Robert L. Pike. There may have been chase scenes before, but nothing before or since has equalled the intensity and impact of BULLITT. [10][11] Lalo Schifrin wrote the original jazz-inspired score. "[38] This chase scene has also been cited by critics as groundbreaking in its realism and originality. Do you know the definition of an alcoholic? At the time of the films release, the car chase scene generated a great amount of excitement. They were replaced with two 1968 375-hp 440 Magnum V8-powered Dodge Chargers. Naturally, it won that year's Academy Award for Best Editing". [56] Another version of the Ford Mustang Bullitt, which is closer to resembling the original film Mustang, was released in 2008, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the film. By March of 1968, Meridian West had been noticed by Steve McQueen, the actor, who was captivated by a performance at The Trident. So I was a little hesitant. To realize the famous scene of the pursuit, two Ford Mustang Fastback V8 GT 390 were lent by by the American brand to the production. The Mustang's interior rearview mirror goes up and down depending on who is driving: when the mirror is up, McQueen is visible behind the wheel, when it is down, a stunt man is driving. The next morning they were spraying my hair down and cutting it. However, Ross (now using Renick's passport) has switched to an earlier London flight. We use cookies to optimize our website and service. Mafia men in a Dodge Charger tail Frank Bullitt, but he . Yates reputation probably rests most securely on Bullitt (1968), his first American film and indeed, on one particular scene, an extended car chase that instantly became a classic. The editing of this scene likely won editor Frank P. Keller the Academy Award for Best Editing. The screenplay by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner was based on the 1963 novel Mute Witness, by Robert L. Fish, writing under the pseudonym Robert L. Pike. [62][63] In the 2011 video game, Driver: San Francisco, the "Bite the Bullet" mission is based on the famous chase scene, with licensed versions of the Mustang and Charger from the film. One such review, by the National Observer, said, Whatever you have heard about the auto chase scene in BULLITT is probably truea terrifying, deafening shocker. Life magazine wrote, a crime flick with a taste of geniusan action sequence that must be compared to the best in film history.. I think it really saved the film, because most people dont remember the story, they remember the chase. Rdacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dpareilles. One of the few modern car chases I like is from The Bourne Supremacy (2004). Also, according to the book entitled The Films of Steve McQueen by Casey St. Charnaz, the other reason for McQueens removal from the Mustang was that McQueens wife at the time found out that he wanted to do all his own driving and apparently SHE had some input into the decision not to have him do all the driving. The Untouchables does. Car '558 had been damaged severely during filming and was subsequently sent to a scrapyard. Billy Fraker, the cinematographer for the film, attributed the success of the chase sequence primarily to the work of the editor, Frank P. Keller. Now get into that car and get your foot into it! We got the shot on the next take., One particular scene that impressed Max Balchowsky was the gunman in the Dodge firing a shotgun blast at the pursuing Mustang that shatters the right front of the windshield. Said Ron Riner, "Pat Houstis was excellent and he was in his prime at the time." The chase in Bullit doesnt have a baby carriage in it, now does it? Bullitt thwarts a second assassination attempt at the hospital, but Ross dies from his earlier wounds. On Sunday, Chalmers stops Captain Sam Bennett outside the family church and served him with a writ of habeas corpus for Ross. We also interviewed Max Balchowsky, the man responsible for maintaining the Mustang GT and the Charger throughout the filming. I let him go ahead and tell it. I was bangin into Bill. The car chase can be seen playing on the screen in the drive-in theater scene in the 2014 film, Need for Speed. McQueen gave the group a visual cameo appearance in the movie, "Bullitt," which was being filmed in San Francisco in April." My favorite car from the movie is the Porsche 356 owned by his girlfriend. Or is there an official count somewhere? So when McQueen reported for duty to find stuntman Bud Ekins sitting in his car, dressed as McQueen, he was furious. Until you run out of money, youve got to stop me!, In an interview with Motor Trend magazine, Steve McQueen related his desire to bring a high speed chase to the screen. Due to the length of this part of the movie and the endless action in it, these . The plane is ordered to return to the terminal. He flowed well with the car. Also on hand was the late Bill Hickman, the fantastic stunt driver who would handle the menacing Dodge Charger in BULLITT. What was the greatest car chase scene of all time? The story begins with Bullitt assigned to a seemingly routine detail, protecting mafia informant Johnny Ross (Pat Renella), who is scheduled to testify against his Mob cronies before a Senate subcommittee in San Francisco. Both were painted Highland Green and had the GT package with 390 CID engines. Released by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts on October 17, 1968, the film was a critical and box-office success, later winning the Academy Award for Best Film Editing (Frank P. Keller) and receiving a nomination for Best Sound. Heres a good read on it: https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2018/01/14/mustang-bullitt-found-real-mcqueen. 'Bullitt' Review: Movie (1968) - The Hollywood Reporter Equally deserving of attention is the Dodge Charger R/T that was chasing the Mustang. They accelerate down Marina with the Marina Green and the Bay visible in the background. Delving into the. (Look up Odessa steps baby carriage if youve never heard of it). The brief prologue is set in Chicago with the briefest establishing shot of the Chicago Sun Times Building and the Marina City Towers - though the action itself was, like the rest of the movie, filmed in San Francisco.. Detective Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) has to track down a . "[25], At the time of the film's release, the exciting car chase scenes, featuring McQueen at the wheel in all driver-visual scenes, generated prodigious excitement. in. For the rear end, Balchowsky told us, I got some special rear springs, what you call a high spring rate, a flat without any arch in it, and using that spring the car would stay low. Shooting from multiple angles simultaneously and creating a montage from the footage to give the illusion of different streets also resulted in the speeding cars passing the same vehicles at several different times, including, as widely noted, a green Volkswagen Beetle. McQueen, an accomplished race car driver, blocked out the chase scenes himself. | About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. Later, we took both cars out and went playing around with them over by Griffith Park (near Los Angeles). Im not going to cite a particular favorite, but this topic provides an opportunity to rant on how terrible most car chases have gotten since the advent of computer graphics. There was class to the BULLITT chase, there was a reason for it, and thats one of the key things people forget: the greatest stunt in the world is worthless if there isnt a reason or story to it and BULLITT had a story point all the way through and a reason. In 2001, the Ford Motor Company released the Bullitt edition Ford Mustang GT. And all these are sort of like the Wilhelm scream an in joke for movie buffs, I think. BULLITT was also the first picture done with live sound (some of which was added later as needed). When the time came to start shooting, the production managed to obtain the approval of the San Francisco City Council. They turn hard left next onto a four-lane street with a concrete median, what might be Columbus. The Story Behind The Lost Bullitt Mustang Discovered In A - HotCars It was WILD reckless driving, but it was planned and coordinated. Well that was a great turn of events. The scenes, which were novelty then but classic now, were brilliantly executed. No one has duplicated the electricity or the savage ferocity that manifested itself in BULLITT chase scenes, and its doubtful anyone ever will. We wanted some shots of the Mustang really burning the corners. In the next scene the Dodge is going north, rounding Laguna onto Marina, having leaped six blocks. The picture stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bisset. Remember that banging going down? I vote Bullitt as best car chase if for no other reason than Steve McQueen defined cool. The next few scenes are in the Bernal and Potrero areas; you can see green hills to the southwest on the horizon in one shot. As with the Mustang, all parts were fluxed. I find car chases in movies from the 1970s and 1980s much more satisfying than most of the more modern fare because the older ones were more realistic in that the cars had to actually perform the stunts, and they tend to have longer shots, rather than the more modern rapid cut and splice techniques that make it hard to follow exactly whats going on. I didnt do the shots going down the hill, they pulled me out of the car. Unfortunately one now must suspend disbelief on DeNiro and pretend one isnt watching an [expletive]. It starts off in slow cat-and-mouse style, accompanied by a nerve-tingling Lalo Schifrin score, as Bullitt is tailed by two hit men. The high-speed chase ends after the driver of the stolen truck is rammed by a patrol car at a gas station in Hacienda Heights. As director Peter Yates prepared to begin filming the chase scenes, there were four drivers, McQueen, Bud Ekins, Bill Hickman, and in a few scenes, Carey Loftin. Exactly! The Charger is just barely faster than the Mustang, with a 13.6-second quarter-mile to a 13.8-second. [68] In November 2022, Bradley Cooper was cast as Frank Bullitt. The Charger is just barely faster than the Mustang, with a 13.6-second quarter-mile to a 13.8-second. They top a rise and Angel Island comes into view slightly on the left, placing them on about Stockton and Chestnut. We trimmed the tires down (on the Charger), we practically made them down to bicycle tires to try and handicap Hickman, and Bill just run them. Carey Loftin also recalls, we test ran the car at Griffith Park near the Observatory, up a long hill. Because Dodge had also brought back the Charger, the article featured a promotional gimmick of photographing the 2008 Mustang and 2008 Charger simulating the famous chase scene with the writers breaking down the Chase, moment by moment, to explain each cars strengths and weaknesses. They were real good., Because some of the stunts were so well orchestrated, they did not look like stunts at all. 1968 Dodge Charger "Bullitt" Car Is Up For Sale [23], Bullitt is notable for its extensive use of actual locations rather than studio sets, and its attention to procedural detail, from police evidence processing to emergency-room procedures. The operator of the first camera said, Steves not getting his foot into it, hes a better driver than that. I went to Steve and said, you know Pat Houstis is a terrific driver. Steve said yeah, yeah he is. I said, he knows responsibility too. When McQueen is driving the rear view mirror is down reflecting his face. Wed put the hubcaps back on, but I suppose it probably would have been better if we had left them off., Ill tell you this, said Max Balchowsky, I was really impressed with the Mustang after I got done with it. McQueen hadnt planned on having a stunt driver. Hed run into a parked car or hit a tree just to miss me. Twenty-one seconds later, Coit Tower appears in the Mustangs front window to the east (as can be ascertained by the buildings shadows). Or that the bus ofInto The Wild has been moved to discourage fans from spending the night there? [25] According to McQueen, "The thing we tried to achieve was not to do a theatrical film, but a film about reality. And all these are sort of like the Wilhelm scream an in joke for movie buffs, I think. Bullitt (1968) - The Ultimate Car Chase Scene w/ the Mustang GT390 Bullitt reveals that Ross died. Super Reviewer. Bullitt | 1968 - The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations He was excellent.. For example, additional sound was needed because on occasion a tire squeal was not picked up by the microphones. the most famous car chase in the history of American film in stop motion withn hot wheels carsfrom the steve mcqueen movie Bullitt (1968) He also said the Dodge Chargers had to be purchased without promotional consideration, but after the success of the movie and the increase in Charger sales, Chrysler was more than willing to be generous with their vehicles to Warner Brothers for future projects. .this was an obvious send-up of Bullett. The car ended up in New Jersey a few years later, where Steve McQueen attempted to buy it. From the story of the construction of The Bridge on the River Kwai to the incredible encounter during the shooting of the last scene ofIndiana Jones and the Last Crusadeembark on an exciting world tour with the greatest stars of the seventh art. You couldnt really remember the complete story, if somebody asked you, unless you read the script, because the script was much better and made more sense., As filming of the chase progressed, Loftin wanted to see the daily work (rushes). Bullitt is a 1968 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Philip D'Antoni.The picture stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bisset. It was real!, McQueen was determined to have the best car chase ever done, recalls Carey Loftin. Frank Bullitts car is a 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT 2+2 Fastback. What does hold up is a good slow moving story for solid entertainment. It was successful at the 1970 Laurel Awards, winning Golden Laurel awards for Best Action Drama, Best Action Performance (Steve McQueen) and Best Female New Face (Jacqueline Bisset). [52] Frank P. Keller won the 1969 Academy Award for Best Film Editing, and it was also nominated for Best Sound. The section where the steps are located is also famous for its wild parrots. We questioned some of the crew who participated in the filming, and asked them how the chase was coordinated and shot, who was involved in the chase scenes and what happened during the filming. With a slope of 31.5% in places, Filbert Street connects Lyon Street, next to the Presidio, and Telegraph Hill. 562K views 2 years ago #SteveMcQueen #CarChase #60s A visual and verbal breakdown of the famous car chase to the 1968 American crime thriller starring Steve McQueen Bullitt. The car chase scene in the 1968 American action-thriller film Bullitt is considered one of the best and most exciting in cinematic history. Sure, Bullitt wins for a straight car chase but for a comic car chase,Blues Brothersrules: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz81ZO0qfvI. They then are headed north and turn from Larkin St. onto Francisco St. headed west. [30] The Mustangs' engines, brakes and suspensions were heavily modified for the chase by veteran car racer and technician Max Balchowsky. An informant says that the scuttlebutt is that Ross is alive and in town trying to flee the country because he stole a fortune from the mob. St. Martin's Press. Stunt coordinator Carey Loftin got Bud Ekins to drive the Mustang for the bulk of the stunts. Tex929rr(View Comment): But the story, according to Ron Riner was not the key element to the success of the movie. While examining the victim's luggage, Bullitt and Delgetti discover a travel brochure for Rome and traveler's checks made out to an Albert and Dorothy Renick. [3], Bullitt was well received by critics, and is considered by some to be one of the best films of 1968. In the next cut, they are coming downhill, north towards the Bay. Steve McQueens cool never goes away. The engine also came in for some modifications, including milling the heads, adding an aftermarket high performance ignition system and reworking the the carburetor and adding headers. Consequently, it was Elkins who drove the car down hilly Chestnut Avenue. Eventually, it was agreed to keep the chase within only a few city blocks. Bullitt movie clips: http://j.mp/2jsMrf9BUY THE MOVIE: http://bit.ly/2jxFNUNDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION:Bullitt (Steve McQueen) refuses to back down when the Charger trying to follow him takes it up a notch, leading to a chase through the streets of San Francisco.FILM DESCRIPTION:In one of his most famous roles, Steve McQueen stars as tough-guy police detective Frank Bullitt. He goofed up, and they said, thats it, get him out of the car. Motorcycle Classics magazine reported the sale, observing the McQueen effect still obtains, meaning it went for 2 or 3 times the money it would have if he had not owned it once. [53] Five nominations at the BAFTA Film Awards for 1969 included Best Director for Peter Yates, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Vaughn, Best Cinematography for William A. Fraker, Best Film Editing for Frank P. Keller, and Best Sound Track. Steve handled the Mustang real well, recalled Riner. Bullitt - Car Chase - Complete Reel SF At San Francisco International Airport, Delgetti and Bullitt watch the Rome gate. Finally, the frantic race ends outside the city on the Guadalupe Canyon Parkway, on the Brisbane side, after 10 minutes and 53 seconds. Delgetti will take the first shift, then Stanton and then Bullitt. Bullitt (1968) - San Francisco Car Chase Scene (4/10) - YouTube Bennett confronts Bullitt and Delgetti in the presence of SFPD Captain Baker, who wants Chalmers' support for the department. Like when theyre (Hickman and Genge) going up the hill and theyre after Steve and all of a sudden he disappears and they cant see him and the guy (Hickman) looks up and Steve appears in his rear view mirror. "[48], In 2004, The New York Times placed the film on its list of the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made. Yates and Steve were particular. Bullitt was co-produced by McQueen's Solar Productions and Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, the film pitched to Jack L. Warner as "doing authority differently". Its someone you dont like who drinks as much as you do!. The thirteen minute car chase is the famous centerpiece of the movie. The film opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Thursday, October 17, 1968,[1] together with a new stage show. The other hitman was played by Paul Genge, who played a character who had ridden a Dodge off the road to his death in an episode of Perry Mason ("The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise") two years earlier. [26][27][28][29], Two 1968 390 cu. Over the years, fans have asked questions about the two cars used in the movie, a 1968 Dodge Charger and a 1968 Mustang 390 GT. In the emergency room operation scene, real doctors and nurses were used as the supporting cast. On Oct. 17, 1968, Steve McQueen roared into theaters with Bullitt, a car-chase-filled actioner that nabbed two Oscar nominations at the 41st Academy Awards. [32] In one scene, the Charger crashes into the camera; the damaged front fender is noticeable in later scenes. Earlier in the post, I mentioned that there were many car chase scenes in the movies pre-Bullitt. Loftin insisted, and threatened to quit unless he could view the daily work. Yeah, that was a good one! Bullitt was also the first film done with live sound, and the sounds of the road gradually overtake Lalo Schifrin's score. The map below shows the whole route as we are supposed to believe. [45][46][47] At the time, Renata Adler made the film a New York Times Critics' Pick, calling it a "terrific movie, just right for Steve McQueen-fast, well acted, written the way people talk." Also included are additional cues that were not used in the film. The film was made by McQueen's Solar Productions company, with his partner Robert Relyea as executive producer. Bullitt realizes that Ross must be escaping the country that night, using the flight booked for Renick.