Bullitt (1968)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Peter Yates

Writers:

Alan Trustman (screenplay) and
Harry Kleiner (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Steve McQueen As 'Bullitt'

Plot:

An all guts, no glory San Francisco cop becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection.

Plot Keywords:

Killer | Politician | Hotel | Chase | Lieutenant

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Steve McQueen	...	Bullitt
Robert Vaughn	...	Chalmers
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Cathy
Don Gordon	...	Delgetti
Robert Duvall	...	Weissberg
Simon Oakland	...	Captain Bennet
Norman Fell	...	Baker
Georg Stanford Brown	...	Dr. Willard
Justin Tarr	...	Eddy
Carl Reindel	...	Stanton
Felice Orlandi	...	Renick
Vic Tayback	...	Pete Ross (as Victor Tayback)
Robert Lipton	...	1st Aide
Ed Peck	...	Westcott
Pat Renella	...	John Ross
Paul Genge	...	Mike
John Aprea	...	Killer
Al Checco	...	Desk Clerk
Bill Hickman	...	Phil
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mal Alberts	...	Airport Information Agent (uncredited)
Scott Beach	...	Man (uncredited)
Mary Benoit	...	Voice (uncredited)
Barbara Bosson	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Roger Bowen	...	Man (uncredited)
Joy Carlin	...	Woman (uncredited)
Brandy Carroll	...	Mrs. Dorothy Rennick (uncredited)
Joanna Cassidy	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Julie Christy	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Robert Cleaves	...	Uniformed Courtesy Officer (uncredited)
Tony Dario	...	Cop (uncredited)
Michael L. Davis	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Jim Demarest	...	Captain Brady (uncredited)
Chuck Dorsett	...	Airport counterperson (uncredited)
Thomas Duncan	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Marjorie Eaton	...	Mrs. Larkin (uncredited)
Walker Edmiston	...	Voice (uncredited)
Sam Edwards	...	Voice (uncredited)
Mimi Farina	...	Woman (uncredited)
Shirley Fitzgerald	...	Mrs. Bennett (uncredited)
Dick Geary	...	Bully Cop (uncredited)
Frank Gerstle	...	(voice) (uncredited)
Dennis Gribbon	...	Tony Bennett, Captain Bennett's Son (uncredited)
Stacy Harris	...	Voice (uncredited)
Bill Jones	...	2nd Aide (uncredited)
Stu Klitsner	...	Man (uncredited)
Jean Le Bouvier	...	Woman (uncredited)
Margo Lungreen	...	Irene Chalmers (uncredited)
Larry D. Mann	...	Voice (uncredited)
Claire Merrill	...	Mrs. Merrill (uncredited)
Kathleen Morrissey	...	Chalmers' Mother (uncredited)
Ned Moss	...	Senator Dixon (uncredited)
Vic Perrin	...	Voice (uncredited)
Charlene Polite	...	Woman (uncredited)
Suzanne Somers	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Liz Treadwell	...	Woman (uncredited)
Reggie Waldon	...	Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Yates

Writing credits
Alan Trustman		(screenplay) (as Alan R. Trustman) and
Harry Kleiner		(screenplay)
Robert L. Fish		(novel "Mute Witness") (as Robert L. Pike)

Produced by
Philip D'Antoni	....	producer
Robert E. Relyea	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
William A. Fraker		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frank P. Keller

Art Direction by
Albert Brenner

Set Decoration by
Phil Abramson		(as Phillip Abramson)
Ralph S. Hurst

Costume Design by
Theadora Van Runkle

Makeup Department
Pat Davey	....	hair stylist
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: Steve McQueen (uncredited)

Production Management
Joe L. Cramer	....	unit manager
Jack N. Reddish	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tim Zinnemann	....	assistant director
Walter Hill	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
John K. Kean	....	sound
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects

Stunts
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (uncredited)
Max Balchowsky	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Everett Creach	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack L. Dill	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bud Ekins	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Bud Ekins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Geary	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steve McQueen	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Nuckles	....	stunt double: Pat Renella (uncredited)
Paul Nuckles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Sharp	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Courtland	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Douglas Freeman	....	electrician (uncredited)
Rexford L. Metz	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Bernie Schwartz	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alan Levine	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Ralph H. Martin	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Mike Deasy	....	musician (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Bill Hunt	....	transportation co-captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Marshall J. Wolins	....	script supervisor
Max Balchowsky	....	car modifications: Mustang Charger engine and suspension (uncredited)
Pablo Ferro	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
• Solar Productions

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1969) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Pathé Distributors (1970) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (1998) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Creative Design (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Pablo Ferro Films  titles

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:14 | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1968) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | UK:AA (original rating)

Filming Locations:

1153-57 Taylor Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Trivia:

Robert Vaughn has repeatedly said that his performance in this film is his best and contains the work he is most proud of.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Mustang makes its U-turn at the 66 station, Bullitt yields to a 66 Plymouth Fury, which becomes a late 50's Ford Victoria. With the same scene change, the time of day switches from late afternoon to mid-morning (see the shadows).

Quotes:

Cathy: What will happen to us, in time?
Bullitt: Time starts now.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Aurora Borealis (2005)

Maximum Cool

Steve McQueen's career peaked in 1968 with "Bullitt" and "The Thomas Crown Affair," both ideal vehicles for his cool persona. Although superior to its recent remake, "Crown" has not aged gracefully, while "Bullitt" has held up fairly well.

Cool though he may be, Frank Bullitt is a totally committed detective, perhaps even more so than Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle or Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry Callahan. Bullitt is a complete professional who never takes his eye off the objective, no matter how much interference he encounters from his superiors or from Robert Vaughan's scheming politician, Walter Chalmers. And Bullitt, unlike Doyle or Callahan, operates without the histrionics. No one-liners, no yelling and screaming tantrums from this officer. You may not like him very much, but you have to respect his dedication to duty and you'll quickly share his absolute contempt for Chalmers.

"Bullitt" is best remembered for its spectacular car chase in which McQueen reportedly did most of his own driving. But this is not primarily an action film. Aside from the chase and the final shootout at SFO, there's not a lot of violence. Most of the attention is on Bullitt's maneuvering to unravel the mystery and to keep Chalmers off his back.

Recommended if you like McQueen or policiers in general. The pace may be a little slow for people under 30 who are used to a more slam-bang, less cerebral approach to this sort of thing, but "Bullitt" is still worth your time. Just don't expect "Lethal Weapon."