IMDb >
Duel (1971) (TV)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsDuel (1971) (TV) More at IMDbPro »
| Videos |
|
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
13 November 1971 (USA)
more
Tagline:
A duel is about to begin between a man, a truck, and an open road. Where a simple battle of wits is now a matter of life and death. more
Plot:
A business commuter is pursued and terrorized by a malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Truck
|
Road
|
Truck Driver
|
California
|
Desert
more
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe.
Another 2 wins
&
2 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(18 articles)
How Paranormal Activity became a frightening success
(From The Guardian - Film News. 20 November 2009, 4:10 PM, PST)
Death on Wheels. First trailer for Aussie horror Road Train
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 17 November 2009, 4:38 AM, PST)
(From The Guardian - Film News. 20 November 2009, 4:10 PM, PST)
Death on Wheels. First trailer for Aussie horror Road Train
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 17 November 2009, 4:38 AM, PST)
User Comments:
The ultimate car chase movie...
more (240 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Dennis Weaver | ... | David Mann |
 | Eddie Firestone | ... | Cafe Owner |
| Gene Dynarski | ... | Man in Cafe |
| Tim Herbert | ... | Gas Station Attendant |
| Charles Seel | ... | Old Man |
| Alexander Lockwood | ... | Old Man in Car |
| Amy Douglass | ... | Old Woman in Car |
| Shirley O'Hara | ... | Waitress |
| Lucille Benson | ... | Lady at Snakerama |
| Carey Loftin | ... | The Truck Driver (as Cary Loftin) |
| Dale Van Sickel | ... | Car Driver (as Dale Van Sickle) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
90 min | USA:74 min (original version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Iceland:L |
USA:PG (1984) |
Canada:PG (Ontario) |
Brazil:12 |
Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) |
UK:PG (video rating) |
Australia:PG |
Norway:12 |
Sweden:11 |
UK:AA (original rating) |
USA:PG |
West Germany:12 |
Singapore:PG |
Spain:13 |
Finland:S (1996) |
Finland:K-16 (1973) |
Finland:K-12 (1984)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The phone number Dennis Weaver dials to call his wife at the gas station is not the standard "555" movie prefix but, at the time, a valid number.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: After Mann leaps from the car and the car crashes head-on into the truck, the truck pushes the car backwards. After a brief shot of Mann, we see the car being pushed sideways, as if it had been broadsided.
more
Quotes:
[first lines]
[radio playing, driving down the road, approaches the truck]
[David coughs, coughs again]
David Mann: Talk about pollution.
more
[radio playing, driving down the road, approaches the truck]
[David coughs, coughs again]
David Mann: Talk about pollution.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Richard Matheson: The Writing of 'Duel' (2004) (V)
more
Soundtrack:
Brush Those Tears from Your Eyes
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (240 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Duel (1971) (TV) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Joy Ride | Little Miss Sunshine | The Spider Returns | The Last Chase | Wild at Heart |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Horror section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
Leave it to prosemaster extraordinaire, Richard Matheson (a favorite of mine and the man Stephen King acknowledges as being his biggest influence), to come up a premise so simple yet so believable and terrifying that the viewer will never look at an eighteen-wheeler the same way ever again...and leave it to cinematic wunderkind, Stephen Spielburg, to do right by Matheson's script and win acclaim in the bargain.
Though some may argue that "Bullit", "Vanishing Point", or maybe even the original "Gone in 60 Seconds" could be called the ultimate car chase movie, "Duel" deserves this designation better because it does something none of the above films can claim. The story literally starts on the road and ends on the road. No location in the entire film is ever out of sight of the highway and, in spite of the brief conversation with the wife, virtually nothing else happens outside the highway. For David Mann (played adequately enough by Dennis Weaver) and the monster truck he's trying to get away from, the road and everything alongside it is their entire universe. Nothing else of importance exists outside of it.
Though it's never mentioned in the film, this would seem to take place on the California highways. When I went out there about eight years ago, I went down roads that seemed to be not too dissimiliar to the ones shown here. They seemed to stretch on forever, no vestiges of civilization in sight for miles. Spielburg uses this setting to great advantage. Being in your car in a crowded city intersection is one thing, but on those highways with nothing but your car and a homicidal maniac in a diesel for miles? The isolation factor that cars naturally produce jumps up a thousand percent. The radiator hose problem made me think of many other times that I had similar troubles with cars I've had. Of course, I never had someone trying to kill me at the time, but...
Anyone looking for drama, character development, or all the other elements that pseudo-critics point out as the mark of cinematic excellence are liable to be disappointed by "Duel". It's what King described in "Danse Macabre" as a Tale of the Hook. It's only purpose is to scare the hell out of you. Damn if it doesn't work. THAT'S the mark of a classic.