Bullitt (1968)

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)
William Kenney	....	dolly grip (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:

The film's famous chase scene wasn't originally in the script. In the first draft of "Bullitt", adapted from Robert L. Pike's novel "Mute Witness", Det. Frank Bullitt was a Boston policeman who ate a lot of ice cream and never solved a case. The book had originally been bought with Spencer Tracy in mind; but with Tracy's death, the property fell into the hands of Steve McQueen and Producer Philip D'Antoni. D'Antoni added the chase and changed the location to San Francisco.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bullitt continues pursuit of the Charger after spinning off into the dirt, you can hear him upshift once as he is driving away. In the next shot you can hear him upshift another three times. It is impossible to upshift any more than three times in total in a 4-speed transmission.

Quotes:

Captain Bennett: Albert Edward Rennick, used car salesman, Chicago.
Walter Chalmers: Who's Rennick?
Frank Bullitt: He was the man who was shot at the Hotel Daniels. You sent us to guard the wrong man, Mr. Chalmers.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hierarchy (2009)

The one that started it all...

...from from rogue cops who make their own rules, to... rogue cops who seriously know how to put the pedal to the medal. Only Bogie and John Wayne were cinematic tough guys before Frank Bullitt came along, and it was Bullitt that inspired Dirty Harry and every rogue cop movie as a result. If you were looking for the first modern cop thriller, well here it is. Accept no substitutes. In today's over-blown and effects laden (for better of for worse) era, people often forget that all those films began with movies like this one.

The story has Lieutenant Frank Bullitt receiving an assignment to protect a star witness in a high profile case that could bring down a powerful crime organization. Bullitt and his men take turns guarding the witness, but before long there is a hit and the witness is mortally wounded, and Bullitt takes the case into his own hands. The resulting mystery is both Grade-A Hollywood entertainment (rare these days) and a believable character portrait of a man engulfed by his work in a cruel world.

Of course one cannot talk about his movie without mentioning the legendary car chase, which is one of the best out there, but is not the main part of the movie as many make it out to be. If you see this movie just for some pedal to the medal action you will be let down. The focus of the movie is on Bullitt and the car chase, while very exciting and fun to watch, is one of the many scenes that show Bullitt's near obsession to work. Unlike today's crap action movies there is no 37 car pile up, no cars flipping over simply because the bad guys are driving them.

Also the finale of the film, a foot chase at an airport, has our hero firing two shots from his pistol and that is the only time he uses it in the movie. This film demonstrates that action is best when the result of a character's emotions and not a director's ambition to blow stuff up. Bullitt wants to get the bottom of the case, he wants to find out who's been following him around town and that is the result of the action scenes. In the end the film is a true classic and Frank Bullitt is a character to remember. 10/10

Rated PG: violence (though if it were released today, it probably would get a PG-13)