Bullitt

Watch: Bullitt

10/17/19681h 53m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The word "cop" isn't written all over him—something more puzzling is. ~

Overview:

Senator Walter Chalmers is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal's hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt. When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed.

Director:

Peter Yates

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$5,500,000.00

Revenue:

$42,300,000.00

Key words:

hotel
airport
based on novel or book
police
chase
san francisco, california
detective
witness protection
politician
principal witness
organized crime
burglary
hospital
gunfight
explosion
blunt
stolen identity
coroner
mob hit
mysterious
ford mustang
dodge charger
suspenseful
intense
bold
defiant

Cast

Steve McQueen

~ as ~

Lt. Frank Bullitt

Robert Vaughn

~ as ~

Walter Chalmers

Jacqueline Bisset

~ as ~

Cathy

Don Gordon

~ as ~

Lt. Delgetti

Robert Duvall

~ as ~

Cabbie Weissberg

Simon Oakland

~ as ~

Captain Sam Bennett

Norman Fell

~ as ~

Captain Baker

Georg Stanford Brown

~ as ~

Dr. Willard

Justin Tarr

~ as ~

Eddy

Carl Reindel

~ as ~

Detective Stanton

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 5 month(s) ago
7
Steve McQueen is at his most grumpily enigmatic as he portrays this unorthodox San Francisco police lieutenant. He's none too pleased when the greasy-pole merchant "Sen. Chambers" (Robert Vaughn) has him detailed to guard a shady character who's a potential witness in a case against some hitherto Teflon gangsters. When two gunmen break into his room and gun him down, it becomes imperative that "Bullitt" gets to the bottom of things before his new found pal nails his slats to the mast. With the active support of "Capt. Bennet" (Simon Oakland) who increasingly has to run point for the man, he begins an investigation that manages to irritate just about everyone as he realises the case is complex and downright dangerous. It's this left field style of work that this cop excels at, and McQueen is on confident form delivering a persona that's conflicted and determined to get to the truth without selling his soul to Satan. To that latter end, he must rely more and more on girlfriend "Cathy" (Jacqueline Bisset) who seems to be his only link with sanity as the maelstrom of events begins to get on top of him. It's famous for the car chase, and some of the scenes at the airport towards the end are directed really quite tensely but I can't pretend I liked the conclusion. After all the interweaving and duplicity, it all rather ran out of steam. The style of the production isn't exactly electric either, and in many ways it reminded me of a great many other similar style vehicles about rogue police officers created for A-list actors whose careers might be considered "between genres". That said it's still a good, solid, thriller with a few twists and a Vaughn who always managed to portray the sleazy characters naturally.