| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Walter Matthau | ... | ||
| Robert Shaw | ... | ||
| Martin Balsam | ... | ||
| Hector Elizondo | ... | ||
| Earl Hindman | ... | ||
| James Broderick | ... | ||
| Dick O'Neill | ... | ||
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Lee Wallace | ... |
Al - the Mayor of New York City
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Tom Pedi | ... | |
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Beatrice Winde | ... | |
| Jerry Stiller | ... | ||
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Nathan George | ... |
Police Ptl. James
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Rudy Bond | ... |
Phil - Police Commissioner
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| Kenneth McMillan | ... |
Harry - Borough Commander
(as Kenneth Mc Millan)
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| Doris Roberts | ... |
Jessie - the Mayor's Wife
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Four seemingly-unrelated men board subway train Pelham 1:23 at successive stations. Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Mr. Grey and Mr. Brown are heavily armed and overpower the motorman and novice conductor to take control of the train. Between stations they separate the front car from the remainder of the train, setting passengers in the back cars and the motorman free. The four demand $1 million ransom within exactly one hour for the remaining eighteen hostages, including the conductor. If their demands are not met in time or their directions are not followed precisely, they will begin to shoot hostages dead, one every minute the money is late. Wisecracking Lt. Zach Garber of the transit police ends up being the primary communicator between the hijackers and the authorities, which includes transit operations, his own police force, the NYPD, and the unpopular and currently flu ridden mayor who will make the ultimate decision of whether to pay the ransom. Unknown to Garber, what may be working on ... Written by Huggo
Every time I put this one on and watch it, I feel like I'm sitting in the front seat of a bad-a** roller coaster about to go on the ride of my life. This movie grabs you by the neck and forces you down into the dirty, dank subway and onto that terror-filled car. New York City in the '70s; what joy! This movie feels gritty and almost has a semi-documentary smell to it. The acting is top-notch; Matthau's Garber and Shaw's 'Mr. Blue' play a nice little game of mental cat-and-mouse that will please even the most cynical viewer. Oh, one more thing... the theme music rocks out loud!