The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

John Godey (novel)
Peter Stone (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 November 1974 (West Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Before this train reaches the next station it will become the scene of the most spectacular hijack ever attempted

Plot:

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?

Plot Keywords:

Train | Hostage | Passenger | Hijacker | Subway

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Walter Matthau	...	Police Lt. Zachary Garber
Robert Shaw	...	Bernard Grier aka Blue
Martin Balsam	...	Harold Longman aka Green
Hector Elizondo	...	Giuseppe Benvenuto aka Grey
Earl Hindman	...	George Steever aka Brown
James Broderick	...	Denny Doyle - Train Conductor
Dick O'Neill	...	Frank Correll
Lee Wallace	...	Al - the Mayor of New York City
Tom Pedi	...	Caz Dolowicz
Beatrice Winde	...	Mrs. Jenkins
Jerry Stiller	...	Police Lt. Rico Patrone
Nathan George	...	Police Ptl. James
Rudy Bond	...	Phil - Police Commissioner
Kenneth McMillan	...	Harry - Borough Commander (as Kenneth Mc Millan)
Doris Roberts	...	Jessie - the Mayor's Wife
Julius Harris	...	Inspector Daniels
Cynthia Belgrave	...	The Maid
Anna Berger	...	The Mother
Gary Bolling	...	The Homosexual
Carol Cole	...	The Secretary
Alex Colon	...	The Delivery Boy
Joe Fields	...	The Salesman
Mari Gorman	...	The Hooker
Michael Gorrin	...	The Old Man
Thomas La Fleur	...	The Older Son
María Landa	...	The Spanish Woman (as Maria Landa)
Louise Larabee	...	The Alcoholic
George Lee Miles	...	The Pimp
Carolyn Nelson	...	Coed #1
Eric O'Hanian	...	The Younger Son
Lucy Saroyan	...	Coed #2
William Snickowski	...	The Hippie
Barry Snyder	...	The W.A.S.P.
Walter Jones	...	Mr. Mattson
Jerry Holland	...	Bud Carmody
Robert Weil	...	Marino
Penny Krompier	...	T.A. Secretary
Christopher Murney	...	Dispatcher
Timothy Meyers	...	Plumber (as Tim Myers)
Ruth Attaway	...	Mayor's Nurse
Thomas Barbour	...	T.A. Chairman
Marvin Silbersher	...	Comptroller
Neil Brooks Cunningham	...	Police Ptl. Miskowsky (as Simon Deckard)
Sal Viscuso	...	Police Ptl. O'Keefe
Tony Fasce	...	Police Ptl. Wentworth
Burtt Harris	...	Police Ptl. Ricci
Gene Gross	...	Muscat
Walter Lott	...	Executive on train
Conrad Yama	...	Mr. Tomashita
Sho Onodera	...	Mr. Matsumoto
Toru Nagai	...	Mr. Yashimura
Tura Nakamura	...	Mr. Nakabashi
Rowena Rollins	...	Angry Woman
Joseph Attles	...	Angry Man
Willis Pinkett	...	Towerman
Michelle Matthow	...	T.A. Receptionist
Isabella Hoopes	...	Woman on Platform
Bill Cobbs	...	Man on Platform
Jim Pelham	...	Subway Guard
Joe Seneca	...	Police Sergeant
Gino Gennaro	...	Police Lieutenant
Carmine Foresta	...	Train Expediter
Tony Roberts	...	Warren LaSalle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hy Anzell	...	Toll Booth Officer (uncredited)
Ines Hellendall	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Jean-Paul Hellendall	...	Subway Passenger (uncredited)
James Mapes	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Jay Rasumny	...	Squad Car Driver (uncredited)
Charles Silvern	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Dolph Sweet	...	Police Capt. Costello (voice) (uncredited)
Frank Ventgen	...	Police Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph Sargent

Writing credits
John Godey		(novel)
Peter Stone		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gabriel Katzka	....	producer
Stephen F. Kesten	....	associate producer
Edgar J. Scherick	....	producer

Original Music by
David Shire

Cinematography by
Owen Roizman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gerald B. Greenberg		(as Gerald Greenberg)
Robert Q. Lovett

Casting by
Alixe Gordin

Art Direction by
Gene Rudolf

Set Decoration by
Herbert F. Mulligan		(as Herb Mulligan)

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Irving Buchman	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Haley	....	second assistant director (as Mike Haley)
Burtt Harris	....	second unit director
Sal Scoppa Jr.	....	second assistant director (as Sal Scoppa)
Peter R. Scoppa	....	assistant director (as Peter Scoppa)

Art Department
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	property master (as Joe Caracciola)
John Gilliar	....	set dresser (as Bud Gilliar)
Harry Lynott	....	head carpenter
Bruno Robotti	....	scenic artist
Walter Way	....	construction grip

Sound Department
Stan Bochner	....	assistant sound editor (as Stanley Bochner)
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
Al Gramaglia	....	sound re-recordist
Marc Laub	....	sound editor (as Mark M. Laub)
David Moshlak	....	sound recordist
Christopher Newman	....	sound mixer (as Chris Newman)
Sanford Rackow	....	sound editor
David Ray	....	assistant sound editor
Pat Suraci	....	boom operator
Stephen Fitzstephens	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Barber	....	stunt driver
Joie Chitwood Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
Joie Chitwood Jr.	....	stunt driver
Tim Chitwood	....	stunt driver
Daniel Dod	....	stunt driver (as Danny Dod)
Tim Heck	....	stunt driver
Carey Loftin	....	motorcycle stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunt driver
Harry Madsen	....	stunt driver
Paul Nuckles	....	stunt driver
Rick Seaman	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Mingalone	....	camera operator
Gary Muller	....	assistant camera
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	assistant camera
Jack Priestley	....	camera operator: second unit
Ed Quinn	....	grip
Dusty Wallace	....	gaffer
Robert Ward	....	grip (as Bob Ward)
Josh Weiner	....	still photographer
Vinnie Gerardo	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Vic Ramos	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Jay Dranch	....	apprentice editor
Cynthia Scheider	....	assistant editor
Maurice Schell	....	assistant editor
Michael Kirchberger	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Erma E. Levin	....	music editor (as Erma Levin)
David Shire	....	conductor (uncredited)
David Shire	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	music engineer (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	music mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Patrick Burns	....	production aide
Mark Canton	....	production aide
Barbara De Fina	....	production office coordinator (as Barbara DaFina)
Raymond Hartwick	....	teamster captain (as Ray Hartwick)
Richard Hinds	....	production aide
Nancy Hopton	....	script supervisor (as Nancy Tonery)
Robert F. Kocourek	....	location auditor
Gaetano Lisi	....	production aide
Harvey Portee	....	production aide
Sheldon Roskin	....	unit publicist
Jonathan Sarno	....	production aide
Connie Schoenberg	....	production office coordinator

Production Companies

• Palomar Pictures (I) (presents)
• Palladium Productions (presents)

Distributors

• United Artists (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1989) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1987) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• City of New York, The  the producers wish to acknowledge the outstanding cooperation of
• MGM/UA Home Video  VHS package design

Also Known As:

"El tomar de Pelham uno dos tres" - USA (Spanish title) (dubbed version)
"Pelham 1-2-3" - Europe (English title) (video box title)
"Panic on the Subway Express" - Egypt (English title) (poster title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | UK:AA (original rating) | Canada:14+ | Canada:18A (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Palomar Pictures (I)

Trivia:

The first dialogue "spoken" is a sneeze. The last word of the film is "gesundheit".

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The action takes place on the local downtown Lexington Avenue Line, which terminates at the abandoned City Hall loop station, just past Brooklyn Bridge station. While the fact that the train in the film runs to the inner loop at South Ferry (where some express trains terminate) may appear to be a goof, the hijackers request that the switches be set in order to put them in the South Ferry loop - and there is indeed a switch onto the downtown express tracks, right before the Brooklyn Bridge station. At the time the film was made, the Lexington 5 and 6 lines went to South Ferry station. That section of track is still there but no longer in use.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mr. Mattson:Okay, kid, out loud now so's I can hear what you're sayin'.
Bud Carmody:I'm checkin' the passengers gettin' on and off...
Mr. Mattson:Uh-huh.
Bud Carmody:Front and back. Shuttin' the doors. Rear section first and the first section. And the doors are closed. Now I'm checking my indicator lights to make sure all the doors are locked. I remove my switch key and back out the window for a distance of three car lengths to make sure no one's being dragged. 51st Street next stop; next stop, 51st Street. How'd I do?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)

What a Thrill!

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!