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IMDbPro

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

  • 19741974
  • RR
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
31K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,876
1,276
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
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?
Play trailer2:27
1 Video
78 Photos
ActionCrimeThriller
Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. The city's police are faced with a conundrum: Even if it's paid, how could they get away?Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. The city's police are faced with a conundrum: Even if it's paid, how could they get away?Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. The city's police are faced with a conundrum: Even if it's paid, how could they get away?
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
31K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,876
1,276
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Joseph Sargent
    • Writers
      • John Godey(novel)
      • Peter Stone(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Walter Matthau
      • Robert Shaw
      • Martin Balsam
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Joseph Sargent
    • Writers
      • John Godey(novel)
      • Peter Stone(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Walter Matthau
      • Robert Shaw
      • Martin Balsam
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 222User reviews
    • 112Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
    • Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
      • 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    Official Trailer

    Photos78

    Walter Matthau in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Anna Berger, Thomas La Fleur, Eric O'Hanian, and Lucy Saroyan in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Robert Shaw and James Broderick in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau and Dick O'Neill in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, Robert Shaw, and Earl Hindman in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Hector Elizondo in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Walter Matthau
    Walter Matthau
    • Lt. Garber
    Robert Shaw
    Robert Shaw
    • Blue
    Martin Balsam
    Martin Balsam
    • Green
    Hector Elizondo
    Hector Elizondo
    • Grey
    Earl Hindman
    Earl Hindman
    • Brown
    James Broderick
    James Broderick
    • Denny Doyle
    Dick O'Neill
    Dick O'Neill
    • Correll
    Lee Wallace
    Lee Wallace
    • The Mayor
    Tom Pedi
    Tom Pedi
    • Caz Dolowicz
    Beatrice Winde
    • Mrs. Jenkins
    Jerry Stiller
    Jerry Stiller
    • Lt. Rico Patrone
    Nathan George
    Nathan George
    • Ptl. James
    Rudy Bond
    Rudy Bond
    • Police Commissioner
    Kenneth McMillan
    Kenneth McMillan
    • Borough Commander
    • (as Kenneth Mc Millan)
    Doris Roberts
    Doris Roberts
    • Mayor's Wife
    Julius Harris
    Julius Harris
    • Inspector Daniels
    Cynthia Belgrave
    • The Maid
    Anna Berger
    Anna Berger
    • The Mother
    • Director
      • Joseph Sargent
    • Writers
      • John Godey(novel)
      • Peter Stone(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In a TVO (Ontario, Canada) interview, the producer said that this film did terrific box office in New York, Toronto, London and Paris--all cities with subways--but was considered a flop in the rest of the world.
    • Goofs
      When the gang separates the train and backs it up to separate it from the train, the young conductor says in amazement, "I didn't know these things went backwards." Cute, but this is a very unlikely line from an apprentice conductor "studying to take the motorman's exam." Besides the usual running back and forth while making up trains in the yards, every subway car runs in both directions, because they usually do not turn the train around at the end of the line. Instead, the operator stops at the last station, walks from the former front to the former back, switches controls to the new "front end" and goes back the way he came. So all subway cars spend half of their life "going backwards," as any conductor would know.
    • Quotes

      Lt. Garber: [looking for the inspector] Inspector Daniels?

      Inspector Daniels: [identifying himself] Daniels.

      Lt. Garber: [realizing inspector Daniels is black] Oh, I, uh, thought you were, uh, like a shorter guy or... I don't know what I thought.

    • Crazy credits
      Although many of the scenes in this film were taken on transit property, the New York City Transit Authority is not responsible for plot, story and characters portrayed. The Authority did not render technical advice and assistance.
    • Connections
      Edited into Superman III (1983)

    User reviews222

    Review
    Top review
    Great NYC flick
    I am biased a little with this film to begin with, as I live in NYC and am a big subway fan. So a gritty 70's flick that takes place in a NYC subway sounds good to me! But the truth is, this film is a great film full of extremely talented actors with a dynamite story. Shaw and Matthau are the obvious stars with everyone else putting in a good co-starring role.

    The story takes place on the "6" train no less, which happens to be my fave subway line! It was a great surprise when I found the DVD for only ten bucks, I would have paid a normal price. And the quality of the DVD transfer is VERY nice. The film, though a bit brutal sometimes, even has some decent humor, even the ending is kinda funny, but perfect. I recently watched this on TV, just to compare the two versions and see where all the cuts and edits were. You can't go wrong with this film.
    helpful•42
    15
    • stevenfallonnyc
    • Feb 28, 2002

    FAQ7

    • Why are the passengers specifically designated in the credits but not in the movie itself?
    • What is 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' about?
    • Is "The Taking of Pelham" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 14, 1974 (West Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • El tomar de Pelham uno dos tres
    • Filming locations
      • Gracie Mansion, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Palomar Pictures International
      • Palladium Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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