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Death Car on the Freeway

  • TV Movie
  • 1979
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
463
YOUR RATING
Death Car on the Freeway (1979)
Death Car On The Freeway
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MysteryThriller

An unknown, psychotic driver uses his van to kill unsuspecting female drivers on the freeway.An unknown, psychotic driver uses his van to kill unsuspecting female drivers on the freeway.An unknown, psychotic driver uses his van to kill unsuspecting female drivers on the freeway.

  • Director
    • Hal Needham
  • Writer
    • William Wood
  • Stars
    • Shelley Hack
    • Frank Gorshin
    • Peter Graves
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.4/10
    463
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hal Needham
    • Writer
      • William Wood
    • Stars
      • Shelley Hack
      • Frank Gorshin
      • Peter Graves
    • 17User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Death Car On The Freeway
    Clip 3:00
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    Photos

    Morgan Brittany in Death Car on the Freeway (1979)
    Morgan Brittany in Death Car on the Freeway (1979)
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    Top cast

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    Shelley Hack
    Shelley Hack
    • Jan
    Frank Gorshin
    Frank Gorshin
    • Ralph Chandler
    Peter Graves
    Peter Graves
    • Lieutenant Haller
    Harriet Nelson
    Harriet Nelson
    • Mrs. Sheel
    Barbara Rush
    Barbara Rush
    • Rosemary
    Dinah Shore
    Dinah Shore
    • Lynn Bernheimer
    Abe Vigoda
    Abe Vigoda
    • Mr. Frisch
    Alfie Wise
    Alfie Wise
    • Ace Durham
    George Hamilton
    George Hamilton
    • Ray Jeffries
    Robert F. Lyons
    Robert F. Lyons
    • Barry Hill
    Tara Buckman
    Tara Buckman
    • Jane Guston
    Morgan Brittany
    Morgan Brittany
    • Becky Lyons
    Nancy Stephens
    Nancy Stephens
    • Christine
    Gloria Stroock
    Gloria Stroock
    • Dr. Rita Glass
    Hal Needham
    Hal Needham
    • Mr. Blanchard
    Jim Negele
    Jim Negele
    • Andy
    Sid Haig
    Sid Haig
    • Maurie
    Buddy Farmer
      • Director
        • Hal Needham
      • Writer
        • William Wood
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Shelley Hack's TV debut.
      • Goofs
        The hubcaps on Jan's Datsun disappear and reappear at random times throughout the movie, sometimes this happens within the same scene.
      • Quotes

        Jan: Who is the Freeway Fiddler? Well of course, no one knows yet, but tonight we at least have an educated guess on that answer from Dr. Rita Glass, chief of psychiatric services at Los Angeles General Hospital, and a frequent consultant in police matters. Thank you for being with us tonight, Doctor, what can you tell us about the Fiddler?

        Dr. Rita Glass: Well Jan, of course I don't know anymore about what the Fiddler looks like than anyone else, but what I can offer tonight is a sort of psychological profile based on what we already know about the killer. Let's take the attacks themselves. We already know that the victims are all women traveling the freeway alone. We also know that they were all reasonably attractive, and there is strong evidence to suggest that in each case the driver of the car performed some sort of maneuver which was perceived by the killer as an act of aggression, causing the killer to say in effect 'Hey, you women are just getting too big for your britches'.

        Jan: Judging from what you just said then, what can we theorize about the Fiddler's psychological profile?

        Dr. Rita Glass: He is a severely repressed personality, easily threatened, unsure of his masculinity. That he may have been dominated as a child by his mother or some other female authority figures. That he is emotionally stunted, and in a very deep sense, feels like a child. I would also have to guess that he has a strong death wish, a need to be hurt, or killed, perhaps as a punishment for being such a bad boy. After all, he cannot attack these women in such a way without placing himself in extreme danger.

        Jan: Thank you, Doctor. Drawing on the doctor's profile then, we can make the following suggestions to women: Don't travel the freeway unless absolutely necessary, and don't travel alone. And if you do find yourself on the freeway, drive defensively, particularly if there is a van in the area. Remember, the Freeway Fiddler has already killed 9 women, and will almost surely, kill again.

      • Connections
        Referenced in Penny Dreadful (2005)

      User reviews17

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      4/10
      Fiddler on the roam
      The television film Duel directed by a young Steven Spielberg had a driver menaced by an unseen truck driver. The film got a cinema release in some places. Obviously inspired by Duel is the 1979 Television movie Death Car on the Freeway where an unseen driver known as the Freeway Fiddler (because he puts on bluegrass music) is terrorising women drivers and pushing them off the freeway. It is surprising that no other driver notices the maniac loose on the road when he is bashing into other cars and being a danger to everyone!

      The police (represented by Peter Graves) are reluctant to take these incidents seriously and at one point blame the women for being bad drivers for getting into these scrapes. At least it is a social commentary regarding sexism and the police force!

      Shelley Hack is the reporter who makes the story public and plots to catch him even taking special hazardous driving lessons in case the Fiddler pursues her.

      The director is Hal Needham, a former stuntman and a director associated with Burt Reynolds and films such as the Cannonball movies. There are some good car stunts from such an esteemed stunt director but it also suffers from rather dull made for 1970s television movie narrative.

      George Hamilton is wasted as Hack's ex beau and star news reporter. The film loses focus when it dwells on relationship issues and when it introduces some kind of Hells Angels type of group who may know the identity of the Freeway Fiddler.

      An interesting premise made bland and even silly when it should had been grittier.
      helpful•3
      3
      • Prismark10
      • Jul 4, 2014

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      FAQ1

      • Exactly where in Los Angeles can one find the intersection of vertically superimposed freeways, as seen in the intro credits? In what city is that located?

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • September 25, 1979 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • United States
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Todesfalle auf dem Highway
      • Filming locations
        • Los Angeles, California, USA
      • Production company
        • The Shpetner Company
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 31 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.33 : 1

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