BULLITT: BAD GUYS DRIVE CHARGER

[Jim in LA]

check it out:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4767572836600613860

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTvMwNl2fEI

check out my bumper i made, at the end of the clip . . .

the thing that stands out about this chase sequence, in my mind:

1. it looks completely real - no typical hollywood phony-ness
2. mcqueen is clearly the author of the sequence, along with bill hickman, who also drove in seven ups and french connection - further cementing his legendary status as a real guy and not a hollywood phony (there's that word again - you can tell i live out here  )
3. the audio of the vehicle motor sounds is awesome - almost raw in presentation, like the mic'd the engine compartments (they probably did)
4. the music shuts off when the action starts - think about it - when was the last time you saw a movie do that?

just go buy that DVD! it's awesome! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008ENHTE/sr=8-1/qid=1155396598/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5866821-5118220?ie=UTF8

[JimShine]

It is interesting to read about the filming of that scene. They did all they could to handicap the Charger and no matter what they did, it walked away from the Mustang every time. That scene where McQueen misses the turn and jams it in reverse and smokes the tires was unscripted, he was frustrated with the shot. In the end he didn't do all of the driving in that scene (Bud Ekins did a bit of it), but he did do a bit of it.

[ChargerSG]

I just love it when they race on the street and the Charger just sounds like it have no throttle but the Mustang Fastback just sceams, and down hill baaaaaaaa and the Mustang iiiiiiiiiiii those sounds is just great

[Brock Samson]

it wold be hard to discribe the significance of that to me... 

[tan top]

tripple black 68 charger R/T    awesome

[Jim in LA]

It is interesting to read about the filming of that scene. They did all they could to handicap the Charger and no matter what they did, it walked away from the Mustang every time. That scene where McQueen misses the turn and jams it in reverse and smokes the tires was unscripted, he was frustrated with the shot. In the end he didn't do all of the driving in that scene (Bud Ekins did a bit of it), but he did do a bit of it.

there really is no comparison between the two vehicles - AT ALL.

i love that the bad guys got a black-on-black car. i mean, straight out of old westerns. 

and yeah, i know mcqueen didn't do all the driving himself - some of those turns are tire-killing in their sideways maneuvering. but still, from what i know of the guy (i mean, he died in 80, so it's been a while) he really was involved in the overall choreography of the sequence. and the fact that he drove SOME is (a) a testament to the old days of hollywood when insurers didn't control every aspect of production and (b) when real car guys also happened to be movie stars.

[Hemidog]

does that charger still exist?

[Mike DC]

 
Unfortunately all signs point to "No."  There were two '68 R/T Chargers, one obviously dead at the gas pumps.  The other one is probably scrapped too.  We'll never have the paperwork to verify it (because of a warehouse fire at Chrysler about 25 years ago), but everyone who has researched into what ever happened to these cars has come away thinking the same thing. 


Same situation with the "Vanishing Point" Challengers that Chrysler supplied to the film crew (the 1971 movie, not the TV-movie in 1996).  In those days, they didn't see a movie car as valuable at all, and the studios weren't likely to send a prop-car out on tour all summer to promote the movie or anything.  To them, a Mopar from VP or Bullitt was nothing more than a used car that's had the living sh*t kicked out of it.

The factories & dealerships & studios all would rather have seen a car like that be scrapped than sold to the public.  They didn't wanna risk any liability of a control arm tearing out six months later & killing somebody.  So these cars were probably either scrapped soon after the movie was finished, or at least used for some internal company purpose at Chrysler and never sold to the public as a car.  (Maybe they'd let their engineers play with it for crash/durability studies, or they might donate it to a friendly NASCAR team for spare parts, etc.)

---------------------------------------------


But the less-beaten of the two '68 Ford Mustangs from "Bullitt" still exists by a freak of chance.  It was sitting in a barn for decades and then recently the owner finally let it go for a big-time restoration somewhere.

 

[JMF]

On the Bullitt page it says one of the Charger's from Bullitt is still around and is owned by a motion picture agency owner in San Francisco

[Blakcharger440]

From the first time I saw the movie I thought that the Charger was the star of the show! 

[JMF]

Cool picture

[Silver R/T]

one of the best movies, Steve McQueen did a lot of other great movies too

[JMF]

McQueen is cool, these guys are cool too, I like the way Hickman doesn't say a word to his pal

[Brock Samson]

i love seeing all the other cool cars, there are a few ponchos and Cads...
sure brings back memories.. 

[the Meat]

Thanks for the link!
Just bought the collectors edition of Bullitt and also Vanashing Point!

[Jon Smith]

another chase by the same stunt team,note bill hickman driving the big sedan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMYtPnFaGVY

[NYCMille]

Man that chase is VERY similar to BULLIT.

[SeattleCharger]

it wold be hard to discribe the significance of that to me... 

\


. . . well said.

[Shakey]

one of the best movies, Steve McQueen did a lot of other great movies too

The Hunter - 1980 - awesome!

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

Unfortunately all signs point to "No."  There were two '68 R/T Chargers, one obviously dead at the gas pumps.  The other one is probably scrapped too.  We'll never have the paperwork to verify it (because of a warehouse fire at Chrysler about 25 years ago), but everyone who has researched into what ever happened to these cars has come away thinking the same thing. 

, actually there were 3 bullitt chargers the 2 noted , 1 triple black 68 4-spd r/t, the other being a blue auto r/t, and a 3rd car that
was used for back-up in case needed, but was never needed, it is a triple black 383 4-spd car and it resides in Jerry Juenemann's collection right now and has been there for quite some time-MATT

[2fast4u]

Unfortunately all signs point to "No."  There were two '68 R/T Chargers, one obviously dead at the gas pumps.  The other one is probably scrapped too.  We'll never have the paperwork to verify it (because of a warehouse fire at Chrysler about 25 years ago), but everyone who has researched into what ever happened to these cars has come away thinking the same thing. 

, actually there were 3 bullitt chargers the 2 noted , 1 triple black 68 4-spd r/t, the other being a blue auto r/t, and a 3rd car that
was used for back-up in case needed, but was never needed, it is a triple black 383 4-spd car and it resides in Jerry Juenemann's collection right now and has been there for quite some time-MATT

   I have personally seen said "triple black 383 4-spd car" when Jerry Juenemann's bodyshop existed, back when the charger was in the middle of being worked on.  it is "not" the other bullitt 68 Charger, it is however a true `68 383 4-spd Charger.....but it was originally a Gold car to start with.

   When I was there on a Sunday and there was only one person there working on his own car in the shop, beside it was the `68 Charger which had it's vinyl top trim removed and the top was pulled back a bit which revealed the original gold paint. On the firewall it was gold as well as the floor which had the threshold removed and the carpet pulled up a bit!  The guy who was there workin' on his car said to me...and I quote "Yeah, he's gonna paint it black to make it look like the bullitt car."  It is however a very nice Charger!

2fast

[blackcrowe]

actually that charger totally missed the gas pumps..look closely it goes behind the station

[Lightning]

at least we know what those quarter windows are really for: ports to stick a shotgun through!

[SeattleCharger]

McQueen is cool, these guys are cool too, I like the way Hickman doesn't say a word to his pal

  ya, they are cool bad guys, and they are dressed different than a lot of bad guys that would be doing a chase scene in a muscle car, makes em more cool bad guys, their whole persona

and  Jim in LA, good observation about the music stopping for the scene, I didn't notice that before, but now that you mention that, ya, that does make it cooler. 

[Jon Smith]

 

good observation about the music stopping for the scene, I didn't notice that before, but now that you mention that, ya, that does make it cooler.

its actually a trick they use on a lot of classsic action scenes, makes it seem more real