And I did.". The biggest lapse in reality comes next, when the Mustang and Charger, speeding west through the Marina district with the Golden Gate Bridge in the horizon, suddenly appear 7 miles south near Daly City. Here you will find unforgettable moments, scenes and lines from all your favorite films. The story behind the 'hero' car that McQueen actually drove was similarly fascinating. But can XPeng challenge more established automakers in the West? Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. In The Seven-Ups, Hickman drove the car being chased by the star of the film, Roy Scheider, who is doubled by Hickman's friend and fellow stuntman, Jerry Summers. McQueen famously crashed a motorcycle a few years earlier in The Great Escape.. section of the Bullitt DVD. was was not used in the film. They didn't need to be, because those cars really were gunning through the streets of San Francisco at over 110 mph. The chase in "Bullitt" is long and thrilling, but more than a little confusing. intersection of Mansell and University in 2002. The next cut puts them 8 miles away, back in the Vistacion Valley district, turning right from University Street on to Mansell Street. A must see if you're visiting San Francisco but definately take . A scene cuts to Russian Hill, North Beach area of San Francisco. In July 2002 After looking back at the best movie car chases of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, Donut Media has returned to the period where they all began with a countdown of the top 10 car chases of the 1960s. He was only 15 years old and didn't even know who Steve McQueen was until long after the film crews picked up their cameras and left San Francisco. Brebner recalls scores of memorable conversations with the star. The building in the right portion of the frame is no longer there. But the strength of that driving sequence -- a nine minute, 42 second testosterone overload through the precipitous streets of San Francisco -- was still enough to ensure that "Bullitt" would become a classic. "These two cars were literally flying down Taylor Street.". to drive him to the Thunderbolt Motel The Charger follows and this view of Army eastbound is visble Best remembered for the car-chase, the progenitor of all subsequent movie car chases, Bullitt is an excellent film. Here is the view west on Army Street (now Cesar Chavez Street) in They continue on 20th Street and turn right heading north on Kansas. The 1968 "hero" Ford Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in the classic action film "Bullitt" sold for $3.74 million at auction Friday in Florida. The Charger appears making a right McQueen died in 1980, and many others on the set didn't make it to this month's 35th anniversary of the film's premiere. directly across the street from his house. is in 2002). Its the longest car chase scene in film history, surpassing the other famous and exciting car chase, in William Friedkins 1971 Oscar winning. The final scenes are filmed on Mansell Avenue and Guadalupe Canyon Parkway in Daly City and Brisbane, where the Charger was supposed to hit a gas station and explode. Photos of present-day San Francisco are copyright Ray Smith. Next, the camera focuses on the interior of the Dodge Charger, as stunt driver Bill Hickman stops the car to attach his seat belt. . much in 2002 as it did in Bullitt (1968) - San Francisco. Whether or not San Francisco's most feted hairpins take a similar approach in the near future, they leave Lombard Street as one of America's most idiosyncratic roads . "And he drove that car, drove the hell out of it, and came back and picked up in the middle of that sentence. McQueen crashed the Mustang at least three times and during the famed hill-jumping sequence, the brakes went out on the car. I heard the air coming out of his lungs the last time. In the passenger seat was Loren Janes, the fabled . were it not for the green Volkswagen. ". . and head south toward Lombard. The cab rolls past Columbus and Kearny (1968 and and this is how that entrance appears in 2002. lighting: here is the very next frame with a 1956 Dodge Coronet where the Pontiac is due to the logistics of filming in a working city. Ad Choices, While playing around with Google Maps, we discovered that a user posted a map detailing the exact route of the legendary Bullitt chase scene. is clearly visible (here is a section in 2002 showing San Francisco Bay in the background). According to several printed sources, the chase was supposed to continue across the Golden gate Highland Green Mustangs had 390 cubic inch engines, while the Chargers had 440 cubic inch engines. a traffic nightmare, so the chase picks up again on Hickman performed a chase sequence for the 1973 film The Seven-Ups (in which Hickman again worked with Philip D'Antoni, who had also produced Bullitt and The French Connection). The sequence starts under Highway 101 in the Mission District. "San Francisco was blossoming all over," Fraker said. The crashed car turned up in a junk yard in Mexico, but it was literally a pile of rust. Steve wouldn't have had it any other way.". Here is the view west on Army Street (now Cesar Chavez Street) in 2002. The original typed letter on Steve McQueens Solar Production Companys letter head asking to buy back his car in 1977 was also on hand. AI-powered chatbots will only make us more efficient, according to the companies selling said AI-powered chatbots. The trees have grown quite a bit. They then make a left on Leavenworth Heres how to get a broader selection. They pulled the engine, put another flywheel in and it was ready to go the next morning.". the entrance to the Mark Hopkins was undergoing renovation. When McQueen is driving, the rear-view mirror is down reflecting his face. I could not believe how steep Lombard Street is ( and I walked UP the hill !! ) left by the right rear tire as McQueen accelerates east on Chestnut. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Bologna said last week, standing at the same street corner where he watched the filming. approaching Union Street, passing Union Street, But then Bullitt was released in 1968 with the most realistic depiction of a car chase movie-goers had ever seen. They continue north on Laguna, which turns into Marina Boulevard. The Dodge Charger hits the wall where Larkin Street curves left It featured a tremendous amount of on-location filming. "It took people off the streets and brought them into the cars," he said. Photo of Ford's replica of the highland green 1968 Mustang used in the film Bullitt tooling around San Francisco: Ford, TurboTax service code 2023: Up to $15 off your purchase, Extra 20% off sitewide - Dyson promo code, GoPro promo code: 10% off all sitewide purchases + free shipping, Samsung promo code - Up to 40% off sitewide, Enjoy $1932 off Precision 5570 Workstation with Dell coupon code, Deal of the Day - 50% off Best Buy Coupon, 2023 Cond Nast. (2002) and the Safeway twice. " The Rock " ( 1996) Key vehicles involved: 1992 Hummer HMC4; 1996 Ferrari F355 Spider; San Francisco cable car. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. His film career spanned from the 1950s through to the late 1970s, and included films such as Bullitt, The French . About 45 seconds of the chase were filmed on Taylor Street, from 4 different cameras, giving the impression of 4 different parts of the chase. for many of the chase scenes, with the Marina District only a short distance away. While playing around with Google Maps, we discovered that a user posted a map detailing the exact route of the legendary *Bullitt *chase scene. 2002) and the bad guys stop at the corner of York and Peralta Directions to Lombard Street. The ominous-looking pony car with the barking 390-cubic-inch V-8, which starred in one of the greatest chase . Filming occurred in at least nine city districts -- with a finale on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport. Its name is Enco, presently known as Exxon. In the next clip, they pass in front of the Safeway again. In the scene where stunt driver Bud Ekins lays down a motorcycle, there are several radio towers visible on the hill in the background. It started a whole new thing for car chases.". . Directed by Peter Yates, the film stars detective Frank Bullitt played by Steve McQueen who did most of his own stunt driving in the iconic car chase featuring a Ford Mustang 390 GT and Dodge Charger R/T 400. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The chase continues west toward the Golden Gate Bridge on Here is that view in 2002. Soon both cars are on Marina Boulevard, hitting speeds well above 100 miles per hour. From the opening segment on the former Army Street until the chase's fiery conclusion in Brisbane, the Charger and Mustang seem to leap around the city with no logic, often rounding a corner and turning up dozens of blocks away. the chase scenes filmed around 20th Street, Kansas Street, and Rhode Island Street, while Russian Hill served as the base They climb and Alcatraz Island comes into view on the left, placing them at about Stockton and Chestnut. The brick center-section the Mustang) several times. The switchback's design, first suggested by property owner Carl Henry and instituted in 1922, was born out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's natural 27% grade, which was too steep for most vehicles. Car chases have become a staple of the modern action movie genre, but they all owe a debt to Bullitt. Fraker said the "Bullitt" car chase was conceived during an Italian meal with Yates at a small Hollywood restaurant called Martoni's. In the film the house is the A rare personal quote from Bill on his friendship with Dean: "In those final days, racing was what he cared about most. Chinas XPeng G9 Could Be the Best Electric SUV Around. Anyone familiar with the streets of San Francisco can tell that the true genius behind the chase scene took place in the editing room, where two weeks worth of disparate footage was spliced into what appeared to be one continuous chase across the city that's home to Wired.com. (here it is in (2002). Bullitt essentially did for movie car chases what Star Wars did for science fiction films. If he had lived he might have become a champion driver. Haight Ashbury was lively, the Fillmore Auditorium was in its greatest era and wonderful restaurants had emerged on Union Street and in North Beach. In its place is the new and in 1968. Here is that view in 2002. Indeed it does look spectacular, thanks to creative film splicing by "Bullitt" film editor Frank Keller, who won an Academy Award for his work in the movie. Bullitt in his 1968 Ford Mustang is briefly impeded from giving chase by 1968 Pontiac Firebird. movie from one camera angle Bullitt, The French Connection, The Seven-Ups. "I had at that time just bought a white Mustang, and it was like driving a slug," Brebner said. McQueen was keen to do as many of his own stunts as possible. Bullitts reverse burnout during the chase scene actually wasnt in the script; McQueen had mistakenly missed the turn. Asked if the producers couldnt have found a dummy, McQueen wryly replied, They did., In 1973, he drove the Pontiac Bonneville as Bo, in the chase of Roy Scheiders character Buddy, driving the Pontiac Ventura Sprint coupe in. The chase begins in Bernal Heights, as McQueen's Mustang starts a slow cruise and follows the Charger up Army and a couple of side streets. Enrico's at 501 Braodway called the "Galaxie" in the movie. just before they make the right onto York. "Then you know you're in for a ride.". Street after the impact, seemingly unaffected. Bullitt didn't just start a new trend. There were two Ford Mustangs, one which was used in the majority of the jump shots and ultimately ended up crashing into a ravine, and another which wasnt wrecked during filming. Anyone familiar with the streets of San Francisco can tell [], All the Settings You Should Change on Your New Samsung Phone, Give Your Back a Break With Our Favorite Office Chairs, The 12 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride, Its Always Sunny Inside a Generative AI Conference. as of August 1999. After Bullitt misses a turn and does a reverse burnout, only the right rear tire burns rubber as he drives away from camera. And they all add to the cinematic legend. They continue north Often times 1968 cool does not resonate 50 years later . This area has changed substantially since April But a limited-slip diff balances the power between left and right wheels when traction is lost on one or both sides. The Charger is just barely faster than the Mustang, with a 13.6-second quarter-mile compared to the Mustangs 13.8-second. Lombard Street is best known for the one-way section on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, in which the roadway has eight sharp turns (or switchbacks) that have earned the street the distinction of being the crookedest [most winding] street in the world (though this title is contested). In the accompanying behind-the-scenes featurette of the 2006 DVD, Hickman can be seen co-ordinating the chase from the street, where it can be seen how dangerous these sequences were: on cue, a stuntman in a parked car opens his door, only to have Hickman's vehicle take it completely off its hinges, where (from the behind-the-scenes footage) we see the door fly off at force, missing only by chance the close-quarter camera team set-up only yards away. where McQueen appears in their rearview mirror (thanks to Brian Hollins for his sleuthing). . They continue north (downhill) on Taylor, passing Green Street, I had a hernia after that.". Check out both maps after the jump. The classic car chase has changed immensely over eight decades of filmmaking. But Bologna still remembers the little things about May 1968, when "Bullitt" filmed a few blocks away from his Russian Hill home. The Mustang and Charger get airborne on Taylor Street, appearing to pass the same green Volkswagen Bug several times each. 3. The ten-minute pursuit in Bullitt (1968), up and down the steep streets of San Francisco (which gave some viewers motion sickness with its dizzying visuals), is regarded as one of the best ever put on film along with those in The French Connection (1971) and The Road Warrior . Fort Mason. In 1968, Life magazine called the eye-popping 10 minute and 53 second car chase scene in the movie "Bullitt" a "terrifying, deafening shocker." . . They turn left or south, going uphill, and then the scene cuts to the cars headed downhill or north on Larkin Street, before they turn west onto Francisco Street. At Chestnut and Columbus The twin towers of Sts. In the next clip, the Dodge has leapt 6 blocks across Van Ness, heading north on Laguna Street. It is on the bucket list. Here is that view in 2002. This is just prior to the point at which Bullitt discovers that the man shot at the Hotel Daniels is not Johnny Ross but Albert Edward Renick This week, we discuss all the ways generative AI is upending journalism, marketing, shopping, and search. Change These Settings on Your New Samsung Phone, Bullitt filming locations detailed on Google Maps. The Mustangs were driven by Bud Ekins, Carey Loftin, and McQueen. "There were no special effects, it was all just stunt driving," said Kunz, who has since built a replica of McQueen's "Bullitt" car. "The first time I saw (the car) and learned what its intentions were, to be in pursuit, I said 'Oh, gee whiz.' He later learned that the car had topped out at 124 miles per hour. The reuse of the Taylor Street footage may have gone unnoticed There were no cheap rear-screen projections used for the close-up shots of the actors, and none of the scenes were sped up in post-production to heighten the sense of speed. Car builder Max Balchowski reinforced the three Chargers and two Mustangs to survive the jumps, then worked triage on the cars when McQueen and his boys weren't launching them off ramps onto the unforgiving blacktop. Both open and limited-slip diffs allow the wheels to rotate at different speeds in corners for efficiency and comfort. house had been repainted gray. The actor spent off hours in an apartment on Jones Street, not a posh hotel, and had dinner with several cops during his stay -- he was more likely to spend his spare time around working-class types than movie stars and studio executives. The article featured a promotional gimmick of photographing the 2008 Mustang and 2008 Charger simulating the chase scene with the writers breaking down the chase, moment by moment, to explain each cars strengths and weaknesses. Subsequently Bullitt and Cathy stop along US 101 North to talk, with Apart from the iconic jazz score that does a great job of building tension before the chase erupts in a cloud of tire smoke, there's no music either, allowing you to appreciate the sound of two screaming V8 muscle cars battling it out. "Bullitt" cinematographer William A. Fraker said the two-second seat belt scene was the only portion of the chase that was shot later at a studio in Los Angeles. Before Bullitt, car chases in movies were unrealistic as they were done for comic effect in films like 1963's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and 1968's The Love Bug. Didnt sleep for five or six nights after that, just the sound of the air coming out of his lungs.". has been demolished and replaced with different architecture. Bud Ekins, who drove the Mustang, also did the motorcycle jump for Steve McQueen in The Great Escape (1963).. It was located across Laguna Street from the Safeway parking lot but is no longer . Ralph Rosenblum wrote in 1979 that those who care about such things may know that during the filming of the climactic chase scene, an out-of-control car filled with dummies tripped a wire which prematurely sent a costly set up in flames, and that editor Frank Keller salvaged the near-catastrophe with a clever and unusual juxtaposition of images that made the explosion appear to go off on time. This is why a careful view of the footage during the final explosion shows the Dodge Charger visible behind the flames. but the shot from the second camera angle The building ", The Dodge Charger, which executed some of the most difficult maneuvers on the shoot, was piloted entirely by Hickman, a seasoned driver who later worked on "The French Connection.". "Steve McQueen insisted that he use the souped-up car he had," said McKenna, who retired a decade ago and lives in Folsom (Sacramento County). During the early scenes of the car chase, a gas station is seen. An open diff will allow the wheel with less grip to spin under high load (or on low friction surfaces). Frank Bullitt (played by McQueen) is a world-weary police lieutenant in San Francisco who is tasked with guarding the mob informant Johnny Ross (Pat Renella). McQueen makes a U-turn on Army Street and heads uphill on York Street. Filbert Street, with Coit Tower and Saints Peter and (Keen-eyed viewers can see the Charger passing the gas station after the explosion. ", Still, at the time, the chase was one of the most difficult and complicated action scenes ever attempted, and the actor shared some of the tougher work with stunt coordinator Cary Loftin. Bullitt - The High-Speed Chase. landing) looking south. The Mustang would have done a two-wheel burnout if it were equipped with a limited-slip differential. The Bay Area native, a former Chronicle paperboy, has worked at The Chronicle since 2000. They stand in front of a club across the street from While shooting the scene where the giant airliner taxis just above McQueen, observers were shocked that no double was used. The car chase eventually ended in a North Hollywood parking lot where Follette was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with the police.[1][2][3]. corner of Larkin and Chestnut Then McQueen's Mustang bumps the shotgun-toting killers' Charger, leading to an explosive finale. and becomes Francisco Street and loses another hubcap (which magically gets reattached in later To me it looked spectacular.". However, it was the car chase alongside Steve McQueen in the 1968 film Bullitt for which he is usually remembered. Here is the view looking back up Francisco. Updated. The film is also known for its iconic car-chase sequence. Taylor Street at . the chase, not surprising since the locations are spread out over a considerable part of the city. "We were driving around the airport and right at that time there was a Mustang GTO on display. Strapped into a Highland Green-hued, four-speed 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback GT, and going at speeds of up to 110 miles per hour, Steve McQueen raced through the cinematic landscape (and the San . 9. Here is the same intersection in 2002. The two cars then magically appear on 20th Street at Kansas Street Bullitt meets his informant, Eddie, at Enrico's He disappears up York Street (1968 and And then both muscle cars hurtled toward the cameras, soaring through the air and crunching to the ground like giant stones skipping across an asphalt stream.