The truck driver is the main antagonist of the 1971 short story duel by the late richard. Loftin performed some of the exciting driving scenes for steve mcqueen in bullitt and was the truck driver in steven spielbergs duel. Duel was one of stephen spielbergs first films, and it was an incredible start to what would would become an amazing filmmaking career. Wheels of terror tv movie 1990 wheels of terror tv movie. Theatrical trailer for 1971s steven spielberg classic duel, starring dennis weaver. Years later, after finding out that there was a duel truck still in existence, he began looking for it. A needlenose model 281 was featured in the madefortv movie duel in 1971. Truck collector brad wike with the 1960 peterbilt used in filming the movie duel. Duel is an allegorical quasisilent film about a salesman, mann, driving through rural california on a business trip. College students enrage a murderous truck driver with a prank. I like a good psychologically scary movie better than a gory one. The only thing we ever see of the driver is his booted feet much like the majority of what we see of the killer in road games are those crazy gloves.
Of course, this is to emphasize that the truck itself is the main enemy. A testimonial from sir david lean is enough to get any career going. Maybe they stick around and keep the engine running, but theyre usually forgotten or killed off toward the end of the movie. His motives for targeting weavers character are never revealed, but the truck had. The movie starred dennis weaver as a motorist on a business trip that was being terrorized by a murderous tanker truck on a desolate stretch of road in california. Despite the tv movie limitations, steven spielberg has managed to convey an illogical yet completely visceral thriller better than most filmmakers today. In some shots, such as the gas station scene where david mann is on the telephone, or the railroad crossing scene, the air conditioning unit has a support structure to hold it in place. Loftin was born on january 31st, 1914 in blountstown, florida and broke into movie stunt work in the late 1930s. He also acted as a truck driver in stroker ace 1983 in which his face is never seen as in duel, but not as a villain this time. Weaver and the never seen truckdriver then engage in a motorized duel. And considering that this is widely recognized as his feature debut, thats even more impressive. In duel 1971 the license plates seen on the front of the truck are trophies taken by the truck driver from the other cars that he previously ran off the road.
The movie was released november 11th, 1971, which is 43 years ago today. The truck driver was played by carey loftin, and when he asked spielberg. Nine times out of ten that trucker will be a shotgunwielding, psychotic killer who will stop at nothing to teach you and your prankster bro a lesson about messing with truck drivers. Additionally, spielberg said that the multiple license plates on the front bumper of the peterbilt subtly suggested that. As a tribute to the intense car and truck chase movie, ive put together a. I saw this movie on american movie classics one of those movies that you watch and have to watch the whole movie to find out who the truck driver was. From theaficionauto this is the real duel movie truck. In the movie david never mentions it, even not in the monologue while being in the cafe after chased. It will be on display saturday at a truck show near lincolnton. Yet it earned number six on the drives list of the top ten car movies of all time. Peterbilt tanker from movie duel on farm near lincolnton charlotte.
The audience only ever sees his arm in one scene, his snakeskin boots in another, and a brief shadowy glimpse at the end. What was the drivers motivation in steven spielbergs. One of his most famous, yet discreet roles was as the murderous truck driver in steven spielbergs duel billed as cary loftin, in which only his arm and boots can be seen. David mann dennis weaver is in a race to get to an important appointment when a mysterious rig traveling on the same deserted highway decides to run him off the road. This is some footage i had from when i owned the truck from 02 to 05. I never believed that the driver weavers character confronted in the truck stop was the actual driver of the truck. He also acted as a truck driver in stroker ace 1983 in which his face is never seen as in duel. Actually, the way spielberg films the movie the driver of the truck is inconsequential. Duel was a made for television movie that originally aired in 1971, then remade for theatrical release. However, it disappears in the shot where he waves giddily at the truck driver, after having passed him via the dirt sideroad. As for the 3 trucks, i have managed to separate those and know which ones were used where in the movie. In duel 1971 the license plates seen on the front of the. May 07, 2016 the villain in the film has no speaking part.
I think that is the whole idea of the movieyou never know, it could be anyone. So, two more trucks, including wikes 1961 peterbilt 351, were created to look just like the original movie truck. Pictures of the truck driver pictures of the truck driver. Knowing that fear of the unknown is usually what scares people the most, spielberg decided that the truck driver s voice would not be heard nor his her. As a tribute to the intense car and truck chase movie, ive put together a list of 10 fun facts that you might not know.
He eventually found it in the tv movie duel, about an anonymous truck driver stalking a hapless. Throughout the film, the driver of the truck remains. Did the duel truck driver openly presented what he did. The truck from duel is a piece of movie history the aficionauto takes a closer look at the villain from steven spielbergs first movie. The duel truck 1955 peterbilt 351281 finishedfruehauf. In the rest of the film however, there is not any support structure to be seen. Throughout most of the film, a photo of presumably manns family can be seen clipped onto the wide part of his driverside sun visor. The fear dennis weaver encounters consists not only of the monster truck itself, which is on an unexpected death chase, but of the inability to see who or what is behind the wheel. The truckerss eerie, almost supernatural presence is perhaps the most unsettling attribute of the movie. Loftin was born on january 31st, 1914 in blountstown, florida and broke into movie.
On imdb, he is mostly listed as a stunt driver or stunt coordinator. This movie duel contains minor spoilers for baby driver. Did the truck driver collected the car plates from former victims and present them openly as trophy knowing that very few likely the next victims will recognize their purpose. Still, it remains a cult classic among truckers and trucking enthusiasts. He eventually found it in the tv movie duel, about an anonymous truck driver. Duel is a 1971 american action thriller film written by richard matheson, which is based on his own short story. Been a long time since ive seen duel, but i always had the impression that the truck driver was some kind of demon or other evil supernatural entity, not a human being.
A truck driver plays cat and mouse with a serial killer who uses a young female. The first two pics are from the net and the last pics is a frame from the movie, that i enhanced with a photoimpression program. I would like to thank digital dreams studio for helping me put. Having published 104 magazine for 21 years now, we have had some memorable covers, for sure, but none have been as popular and talked about even today as our may 2004 cover featuring the ghostly duel truck from the 1971 movie about a renegade rig that terrorizes. May 16, 2018 if you havent seen the movie heres the back story for this scene. I actually find only 2, which was the original one and the one used later in the bus and rail crossing scenes. Oct 01, 2014 duel was a made for television movie that originally aired in 1971, then remade for theatrical release. I saw the made for tv movie on the color tv in my parents living room,i started watching it. I wasnt two minutes in and i was hooked, amazed, thrilled. Knowing that fear of the unknown is usually what scares people the most, spielberg decided that the truck drivers voice would not be heard nor his her. He is the nameless and unseen driver of a large rusty 1955 peterbilt 281 gasoline tanker truck. He is believable enough to taste the evil truck drivers bait and foolish enough to continue nibbling. Two men have chosen to fight to the death using the exact same method shown in michael jackson s beat it video. Weavers character are never revealed, but the truck had.
The movie was good but who was the truck driver and what guy was he in the cafe scene with the guy with the cowboy boots. Mar 21, 2017 the movie tanked at the box office as a lot of the cb radio hype had died down by the time the movie was released. Carey loftin one of the best movie stunt drivers liked. The truck from duel is a piece of movie history the drive. It proves that the most horrible creature we can face is not the creature from outer space it is the human mind that we all can relate to. Duel, as everybody knows, is the story of a traveling businessman desperate to get to his meeting on time who is faced with the most bizarre threat ever. You said there would be no problem getting home on time. He remembers how scary he thought the movie was when he was a kid. Neil losasso of burbank, ca had been a fan of the movie duel all of his life. I wish they made more movies like this, with the theme of some crazy truck driver running. Menacing 1960 peterbilt from truck movie duel rolling back onstage.
The truck driver is the main antagonist of the 1971 short story duel by the late richard matheson, and the 1971 television film of the same name, which is steven spielbergs first directed film. Suddenly, he finds himself randomly stalked by a homicidal truck driver. The truck s driver is never seen as weavers ever increasing panic and rage build in this tale of road rage gone too far. Best horror movies, best romantic comedies, best war movies theyve all. He is believable enough to taste the evil truck driver s bait and foolish enough to continue nibbling. He can be seen reflected in the telephone booth during the scene where.
After the movies success as a straight to tv feature, the movie studios wanted to give duel a theatrical release, but at 74 minutes, it was just too short. Dont ever use a fake cb handle candy cane no less to trick a truck driver into meeting you at a sleazy motel on the side of a freeway. It is the feature fulllength directorial debut of american director, producer, and screenwriter steven spielberg, and is distributed by universal pictures dennis weaver portrays david mann, a business commuter from california driving a plymouth valiant while on his way to meet a. When the truck appears from over the hill, take a look at the very next shot of the truck from the front, and you will notice that the large exhaust on the side of the truck has moved from left to right and back to left again. It is the feature fulllength directorial debut of american director, producer, and screenwriter steven spielberg, and is distributed by universal pictures. It was very popular with truckers, with the 351 series outlasting the 281. Duel is probably the most literal example of nightmare fuel i have ever seen. The film calls it a helena duel, named after the texas town where this opening sequence takes. On the truck cabs rear window, there is some sort of air conditioning unit installed.
Written by richard matheson, based on his short story. The ten greatest truck driving movies every top ten movie list is going to be hotly disputed. Every once in a while it is fun to look back at our past cover features and answer the question, where are they now. The 281 series had a single drive axle, the 351 two. In crime films, it seems that all that getaway drivers do is get characters from point a to point b. For the general concept of persons fighting in arranged combat for honor, see duels duel is a 1971 television movie about a salesman driving through the california desert who is suddenly attacked by a large tanker truck after passing it on the deserted road directed by steven spielberg. I just wish more such movies would still be made today. The duel peterbilt movie truck american nightmare or american dream.
During the chase, a parked sedan resembling a squad car is seen, briefly raising. The car goes headon into the truck, the truckdriver drives over a cliff,and we see the truck crash. The one they call the last surviving duel truck i havent seen actually the one used in the first pic here. I dont know what he looks like and you never see his face except for a glimpse in the side mirror. If youve seen it, do you have any clue who the semi driver is, what his problem is. Arguably hollywoods greatest stunt driver ever, carey loftins amazing driving and stunt skills were utilized in dozens of hollywood productions over. As perhaps one of the most intense films ever made, duel quite honestly scared the bejesus out of many noncommercial vehicle drivers. The peterbilt 2851 was a line of tractor units built by peterbilt that ran from 1954 until 1976. Said killer is never actually seen in the movie not even a glimpse, unlike the duel truck driver whose feet and hands on the steering wheel are seen at certain junctures but is represented by his omnipresent 74 dodge charger, one of the most menacing vehicles ever seen in a movie. Duel the best bits of film trivia the tanker driver.
Arguably hollywoods greatest stunt driver ever, carey loftins amazing driving and stunt skills were utilized in dozens of hollywood productions over a period of nearly half a century. Feb 03, 2009 this is the last known surviving truck from the movie duel. At the end, the fan on the dash,and a tire or 2 on the truck are still moving,as dirt falls down the hillcliff. Duel the best bits of film trivia the tanker driver was. Duel, steven spielbergs first movie, is a featurelength chase that pits. The trucks driver is never seen as weavers everincreasing panic and rage build in this tale of road rage gone too far. The ten greatest truck driving movies cardinal logistics. Dennis weaver, a salesman in his car is stalked by a tanker truck driver for no apparent reason. Mann once again overtakes the truck and speeds away, the tanker driver blasts his horn in anger. The motorist, david played by dennis weaver, goes into chucks cafe to get away from the big rig driver whos been. Weaver and the neverseen truckdriver then engage in a motorized duel. This peterbilt is the only surviving truck from steven spielbergs first film.
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