Steven Spielberg's Duel ( Plymouth Valiant ) 1971
Duel
Duel is a 1971 television (and later full-length theatrical) thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Richard Matheson, based on Matheson’s short story of the same name. It stars Dennis Weaver as a terrified motorist stalked on a remote and lonely road by the mostly unseen driver of a mysterious tanker truck.
Theme Tune
1. Universal Emblem 0:28
2. Passing The Truck 2:12
3. Truck And Car Encounter 1:33
4. Studying Drivers 2:24
5. Mann’s Thoughts 3:37
6. Lone Driver Eating 2:01
7. Truck Leaving 1:17
8. Truck Stops 3:06
9. Hide And Seek 1:27
10. Truck Waiting #1 2:38
11. Truck Waiting #5 1:52
12. Truck Racing Car 4:47
13. Final Duel 4:50
14. The Duel (End Title) 2:30
15. EXTRAS: Instrumental No. 1 (Radio Source Music, Billy Goldenberg) 3:40
16. Instrumental No. 4 (Radio Source Music, Billy Goldenberg) 2:15
17. Instrumental No. 2 (Radio Source Music, Billy Goldenberg) 3:33
18. Instrumental No. 3 (Radio Source Music, Billy Goldenberg) 2:33
19. The Duel (Alternate End Title)
Cast
Dennis Weaver … David Mann
Jacqueline Scott … Mrs. Mann
Eddie Firestone … Cafe Owner
Lou Frizzell … Bus Driver
Gene Dynarski … Man in Cafe
Lucille Benson … Lady at Snakerama
Tim Herbert … Gas Station Attendant
Trivia
Some of the scenes were later reused as stock footage in an episode of the television series, The Incredible Hulk (1977). Episode: The Incredible Hulk: Never Give a Trucker an Even Break (1978). Obvious scenes used were the red Valiant slamming into the fence, the use of the same phantom truck in new TV footage, and the use of a similar Valiant in new TV footage. Unhappy by the discovery that footage from the movie was recycled, and unable to sue because the studio owned both the film and “Hulk” series, Steven Spielberg insisted that all his future contracts have a clause designed to protect his films from being used as stock footage.
Trivia
“Chuck’s Cafe” still exists today. A French restaurant occupies the original structure a few miles south of Acton, CA.
The Plymouth Valiant is an automobile manufactured by the Plymouth division of Chrysler Corporation in the United States from 1960 to 1976. It was created to give the company an entry in the compact car market emerging in the late 1950s. The Valiant was built and marketed worldwide in countries including Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, as well as other countries in South America and Western Europe.
David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is a middle-aged Los Angeles electronics salesman driving his red 1971 Plymouth Valiant sedan on a business trip. On a two-lane highway in the California desert, he encounters a grimy and rusty 1955 Peterbilt 281 tanker truck, traveling slower than the speed limit and expelling thick plumes of sooty diesel exhaust. Mann passes the unsightly truck, which promptly roars past him and then slows down again. Mann is unmoved, passing the truck a second time, and is startled when it suddenly issues a long air horn blast.
The Valiant’s red color was also intentional; Spielberg did not care what kind of car was used in the film but wanted it to be a red car to enable the vehicle to stand out in the wide shots of the desert highway.
Trivia
The ‘Snakerama’ gas station seen in the film was used again as a homage to Duel by Spielberg in his comedy film, 1941 (1979), with Lucille Benson again appearing as the proprietor.
Revealing mistakes In the climactic scene when the truck is about to careen off the cliff, the driver’s side door of the truck is clearly open before the truck reaches the edge (more obvious because the scene runs in slow motion), showing that the stunt driver bailed out long before.
Quote
David Mann: Come on you miserable fat-head, get that fat-ass truck outta my way!
David Mann: That truck driver’s crazy, he’s been trying to kill me, I mean it!
Bus Driver: Well, mister, if I was to vote on who’s crazy around here, it’d be you.
David Mann: You can’t beat me on the grade. You can’t beat me on the grade!
Trivia
With its original runtime of 74 minutes, the TV movie was not long enough to be released in theaters. Universal called Steven Spielberg back to shoot additional scenes in order to make it a 90-minute film. These new scenes were the railroad crossing, the school bus, the scene where David phones his wife and the opening scene where the car backs out of the garage and drives through the city.
Trivia
Steven Spielberg can be seen reflected in the telephone booth during the scene where David Mann is calling the police. During his appearance on Inside the Actors Studio (1994) Spielberg admitted that this was not an intentional cameo, but instead was a mistake. He went on to state that several similar mistakes were revealed when the movie received a theatrical release in Europe, with 18 different occurrences where Spielberg could be seen because of the change in aspect ratio for theatrical release.
Info
| Produced by | George Eckstein |
|---|---|
| Starring | Dennis Weaver |
| Cinematography | Jack A. Marta |
| Edited by | Frank Morriss |
| Music by | Billy Goldenberg |
|
Production
company |
Universal Television
|
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
|
Release date
|
November 13, 1971 |
|
Running time
|
74 minutes (TV) 90 minutes (theatrical) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $450,000 |
Trivia
Steven Spielberg said that the multiple license plates on the front bumper of the truck suggested that the truck driver is a serial killer which “ran down other drivers in other states”.
QUIZ 1
How many Days did it take Steven Spielberg to shoot the film ?
A. 8 Days
B. 12 Days
C. 20 Days
D. 32 Days
Press for Answer
B. 12 Days
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QUIZ 2
What was Steven Spielberg’s first movie ?
A. The Money Pit
B. The Sugarland Express
C. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
D. 1941
Press for Answer
B. The Sugarland Express
Scroll Down for More
QUIZ 1
How many Days did it take Steven Spielberg to shoot the film ?
A. 8 Days
B. 12 Days
C. 20 Days
D. 32 Days
Since filming only took about twelve days, it remains Steven Spielberg’s personal benchmark for how quickly he can shoot a film.
While filming the shot where the truck drives off the cliff, a piece of machinery designed to keep the truck traveling in a straight line without a driver failed. Instead of calling a halt, the driver, who had an important engagement the next day and didn’t want to miss it, stayed in the driving seat and only jumped out at the very last second before the truck went over.
QUIZ 2
What was Steven Spielberg’s first movie ?
A. The Money Pit
B. The Sugarland Express
C. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
D. 1941
Spielberg’s first major directorial effort was The Sugarland Express (1974), with Goldie Hawn, a film that marked him as a rising star. It was his next effort, however, that made him an international superstar among directors: Jaws (1975).
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- The Sugarland Express
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- 1941
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- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
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- The Money Pit
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