The Taking of Pelham One Two Three main backdrop
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three main poster

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

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7.5/10 • 545

1974-10-021h 44m

CrimeThrillerAction

We are going to kill one passenger a minute until New York City pays us 1 million dollars.

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?

Directors
Joseph Sargent
Editors
Robert Q. Lovett

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Walter Matthau

    Walter Matthau

    Lt. Garber

  2. Robert Shaw

    Robert Shaw

    Blue

  3. Martin Balsam

    Martin Balsam

    Green

  4. Héctor Elizondo

    Héctor Elizondo

    Grey

  5. Earl Hindman

    Earl Hindman

    Brown

  6. James Broderick

    James Broderick

    Denny Doyle

  7. Dick O'Neill

    Dick O'Neill

    Correll

  8. Lee Wallace

    Lee Wallace

    The Mayor

  9. Tom Pedi

    Tom Pedi

    Caz Dolowicz

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jan 18, 2024

7/10

Robert Shaw is great in this tensely presented heist thriller with a difference. Allied with Martin Balsam's "Green", Hector Elizondo as "Grey" and Earl Hindman's "Brown" they meticulously hijack a subway train and hold the city to ransom for $1 million. It falls to grizzled transit cop "Garber" (Walter Matthau) to try and second-guess their plans before they start killing one passenger per minute! What adds suspence to this mystery is their potential escape route? Stuck in well mapped and monitored tunnels fifty food beneath street level, how are they planning on getting their loot to Cuba? Joesph Sargent gets loads from an established cast of players here who develop the sense of peril and excitement well - especially the master of less-is-more that is Robert Shaw. It's good to see Matthau demonstrate he's not just about whacky comedy and as the plot reaches it's duplicitous, nerve-wracking denouement with even some space for a delicious irony at the end. The photography captures well the dark and claustrophobically dingy subterranean environment as well as the increasingly frenetic command centre where "Garber" is being wound up by track manager "Correll" (Dick O'Neill) whilst facing increasingly pressure from the hapless mayor (Lee Wallace). Pay them or have your electorate slaughtered? What would you do...?

Media

  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
new york cityransomkidnappinghostageliberation of hostage1970smayorhostage-takingremaketrainpolice officerhijacknew york subway