Steve mcqueen race car movie

Whether it was the steelyeyed michael delany in the 1971 movie le mans, or his suave presence in the thomas crown affair, steve mcqueen the cult hero conveyed an irresistible charm exuding sexual energy, sly humor, and a hint of danger. Steve mcqueen at the legendary 1970 12 hours of sebring race where mcqueen partnered with codriver peter revson raced with a broken left foot in a cast against racing great, mario andretti. Keystone featureshulton archivegetty images mcqueen swerves to avoid a burning car. Steve mcqueen and his ultimate racing movie cbs news.

A foot injury kept mcqueen whod just finished second at the 12 hours of sebring race from competing in the 1970 le mans, which his film crew covered documentarystyle camera cars kept pace. Mcqueens le mans wasnt the first race car film of the era. He starred in such features as the great escape, bullitt and the getaway. How jerry seinfeld found steve mcqueens porsche 917 on a. One of americas most endearing and intriguing movie stars, he is still the king of cool according to esquire magazine50 years after the zenith. Fathom events and greg laurie present the compelling documentary, steve mcqueen. He comes around the corner, and theres another car, going much more slowly, right in front of him. Le mans was filmed on location on the le mans circuit between june and november 1970, including during that seasons actual 24 hours of le mans race in midjune. This 1970 gulfliveried 917k was used as a test car for le mans before becoming the star car in steve mcqueens legendary racing movie legendary racing movie le. The logo for his movie company, solar productions, was embossed in the upper left corner and opposite that resided the date, december 14, 1977. His daring motorcycle and race car stunts gave men a boost of adrenaline and made them eager to relate to him.

If youre not familiar, this movie depicts the story of michael delaney, a race car driver played by steve mcqueen, as he participates in what is arguably the worlds greatest and hardest endurance race in the world. Meanwhile, women believed there was deepseated pain and fragility behind mcqueens facade. The senior pastor of harvest christian fellowship in riverside, california, was always a big fan of mcqueen and even has a replica of mcqueens famous 1968 bullitt car. Perhaps the most identifiable car that steve mcqueen ever drove in a movie was the ford mustang gt 390 that featured heavily in the san francisco detective film bullitt. His son chad mcqueen and former wife neile adams are among those interviewed. Almost at the verge of documentary, film depicts a single auto race from the ground up. While i didnt necessarily understand the plot, i was mesmerized by the car chase. Beyond his acting profession, mcqueen is also known for his avid admiration of rare cars and motorcycles. Katzin and starring steve mcqueen, siegfried rauch, elga andersen, ronald leighhunt and fred haltiner.

In 1971, steve mcqueen starred in a movie called le mans. With the porsche, he participated in several highprofile races with considerable success. Seinfeld bought the car in the early 2000s, but hasnt ever told. This 1970 gulfliveried 917k was used as a test car for le mans before becoming the star car in steve mcqueen s legendary racing movie legendary racing movie le mans film. With steve mcqueen, siegfried rauch, elga andersen, ronald leighhunt. Steve mcqueen, also known as the king of cool, starred in the 1968 box office hit movie, bullitt. Some would say this had been a long time coming, accelerated by mcqueen rolling a. Bullitt steve mcqueen refuses to back down when the charger trying to follow him takes it up a notch, leading to a chase through the streets of san francisco. Steve mcqueen was the second album by english pop band prefab sprout, which was released in june 1985. One of the drivers lost a leg in an accident on set. As a kid growing up in new york in the late 60s, i had a thing for the movie bullitt starring steve mcqueen. Steve mcqueen was one of the most popular and successful film actors of the 1960s and 1970s. Top flight le mans racing driver michael delaney steve mcqueen spots. The car movie that made steve mcqueen lose his cool.

It premiered at the 68th cannes film festival and was one of two british films to be an official selection for the cannes film festival in 2015. Mcqueens quest for realism led to the recruitment of much of the 24 hours grid to drive for scenes in the movie, which was being shot directly after the race finished. Steve was the ultimate movie star, explained robert vaughn, his costar in the magnificent seven. Steve mcqueen in the famous car chase scene in bullitt credit. Le mans original movie poster steve mcqueen race car tom jung art rauch 1971. Perhaps the most interesting car in his collection is 917 chassis 022one of the cars steve mcqueen used in his movie le mans. How jerry seinfeld came to own steve mcqueens porsche 917. Another uk band, the automatic, released a single called steve mcqueen as the lead single to their 2008 album this is a fix. With steve mcqueen, sharon farrell, ruth white, michael constantine. An avid fan of the actor and owner of a replica of mcqueens car in the classic film bullitt, pastor greg laurie hits the road in his mint mustang, traveling the country in. Friends of steve mcqueen car and motorcycle show is an automotive gathering and commemorative dinner held in early june to raise funds for boys republic, a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian community for atrisk boys and girls ages 17. Steve mcqueen poster indiana movie memorabilia original us.

Endless hagiographies and tributes were written about the mythical, practically supernatural. It features actual footage captured during the 1970 race held the previous june. Steve mcqueen tried to buy back his classic bullitt. Mcqueen later gave a medical interview in which he believed that asbestos used in movie sound stage insulation and racedrivers protective suits and helmets could have been involved, but he thought it more likely that his illness was a direct result of massive exposure while removing asbestos lagging from pipes aboard a troop ship while in the. Le mans is a 1971 film depicting a fictional 24 hours of le mans auto race starring steve mcqueen and directed by lee h. In turnofthecentury mississippi, an 11yearold boy comes of age as two mischievous adult friends talk him into sneaking the family car out for a trip to memphis and a series of adventures. Steve mcqueen made one last effort to buy his favorite mustang in 1977. A foot injury kept mcqueen whod just finished second at the 12 hours of sebring race from competing in the 1970 le mans, which his film crew. Limited series follows the participants of frances 24hour car race that takes place annually in le mans. Chad mcqueen was the first and only son of steve and neile mcqueen. Steve mcqueen car and motorcycle show a unique car and. There are few cars more iconic than the 1968 mustang gt that steve mcqueen drove in bullitt. American icon, including a special message from greg laurie and performance by mercyme, in select cinemas.

As public personas go, movie stars are often the people who give a face to the. Christian filmmakers fulfill steve mcqueens dying wish in. B y 1970 steve mcqueen was the most successful movie star in the world. Steve mcqueen on the set of his 1971 motorracing movie, le mans. It was released in the united states under the title two wheels good because of a legal conflict with mcqueens estate. The production was plagued by delays and cost overruns. Steve mcqueens passion for racing came from a yearning that drove a whole.

By 196970, i was already out of high school and into college, and while the adolescent charm of racing and cars was gone within me, i have always held that era as a particular time when racing was more than just a gentlemens sport, but a form of achieving a higher level of being. Porsche 908 by the late 1960s, mcqueens passion for racing was in overdrive. Mcqueen himself would pay a personal price as his marriage failed during the making of the movie. The story of an accident, a porsche 917 and steve mcqueen. The semiliterate former reform school boy had enjoyed a run of hits. The film focuses on film star steve mcqueens efforts to take control of his career. The mustang steve mcqueen expertly drove in the 1968 movie bullitt was no average sports car. On june 23, 1971, the 106minute racing drama le mans, starring steve mcqueen and siegfried rauch as rivals, hit theaters stateside. He was racing dirt bikes by age nine, and in just three years, would go on to win his class in the world mini grand prix. Rex but he never made much noise about it until overwhelmed by the desire to drive at le mans, an event mcqueen may have made a film. For steve mcqueen, filming his race car movie le mans was the culmination of a dream and yet it wrecked his life. In what was at the time undeniably the best car chase scene ever caught on film, mcqueen himself piloted the dark green mustang up and down the steep hills of the bay area, being chased by and then chasing a black dodge charger. See more ideas about steve mcqueen le mans, steve mcqueen and le mans.

He was cast as the character of san francisco police lieutenant frank bullitt and his mission was to protect a person he thought was an important mob witnessinformant. The 1968 dodge charger 440 magnum that chases and is chased by mcqueen in bullit is not as well known as the mcqueen bullit mustang gt 390 fastback, but it is still one of the hottest steve mcqueen cars. For someone that appreciates cars and racing machines, this is an absolute must. On the surface mcqueen had everything he could wantfame, cars, homes, more money than he could spend in a lifetime. Mustang made famous in steve mcqueen movie bullitt. Established in 2008 by members and friends of the porsche 356 club of southern california, the event attracts automobile, motorcycle and. He sent a letter, typed on a single piece of heavy offwhite vellum, to the cars owner in new jersey. What he didnt know was that he was not guarding the intended witness. But that car disappeared shortly after filming for the 1968 movie was completed and, despite the.