Bullitt

For other uses, see Bullitt (disambiguation).

Bullitt
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Yates
Screenplay by
Based onMute Witness
by Robert L. Fish
Produced byPhilip D'Antoni
Starring
CinematographyWilliam A. Fraker
Edited byFrank P. Keller
Music byLalo Schifrin
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.-Seven Arts
Release date
  • October 17, 1968 (1968-10-17)[1]
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million[2]
Box office$42.3 million (~$283 million in 2023)[3]

Bullitt is a 1968 American crime action thriller film[4][5] directed by Peter Yates from a screenplay by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner and based on the 1963 crime novel Mute Witness by Robert L. Fish. It stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, and Norman Fell. In the film, detective Frank Bullit (McQueen) investigates the murder of a witness he was assigned to protect.[6]

A star vehicle for McQueen, Bullitt began development once Yates was hired upon the completion of the screenplay, which differs significantly from Fish's novel. Principal photography took place throughout 1967, with filming primarily taking place on location in San Francisco. The film was produced by McQueen's Solar Productions, with Robert Relyea as executive producer alongside Philip D'Antoni. Lalo Schifrin wrote the film's jazz-inspired score. Bullitt is notable for its extensive use of practical locations and stuntwork.

Bullitt was released in the United States on October 17, 1968, by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. It was a critical success, with praise for its screenplay, editing, and action sequences: its car chase sequence is regarded as one of the most influential in film history.[7][8][9][10] The film received numerous awards and nominations, including being nominated for two Academy Awards, winning for Best Film Editing. It grossed $42.3 million worldwide, becoming one of the highest grossing films of 1968. In 2007, Bullitt was preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.[11][12]

  1. ^ Bullitt at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  2. ^ "British Director to Film U.S. Dilemma" Lesner, Sam. Los Angeles Times, February 9, 1968: c14.
  3. ^ "Box Office Information for Bullitt". Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. The Numbers. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  4. ^ Tobey, Matthew. "Bullitt (1968) - Peter Yates". AllMovie. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Bullitt". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ebert was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Maltin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Levy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Weber was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "National Film Registry 2007". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  12. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2020.