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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

  • 1974
  • R
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
33K
YOUR RATING
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
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?
Play trailer2:27
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionCrimeThriller

Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. The city's police are faced with a conundrum: Even if it's paid, how could they get away?Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. The city's police are faced with a conundrum: Even if it's paid, how could they get away?Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. The city's police are faced with a conundrum: Even if it's paid, how could they get away?

  • Director
    • Joseph Sargent
  • Writers
    • John Godey
    • Peter Stone
  • Stars
    • Walter Matthau
    • Robert Shaw
    • Martin Balsam
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    33K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Joseph Sargent
    • Writers
      • John Godey
      • Peter Stone
    • Stars
      • Walter Matthau
      • Robert Shaw
      • Martin Balsam
    • 234User reviews
    • 121Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
      • 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos113

    Walter Matthau in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Anna Berger, Thomas La Fleur, Eric O'Hanian, and Lucy Saroyan in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Robert Shaw and James Broderick in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau and Dick O'Neill in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, Robert Shaw, and Earl Hindman in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Hector Elizondo in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
    The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Walter Matthau
    Walter Matthau
    • Lt. Garber
    Robert Shaw
    Robert Shaw
    • Blue
    Martin Balsam
    Martin Balsam
    • Green
    Hector Elizondo
    Hector Elizondo
    • Grey
    Earl Hindman
    Earl Hindman
    • Brown
    James Broderick
    James Broderick
    • Denny Doyle
    Dick O'Neill
    Dick O'Neill
    • Correll
    Lee Wallace
    Lee Wallace
    • The Mayor
    Tom Pedi
    Tom Pedi
    • Caz Dolowicz
    Beatrice Winde
    • Mrs. Jenkins
    Jerry Stiller
    Jerry Stiller
    • Lt. Rico Patrone
    Nathan George
    Nathan George
    • Ptl. James
    Rudy Bond
    Rudy Bond
    • Police Commissioner
    Kenneth McMillan
    Kenneth McMillan
    • Borough Commander
    • (as Kenneth Mc Millan)
    Doris Roberts
    Doris Roberts
    • Mayor's Wife
    Julius Harris
    Julius Harris
    • Inspector Daniels
    Cynthia Belgrave
    • The Maid
    Anna Berger
    Anna Berger
    • The Mother
    • Director
      • Joseph Sargent
    • Writers
      • John Godey
      • Peter Stone
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In a TVO (Ontario, Canada) interview, the producer said that this film did terrific box office in New York, Toronto, London and Paris--all cities with subways--but was considered a flop in the rest of the world.
    • Goofs
      When the gang separates the train and backs it up to separate it from the train, the young conductor says in amazement, "I didn't know these things went backwards." Cute, but this is a very unlikely line from an apprentice conductor "studying to take the motorman's exam." Besides the usual running back and forth while making up trains in the yards, every subway car runs in both directions, because they usually do not turn the train around at the end of the line. Instead, the operator stops at the last station, walks from the former front to the former back, switches controls to the new "front end" and goes back the way he came. So all subway cars spend half of their life "going backwards," as any conductor would know.
    • Quotes

      Lt. Garber: [looking for the inspector] Inspector Daniels?

      Inspector Daniels: [identifying himself] Daniels.

      Lt. Garber: [realizing that Inspector Daniels is Black] Oh, I, uh, thought you were, uh, like a shorter guy or... I don't know what I thought.

    • Crazy credits
      Although many of the scenes in this film were taken on transit property, the New York City Transit Authority is not responsible for plot, story and characters portrayed. The Authority did not render technical advice and assistance.
    • Connections
      Edited into Superman III (1983)

    User reviews234

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Another example of why the 70's was the finest decade for films.
    It is my belief that the finest era for films was the 1970's. Consider all the classics that were produced in that era (Godfather I and II, Patton, The Sting, Jaws, Mean Streets, The Exorcist, The French Connection, Star Wars etc). My belief was recently validated by Jodie Foster, who essentially said the same thing. One of the reasons why the films were great was that the directors were ostensibly in control of the films, rather than by a committee of the usual Hollywood "insiders" who think they know what people want to see, but rarely make the correct decisions.

    I know that this film was re-made( for TV)--God knows why--but I'm sure if they attempted another film version Matt Damon would be playing the grizzled transit police cop (Matthau's role) and Jude Law would be playing the Robert Shaw role. That's another reason why the original and other films of the 70's were so great: the casting was more believable. Today Hollywood is so incredibly youth-obsessed that actors are completely miscast.

    I am not stating that this is another 70's classic, but even this film is far superior to many of today's films. And yet, I'll bet you couldn't find "Pelham" in your local video store.

    I love several things about this film. The first thing to hit you is that wonderful, funky score that in some parts sounds like controlled chaos. I love the script, which is not completely dark despite the underlying theme, as there are some very funny moments throughout the film: for instance, the chagrined look on Matthau's face when he discovers the Japanese visitors can speak English.

    There are many examples of mistaken identity in this film: the supervisor who is gunned down is called "goombah", but he isn't Italian; Matthau thinks the black police captain is white over the radio; Matthau mistakes the long-haired undercover cop (who was shot on the train tracks) for a female. I also love the character who plays the mayor, who unbelievably bears a striking resemblance to Mayor Koch, who was elected 3 years later!!!! All in all a great action film, and one that will hold up for years.

    Addendum: Well, they're doing it--they're re-making this film because Hollywood is almost completely bereft of new ideas (see "Josie and the Pussycats" "Bewitched" the upcoming "I Dream of Jeannie"). I half-expect they will remake "The Paper Chase" next with P.Diddy as Professor Kingsfield.
    helpful•82
    13
    • ntvnyr30
    • Sep 28, 2006

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    FAQ7

    • Why are the passengers specifically designated in the credits but not in the movie itself?
    • What is 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' about?
    • Is "The Taking of Pelham" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 14, 1974 (West Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • El tomar de Pelham uno dos tres
    • Filming locations
      • Court Street Station, IND Fulton Street Line, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA(scenes in the tunnel; station closed since 1946)
    • Production companies
      • Palomar Pictures International
      • Palladium Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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