View source for Bullitt

{{short description|1968 film by Peter Yates}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Bullitt
| image          = Bullitt poster.jpg
| alt            = <!-- See [[WP:ALT]] -->
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Peter Yates]]
| producer       = [[Philip D'Antoni]]
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Alan Trustman|Alan R. Trustman]]
* [[Harry Kleiner]]
}}
| based_on       = {{Based on|''Mute Witness''<br />1963 novel|[[Robert L. Fish]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Steve McQueen]]
* [[Robert Vaughn]]
* [[Jacqueline Bisset]]
* [[Don Gordon (actor)|Don Gordon]]
* [[Robert Duvall]]
* [[Simon Oakland]]
* [[Norman Fell]]
}}
| music          = [[Lalo Schifrin]]
| cinematography = [[William A. Fraker]]
| editing        = [[Frank P. Keller]]
| studio         = [[Solar Productions]]
| distributor    = [[Warner Bros.-Seven Arts]]
| released       = {{Film date|1968|10|17|ref1=<ref name=AFI>{{AFI film|23455|Bullitt}}</ref>}}
| runtime        = 113 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $4 million<ref>"British Director to Film U.S. Dilemma" Lesner, Sam. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', February 9, 1968: c14.</ref>
| gross          = $42.3 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=42300000|start_year=1968}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}})<ref name="The Numbers">[http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1968/0BLTT.php "Box Office Information for ''Bullitt''"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611075916/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1968/0BLTT.php |date=June 11, 2011 }}. [[The Numbers (website)|''The Numbers'']]. Retrieved July 15, 2011.</ref>
}}

'''''Bullitt''''' is a 1968 American [[action thriller]] film<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/bullitt-v7534 |title=Bullitt (1968) - Peter Yates |website=[[AllMovie]] |access-date=February 3, 2019 |archive-date=December 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230081046/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/bullitt-v7534 |url-status=live|last=Tobey|first=Matthew}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> directed by [[Peter Yates]] from a screenplay by [[Alan Trustman|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 (actor)|Don Gordon]], [[Robert Duvall]], [[Simon Oakland]], and [[Norman Fell]]. In the film, detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) investigates the murder of a witness he was assigned to protect.<ref name="Bullitt">{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/21345/bullitt#credits |title=Bullitt |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=November 19, 2016 |archive-date=September 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930115624/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/21345/Bullitt/full-credits.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

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 [[Film score|score]]. ''Bullitt'' is notable for its extensive use of practical locations and stunt work.

''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, and retrospective reception has named ''Bullitt'' among the greatest action films ever made.<ref name=Ebert /><ref name=Maltin /><ref name=Levy /><ref name=Weber /> The film received numerous awards and nominations, including being nominated for two [[Academy Awards]], winning for [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|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]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/08012/registry.html |title=National Film Registry 2007 |website=[[Library of Congress]] |access-date=April 28, 2010 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201943/http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/08012/registry.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|access-date=September 18, 2020|website=Library of Congress |archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305191832/https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. -->
On a Friday night in [[Chicago]], mobster Johnny Ross briefly meets his brother, Pete, after fleeing the [[Chicago Outfit|Outfit]]. The next morning, Lieutenant Frank Bullitt of the [[San Francisco Police Department]] (SFPD), along with his team, Delgetti and Stanton, are tasked by U.S. Senator Walter Chalmers with [[protective custody|guarding]] Ross over the weekend, until he can be presented as a witness to a [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[subcommittee]] hearing on [[organized crime]] on Monday morning. The detectives are told he is in a cheap hotel on the [[Embarcadero (San Francisco)|Embarcadero]]. At 1:00 am Sunday, while Stanton is phoning Bullitt to say Chalmers and a friend want to come up, Ross unchains the room door. Two [[Contract killing|hitmen]] burst in, shooting Stanton in the leg and Ross in the chest. Chalmers holds Bullitt responsible.

After Ross dies in the hospital, Bullitt sends the body to the morgue as a [[John Doe]] to keep the investigation open. An informant states that Ross was in San Francisco because he had stolen millions of dollars from the Outfit. Bullitt also discovers that Ross made a long-distance phone call to a hotel in [[San Mateo, California|San Mateo]]. While driving his [[Ford Mustang (first generation)#1967–1968|Ford Mustang]], Bullitt becomes aware he is being followed by a [[Dodge Charger (B-body)#Second generation|Dodge Charger]]. He eludes his pursuers, and then turns the tables as he follows the hitmen. An extended chase ensues through the city, ending in an explosion in [[Brisbane, California|Brisbane]], when the Charger crashes into a gas station, killing the two hitmen.

Bullitt and Delgetti are confronted by their superior, Captain Sam Bennett. Chalmers (who is assisted by SFPD Captain Baker) serves them a writ of ''[[habeas corpus]]'', forcing Bullitt to reveal that Ross has died. Bennett ignores the writ because it is Sunday; this allows Bullitt to investigate the lead of the long-distance phone call to San Mateo. With no car, Bullitt gets a ride from his architect girlfriend, Cathy. The two then find a woman [[garrote]]d in her hotel room. Cathy confronts Bullitt about his work, saying, "You're living in a sewer, Frank." She wonders, "What will happen to us in time?"

Bullitt and Delgetti examine the victim's luggage and discover a travel brochure for [[Rome]], as well as [[traveler's cheque|traveler's check]]s made out to an Albert and Dorothy Renick. Bullitt requests their [[passport]] applications from Chicago. Bullitt, Bennett, Chalmers, and Baker gather around the [[Fax|telecopier]] as the applications arrive. Chalmers turns out to have sent Bullitt to guard a ''[[Doppelgänger]]'', Albert Renick, a used-car salesman from Chicago, while his wife Dorothy was staying in San Mateo. Bullitt realizes that Ross was playing the politically ambitious Chalmers by using Renick as a decoy so he could slip out of the country Sunday night.

Delgetti and Bullitt watch the Rome gate at [[San Francisco International Airport]], but Bullitt realizes the real Ross (on Renick's passport) probably switched to an earlier [[London]] flight, which is ordered to return to the terminal. Bullitt chases a fleeing Ross back to the crowded passenger terminal, where Ross guns down a deputy sheriff before being shot dead by Bullitt. Chalmers arrives to survey the scene, but leaves, saying nothing. Early Monday morning, Bullitt arrives home to find Cathy asleep in his bed, having chosen to stay.

==Cast==
Credits from the [[American Film Institute]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=BULLITT (1968) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/23455 |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]}}</ref>
[[File:Steve-McQueen-1968.jpg|thumb|McQueen in 1968, the year of the film's release.]]
[[File:DAVETOSCHI.jpg|thumb|[[Dave Toschi]] is the real-life San Francisco police officer who influenced Bullitt's characterization.]]
* [[Steve McQueen]] as SFPD Lieutenant Frank Bullitt: McQueen based his performance on San Francisco Inspector [[Dave Toschi]], with whom he worked prior to filming.<ref>McQueen, Steve. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKI9CmIHmoc "The Making Of ''Bullitt''"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724181621/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKI9CmIHmoc|date=July 24, 2014}}. 1968 Warner Bros. promotional short film.</ref><ref name="Graysmith">Graysmith, Robert. (1986). "Zodiac". p. 96. St. Martin's Press. {{ISBN|978-0-3128-9895-3}}</ref> McQueen even copied Toschi's unique "fast-draw" shoulder holster. 
* [[Robert Vaughn]] as Walter Chalmers: Vaughn initially turned down the role, feeling the plot was too "thin".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-02-25 |title=Cut to the Chase: Bullitt |url=https://shepcat.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/bullitt/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=THE SHEPCAT CHRONICLES |language=en}}</ref> Decades later, when Vaughn considered entering politics, he discovered that people could not take him seriously, or found him untrustworthy, as they remembered his performance in this film.<ref name="A Fortunate Life">{{Cite book |last=Vaughn |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Vaughn |url=https://archive.org/details/fortunatelife00vaug_0 |title=A Fortunate Life |publisher=[[Thomas Dunne Books]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0312590437 |edition=1st |location=New York City |url-access=registration}}</ref>
* [[Jacqueline Bisset]] as Cathy, Bullitt's girlfriend: [[Katharine Ross]] was offered the role, but she turned it down, as she felt the part was just too small.<ref name="mann">{{cite news |last=Graham |first=Sheila |date=February 26, 1969 |title=Katharine Jacqueline Stars on No. 2 Choice |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7RcfAAAAIBAJ&pg=7519,5086481& |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627143340/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7RcfAAAAIBAJ&pg=7519,5086481& |archive-date=June 27, 2021 |access-date=June 27, 2021 |newspaper=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |via=Google News}}</ref>
* [[Don Gordon (actor)|Don Gordon]] as Inspector "Del" Delgetti, Bullitt's partner: This film was the first of three times McQueen worked on-screen with his real-life friend Gordon, the other two were in [[Papillon (1973 film)|''Papillon'']] (1973) and ''[[The Towering Inferno]]'' (1974).
* [[Robert Duvall]] as Weissberg, a cab driver 
* [[Simon Oakland]] as Captain Sam Bennett
* [[Norman Fell]] as Captain Baker
* [[Carl Reindel]] as Sergeant Carl Stanton
* [[Felice Orlandi]] as Albert Renick, the fake "Johnny Ross"
* [[Pat Renella]] as the real Johnny Ross
* [[Georg Stanford Brown]] as Dr. Willard
* Justin Tarr as Eddy, an informant
* [[Vic Tayback]] as Pete Ross
* [[John Aprea]] as Dr. Kinner
* [[Ed Peck]] as Wescott, a reporter
* Robert Lipton as Chalmers' aide
* [[Paul Genge]] and [[Bill Hickman]] as hitmen
* [[Al Checco]] as a desk clerk

==Production==
''Bullitt'' was co-produced by McQueen's Solar Productions and Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. The film was pitched to [[Jack L. Warner]] as "doing authority differently".{{sfn|Sandford|2003|page=224}}

===Development===
''Bullitt'' was director Peter Yates' first American film. He was hired after McQueen saw his 1967 U.K. feature, ''[[Robbery (1967 film)|Robbery]]'', with its extended car chase.<ref name="roughguide">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetofilm00arms/page/616/mode/2up?q=bullitt |title=The Rough Guide to Film |publisher=Rough Guides Limited |author4=Jessica Winter |author3=Lloyd Hughes |first1=Richard |last1=Armstong |author2=Tom Charity |year=2007 |page=617 |isbn=978-1-8435-3408-2 |access-date=January 12, 2024 |url-access=registration}}</ref>  [[Joseph E. Levine]], whose [[Embassy Pictures]] had distributed ''Robbery'', did not like the film much, but [[Alan Trustman]], who saw the picture the week he was writing the ''Bullitt'' chase scenes, insisted that McQueen, Relyea, and D'Antoni (none of whom had ever heard of Yates) see ''Robbery'' and consider Yates as director for ''Bullitt''.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

In the original novel ''Mute Witness'', the lead character is an older, overweight police lieutenant named Clancy. D'Antoni and his original co-producer [[Ernest Pintoff]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bullitt (1968) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/23455 |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]}}</ref> considered the film a vehicle for [[Spencer Tracy]], but his death in 1967 ended that.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-10-22 |title=Story of the scene: Bullitt (1968) |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/story-of-the-scene-bullitt-1968-1807209.html |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=The Independent |language=en|last1=Clarke|first1=Roger}}</ref> McQueen was a great admirer of Tracy and took on the project, in part, as a tribute to him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPEEDING BULLITT |url=https://www.speedingbullitt.com/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=SPEEDING BULLITT |language=en-US}}</ref> The original novel was also set in Chicago, not San Francisco.

=== Filming ===
''Bullitt'' is notable for its extensive use of actual locations rather than studio sets, and its attention to procedural detail, from police evidence processing to emergency-room procedures. Director Yates' use of the new lightweight [[Arriflex]] cameras allowed for greater flexibility in location shooting.{{sfn|Eagan|2009|pages=641–642}} The film was shot almost entirely on location in San Francisco. In the emergency-room operation scene, real doctors and nurses were used as the supporting cast.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Saland |first=Ronald |date=1968 |title='Bullitt': Steve McQueen's Commitment to Reality |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWGHY77WuKg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/PWGHY77WuKg |archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live |access-date=December 14, 2020 |website=YouTube |ref=making_of}}{{cbignore}}</ref> According to McQueen, "The thing we tried to achieve was not to do a theatrical film, but a film about reality."<ref name=":0" />

[[File:SFO international terminal.jpg|thumb|right|Mayor [[Joseph Alioto]] helped the production obtain permission to film at the San Francisco International Airport, over two weeks of night shoots.]]

''Bullitt'' was one of the first feature films to be shot almost entirely on location in San Francisco.<ref name=":2" /> With the exception of the opening set piece in Chicago, the entire film was shot there.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Filming Locations for Bullitt, in San Francisco. |url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/b/Bullitt.php |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations}}</ref> In a 1968 interview, D'Anatoni reasoned the production would cost no more to shoot in San Francisco than in Los Angeles, despite transportation and housing expenses, because so much money was saved on construction by using real locations.<ref name=":2" />

Filming locations included:<ref name=":3" />
* [[Mark Hopkins Hotel]]
* Kennedy Hotel (on Embarcadero and Howard, near the Embarcadero Freeway)
* [[Nob Hill, San Francisco|Nob Hill]]
* [[Cow Hollow, San Francisco|Cow Hollow]]
* 2700 Vallejo Street, [[Pacific Heights, San Francisco|Pacific Heights]]
* [[Grace Cathedral, San Francisco|Grace Cathedral]]
* Enrico's (Broadway at Kearny Street)
* [[San Francisco International Airport]]

== Car chase ==
[[File:Burninrubber4.jpg|thumb|right|287px|A [[Burnout (vehicle)|burnout]] being performed in the car chase scene |alt=Photograph of a car with a driver looking backwards out of its window: The car's rear tire is smoking from the friction of spinning against the road.]]
At the time of the film's release, the car chase scenes featuring McQueen at the wheel in all driver-visual scenes generated prodigious excitement.<ref name=Ebert>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19681223/REVIEWS/812230301/1023 |title=Bullitt |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=December 23, 1968 |access-date=January 18, 2010 |quote="Bullitt," as everybody has heard by now, also includes a brilliant chase scene. McQueen (doing his own driving) is chased by, and chases, a couple of gangsters up and down San Francisco's hills. They slam into intersections, bounce halfway down the next hill, scrape by half a dozen near-misses, sideswipe each other, and leave your stomach somewhere in the basement for about 11 minutes. |archive-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011180807/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19681223%2FREVIEWS%2F812230301%2F1023 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Leonard Maltin]] has called it a "now-classic car chase, one of the screen's all-time best."<ref name=Maltin>{{cite book |editor1-last=Maltin |editor1-first=Leonard |title=Leonard Maltin's 2004 Movie and Video Guide |publisher=Penguin Group |year=2004 |quote=Taut action-film makes great use of San Francisco locations, especially in now-classic car chase, one of the screen's all-time best; Oscar-winning editing by Frank Keller. |page=195 |isbn=978-0-4512-0940-5}}</ref> [[Emanuel Levy]] wrote in 2003, "''Bullitt'' contains one of the most exciting car chases in film history, a sequence that revolutionized Hollywood's standards."<ref name=Levy>{{cite web |title=Bullitt |last=Levy |first=Emanuel |year=2008 |url=http://www.emanuellevy.com/search/details.cfm?id=4610 |access-date=November 6, 2010 |website=EmanuelLevy |archive-date=October 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024192059/http://www.emanuellevy.com/search/details.cfm?id=4610 |url-status=live }}</ref> In his obituary for Peter Yates, Bruce Weber wrote, "Mr. Yates' reputation probably rests most securely on ''Bullitt'' (1968), his first American film – and indeed, on one particular scene, an extended car chase that instantly became a classic."<ref name=Weber>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/movies/11yates.html |title=Peter Yates, Filmmaker, Is Dead at 81 |last=Weber |first=Bruce |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 11, 2011 |access-date=March 23, 2019 |archive-date=June 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630121443/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/movies/11yates.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Vehicles ===
[[File:Bullitt Mustang.jpg|thumb|Bullitt Mustang '559 on display at the LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, 2019]]
Warner Bros. ordered two identical 1968 Mustangs for filming. Both were painted Highland Green and had the GT package with 390 CID engines. These cars had the sequential [[vehicle identification number]]s 8R02S125558 and 8R02S125559.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last=Markovich |first=Tony |date=2018-01-14 |title=National Historic Vehicle Register Adds Original 1968 Mustang Fastback Bullitt |url=https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15159748/national-historic-vehicle-register-adds-original-1968-mustang-fastback-bullitt/ |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=Car and Driver |language=en-us}}</ref> Prior to filming, the cars were modified by Max Balchowsky. Car '558 was modified and used for the stunt driving, while '559 was used for McQueen's close-up driving shots.<ref name=":1" />

After the filming was complete, '559 was repaired and repainted with a single coat of Highland Green, and sold to Warner Bros. employee Robert Ross.<ref name="machines">{{cite book |last=Stone |first=Matt |title=McQueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon |publisher=MBI Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7603-38957 |location=Minneapolis |page=90 |quote=One of the Mustangs was so badly damaged during filming it was judged unrepairable and scrapped. The second, chassis 8R02S125559, was sold to a Warner Bros. employee after filming was completed.}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{cite news |title=1968 Ford Mustang Fastback (Bullitt – '559) |url=https://www.historicvehicle.org/national-historic-vehicle-register/vehicles/1968-ford-mustang-fastback-bullitt-559/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201091255/https://www.historicvehicle.org/national-historic-vehicle-register/vehicles/1968-ford-mustang-fastback-bullitt-559/ |archive-date=February 1, 2018 |access-date=January 31, 2018 |website=Historic Vehicle Association}}</ref> Ross drove it until 1970, then sold it to Frank Marranca, who had it shipped from California to New Jersey. In 1974, Marranca sold the car to Robert Kiernan through an advertisement in ''[[Road & Track]]''.<ref name="cnn2020">{{cite news |last1=Valdes-Dapena |first1=Peter |date=January 10, 2020 |title=$3.7 million: Ford Mustang driven in the movie 'Bullitt' sells for record price |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/10/cars/bullitt-mustang-auction-record-price/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111034132/https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/10/cars/bullitt-mustang-auction-record-price/index.html |archive-date=January 11, 2020 |access-date=January 11, 2020 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref name="thirdversion" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Ceppos |first=Rich |date=March 16, 2018 |title=Steve McQueen's Bullitt-Movie Mustang Suddenly Reappeared: This Is How It Happened |url=https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a19457341/original-steve-mcqueen-bullitt-mustang-rediscovered/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026222843/https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a19457341/original-steve-mcqueen-bullitt-mustang-rediscovered/ |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |access-date=October 22, 2020 |magazine=Car and Driver}}</ref> In 1977, Steve McQueen attempted to buy it back, but was refused.<ref name=":4" /> The Kiernans drove it for 46,000 miles as their family car, then put it in storage in 1980. Kiernan's son, Sean, began to restore the vehicle in 2014, and had it authenticated in 2016, with documentation that included McQueen's letter offering to purchase it. On January 10, 2020, the car was sold by Mecum Auctions for $3.7 million (about ${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=3700000|start_year=2020}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) to an unidentified buyer.<ref name="cnn2020"/>

Car '558 had been damaged severely during filming and was subsequently sent to a scrapyard. In the ensuing decades, the car was assumed to be lost. In 2016, though, Hugo Sanchez purchased a pair of Mustang coupes from the backyard of a house near [[Los Cabos Municipality|Los Cabos]], Mexico. He then sent the cars to [[Ralph Garcia]] to start work on turning one into a clone of the "[[Eleanor (automobile)|Eleanor]]" Mustang from the film ''[[Gone in 60 Seconds (2000 film)|Gone in 60 Seconds]]''. Realizing one of the two Mustangs was an S-code, Garcia had the car authenticated by Kevin Marti. The authentication revealed this to be the lost ''Bullitt'' car. In 2017, Sanchez and Garcia began to give the car a full restoration.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gastelu |first=Gary |date=March 6, 2017 |title=Ford Mustang found in Mexican junkyard is from 'Bullitt,' expert confirms |url=https://www.foxnews.com/auto/ford-mustang-found-in-mexican-junkyard-is-from-bullitt-expert-confirms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002040742/https://www.foxnews.com/auto/ford-mustang-found-in-mexican-junkyard-is-from-bullitt-expert-confirms |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |access-date=March 7, 2017 |work=[[Fox News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Brzozowski |first=Aaron |date=July 19, 2018 |title=Second 'Bullitt' Mustang movie car currently undergoing restoration |url=https://fordauthority.com/2018/07/second-bullitt-mustang-movie-car-currently-undergoing-restoration/ |access-date=Dec 8, 2022 |website=Ford Authority}}</ref>

Stunt driver [[Bill Hickman]] provided two 1968 Dodge Chargers, which were painted black for use in the film. One was reserved for close-ups, and the other performed the stunts. Vehicle supervisor [[Max Balchowsky]] strengthened the suspension of the stunt car, but left the engines mostly unmodified.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/this-is-the-1968-dodge-charger-r-t-440-original-bullitt-movie-car-144253.html|title=This Is the 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Original Bullitt Movie Car|website=autoevolution|date=May 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.streetmusclemag.com/features/columns/robs-movie-muscle-the-baddies-1968-dodge-charger-r-t-from-bullitt/|title=Rob's Movie Muscle: The Baddies' 1968 Dodge Charger R/T From Bullitt|website=Street Muscle Magazine|date=December 23, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashgear.com/1115280/heres-what-happened-to-the-1968-dodge-charger-from-bullitt/|title=HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 1968 DODGE CHARGER FROM 'BULLITT'|website=SlashGear|date=March 6, 2023}}</ref>

=== Filming ===
The chase scene starts at 1:05:00 into the film. The total time of the scene is 10:53. It begins under [[U.S. Route 101 in California|Highway 101]] in the city's [[Mission District, San Francisco|Mission District]] as Bullitt spots the hitmen's car. It ends outside the city, at the [[Brisbane, California|Brisbane]] exit of the Guadalupe Canyon Parkway on [[San Bruno Mountain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://projects.sfchronicle.com/2020/movie-car-chases/|title=Block by block: The greatest SF movie car chases|website=San Francisco Chronicle|date=February 21, 2020}}</ref> Shooting occurred over a period of weeks. The chase sequence combined several locations, located miles apart and edited together. Mapping the movie route shows that it is not continuous and is impossible to follow in real time.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Barry |first=Keith |date=Aug 27, 2009 |title=Bullitt Doesn't Look So Slick On Google Maps |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/08/bullitt-google-map/ |access-date=Dec 8, 2022 |magazine=Wired}}</ref><ref name=Wojdyla>{{cite web |url=http://jalopnik.com/343741/bullitt-chase-sequence-mapped-proves-a-tough-route |title=Bullitt Chase Sequence Mapped, Proves a Tough Route |last=Wojdyla |first=Ben |website=[[Gizmodo Media Group|Jalopnik]] |date=January 11, 2008 |access-date=March 6, 2014 |archive-date=March 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307111103/http://jalopnik.com/343741/bullitt-chase-sequence-mapped-proves-a-tough-route |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ray |date=September 24, 2002 |title=Bullitt Locations in San Francisco |url=http://www.rjsmith.com/bullitt-locations.html |access-date=Dec 8, 2022 |website=Ray's Web Server}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Levy |first=Emanuel |date=March 4, 2022 |title=Bullitt (1968): Famous Chase Scene–Everything You Always Wanted to Know |url=https://emanuellevy.com/review/bullitt-1968-chase-scene-what-you-need-and-want-to-know/ |access-date=Dec 8, 2022 |website=Emanuel Levy}}</ref>

Two 1968 325-horsepower [[Ford FE engine#390|390 ''FE'' V8]] Ford Mustang GT Fastbacks with four-speed manual transmissions in Highland Green were purchased by Warner Bros. for the film.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mustangspecs.com/1968-ford-mustang-bullitt-movie-car/ |title="1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt Movie Car", ''Mustang Specs'' |date=June 9, 2020 |access-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423060158/https://www.mustangspecs.com/1968-ford-mustang-bullitt-movie-car/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Mustangs' engines, brakes, and suspensions were heavily modified for the chase by veteran car racer and technician [[Max Balchowsky]]. [[Ford Motor Company]] originally lent two [[Ford Galaxie|Galaxie]] sedans for the chase scenes, but the producers found the cars too heavy for the jumps over the hills of San Francisco. They also felt a Ford-on-Ford battle would not be believable on screen. The cars were replaced with 1968 375-horsepower [[Chrysler B engine#440|440 ''Magnum'' V8]] Dodge Chargers in black. The engines in the Chargers were left largely unmodified, but the suspensions were mildly upgraded to cope with the demands of the stunt work.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/CUT-TO-THE-CHASE-Classic-scene-in-McQueen-s-2580656.php|title=CUT TO THE CHASE / Classic scene in McQueen's 'Bullitt' unreal as ever|website=SFGate|date=October 26, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/bullitt/|title=Dangerous Pursuit: The real truth behind the "Bullitt" chase scene|website=Motor Trend|date=June 20, 2005}}</ref>

The director called for maximum speeds of about {{cvt|130|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, but the cars (including the chase cars) at times reached speeds over {{cvt|170|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/everything-you-need-to-know-about-steve-mcqueen-and-the-famous-bullitt-mustang-85732|title=Everything you need to know about Steve McQueen and the famous Bullitt Mustang|website=CarsGuide|date=February 1, 2022}}</ref>

Drivers' point-of-view shots were used to give the audience a participant's feel of the chase. Filming took three weeks, resulting in 9 minutes 42 seconds of pursuit. Multiple takes were spliced into a single end product, resulting in discontinuity: Heavy damage on the passenger side of Bullitt's car can be seen much earlier than the incident producing it, and the Charger appears to lose five wheel covers, with different covers missing in different shots. Shooting simultaneously from multiple angles and creating a [[Montage (filmmaking)|montage]] from the footage took place to give the illusion of different streets also resulted in the speeding cars passing the same vehicles at multiple times, including, as widely noted, that of a green [[Volkswagen Beetle]].<ref name="telegraph">{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/wheelsonfilm/2990179/Wheels-On-Film-Bullitt.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/wheelsonfilm/2990179/Wheels-On-Film-Bullitt.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Wheels On Film: Bullitt |last1=Cowen |first1=Nick |last2=Hari |first2=Patience |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=September 19, 2008 |access-date=June 4, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In one scene, the Charger crashes into the camera; the damaged front fender noticeable in later scenes. Local authorities did not allow the car chase to be filmed on the [[Golden Gate Bridge]], but did permit it in Midtown locations, including [[Bernal Heights]], the [[Mission District]], and on the outskirts of neighboring Brisbane.<ref name="Encinas">{{cite journal |last=Encinas |first=Susan |title=The Greatest Chase of All |journal=Muscle Car Review |date=March 1987}}</ref>

McQueen, a racecar driver at the time, drove in the close-up scenes, while stunt coordinator [[Carey Loftin]], [[stunt double|stuntman]] and motorcycle racer [[Bud Ekins]], and McQueen's usual stunt driver, [[Loren Janes]], drove for the high-speed parts of the chase and performed other dangerous stunts.<ref name="myers20110126">{{cite news |last=Myers |first=Marc |title=Chasing the Ghosts of 'Bullitt' |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704698004576104001598265530 |access-date=January 26, 2011 |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=January 26, 2011 |archive-date=February 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220075433/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704698004576104001598265530 |url-status=live}}</ref> Ekins, who doubled for McQueen in ''[[The Great Escape (film)|The Great Escape]]'' sequence in which McQueen's character jumps over a barbed-wire fence on a motorcycle, performs a [[lowsider]] crash stunt in front of a skidding truck during the ''Bullitt'' chase. The Mustang's interior rearview mirror goes up and down depending on who is driving: When the mirror is up, McQueen is visible behind the wheel; when it is down, a stunt man is driving.

The black Dodge Charger was driven by veteran stunt driver Bill Hickman, who played one of the hitmen and helped with the chase-scene choreography. The other hitman was played by Paul Genge, who played a character who had driven a Dodge off the road to his death in an episode of ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' ("The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise") two years earlier. In a magazine article many years later, one of the drivers involved in the chase sequence remarked that the Charger, with a larger 440 CID engine versus the Ford FE 390 CID engine and greater horsepower (375 versus 325), was so much faster than the Mustang that the drivers had to keep backing off the accelerator to prevent the Charger from pulling away from the Mustang.<ref name="Encinas" />

=== Editing ===
The editing of the car chase likely won [[Frank P. Keller]] the editing [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for 1968,<ref name=Hartl>{{cite news |last=Hartl |first=John |title=Top 10 car chase movies |url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/6091432 |work=[[MSNBC]] |access-date=November 7, 2010 |quote=''Bullitt'' (1968). Philip D'Antoni, who went on to produce ''The French Connection'', warmed up for it with this Steve McQueen crime drama, set in San Francisco, where the steep hills seem to yearn for cars to go sailing over them. The director, Peter Yates, makes the most of the locations, especially during a gravity-defying chase sequence that earned an Oscar for its editor, Frank P. Keller. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100916231758/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/6091432 |archive-date=September 16, 2010}}</ref> and has been included in lists of the "Best Editing Sequences of All-Time."<ref name=Dirks>{{cite web |title=Best Film Editing Sequences of All Time, From the Silents to the Present: Part 5 |last=Dirks |first=Tim |url=http://www.filmsite.org/bestfilmediting5.html |publisher=[[Filmsite.org]] |access-date=November 11, 2010 |archive-date=November 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121000656/http://www.filmsite.org/bestfilmediting5.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the volume ''The Sixties: 1960–1969'' (2003), of his book series
''History of the American Cinema'', Cinema Arts professor Paul Monaco wrote:
{{Blockquote|The most compelling street footage of 1968, however, appeared in an entirely contrived sequence, with nary a hint of documentary feel about it – the car chase through the streets of San Francisco in ''Bullitt'', created from footage shot over nearly five weeks.<ref name="Monaco"/>}}

Billy Fraker, the cinematographer for the film, attributed the success of the chase sequence primarily to the work of the editor, Frank P. Keller. At the time, Keller was credited with cutting the piece in such a superb manner that he made the city of San Francisco a "character" in the film.<ref name="Monaco">{{cite book |last=Monaco |first=Paul |year=2003 |title=The Sixties |series=History of the American Cinema |volume=8 |editor1-last=Harpole |editor1-first=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WG97toYUqagC&pg=PA99 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=978-0-5202-3804-6 |page=99 |access-date=October 27, 2016 |archive-date=January 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103113741/http://books.google.com/books?id=WG97toYUqagC&pg=PA99 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The editing of the scene was not without difficulties. Ralph Rosenblum wrote in 1979, "Those who care about such things may know that during the filming of the climactic chase scene in ''Bullitt'', an out-of-control car filled with dummies tripped a wire, which prematurely sent a costly set up in flames, and that editor Frank Keller salvaged the near-catastrophe with a clever and unusual juxtaposition of images that made the explosion appear to go off on time."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rosenblum |first1=Ralph |last2=Karen |first2=Robert |author-link=Ralph Rosenblum |title=When the Shooting Stops ... The Cutting Begins |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=apn_AgAAQBAJ&q=editions:g3afO_yRozgC |publisher=[[Viking Press]] |year=1986 |page=3 |isbn=978-0-3068-0272-0}}</ref>

The chase scene has also been cited by critics as groundbreaking in its realism and originality.<ref name="Nytimes2003">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html |title=The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made – Reviews – Movies – New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 29, 2003 |access-date=April 28, 2010 |archive-date=March 29, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050329013532/http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Music ==
{{See also|Bullitt (soundtrack)}}
The [[Film score|original score]] was composed by [[Lalo Schifrin]] to track the various moods and the action of the film, with Schifrin's signature contemporary American jazz style. The tracks on the soundtrack album are alternate versions of those heard in the film, re-recorded by Schifrin with leading jazz musicians, including [[Bud Shank]] (flute), [[Carol Kaye]] (electric bass), [[Ray Brown (musician)|Ray Brown]] (bass), [[Howard Roberts]] (guitar), and [[Larry Bunker]] (drums).<ref name=fsm>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/439/ |title=Bullitt (1968) |website=Film Score Monthly |access-date=February 2, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112004913/http://filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/cdID/439/ |archive-date=November 12, 2014}}</ref>

In 2000, the original arrangements, as heard in the film, were recreated by Schifrin in a recording session with the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany, and released on the Aleph label.<ref>Payne, Doug. [http://dougpayne.com/lsd96_.htm "Lalo Schifrin discography"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223231125/http://www.dougpayne.com/lsd96_.htm |date=February 23, 2015}}. Accessed July 25, 2013.</ref> The release also includes re-recordings of the 1968 soundtrack album arrangements for some tracks.

In 2009, the never-before-released original recording of the score heard in the film, recorded by Schifrin on the Warner Bros. scoring stage with engineer Dan Wallin, was made available by ''[[Film Score Monthly]]''. Some score passages and cues are virtually identical to the official soundtrack album, although many softer, moodier cues from the film were not chosen or had been rewritten for the soundtrack release. Also included are additional cues not used in the film. In addition, the two-[[Compact disc|CD]] set features the official soundtrack album, newly mixed from the 1-inch master tape.<ref name=fsm />

In the restaurant scene with McQueen and Bissett, the live band playing in the background is Meridian West, a jazz quartet whom McQueen had seen performing at [[The Trident (restaurant)|The Trident]], a famous restaurant in [[Sausalito, California|Sausalito]].<ref>"By 1968, the group was performing at The Trident, a prominent jazz club in Sausalito and the group became a regular performer at Glide Memorial on Sundays. By March of 1968, Meridian West had been noticed by Steve McQueen, the actor, who was captivated by a performance at The Trident. McQueen gave the group a visual cameo appearance in the movie, ''Bullitt'', which was being filmed in San Francisco in April." - [http://www.meridianwest1968.com/Page_2.html Meridian Meridian West web site] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140615144240/http://meridianwest1968.com/Page_2.html archived at WebCite]). A similar account is available at [http://www.meridianwestfolkjazzensemble.com/?page_id=40 Meridian West Folk Jazz Ensemble with Allan Pimentel] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150109234459/http://www.meridianwestfolkjazzensemble.com/?page_id=40 archived at WebCite]).</ref>

==Release==
''Bullitt'' garnered both critical acclaim and box-office success. The film opened at [[Radio City Music Hall]] in New York City on Thursday, October 17, 1968,<ref name=AFI/> together with a new stage show.<ref name=open>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=October 23, 1968 |page=9 |title='Bullitt,' Plus Hall's Stage and Hit Bit 210G}}</ref> It grossed $210,000 in its first week, including a Hall-record Saturday of $49,073.<ref name=open/> Produced on a $5.5 million budget, the film grossed $19 million in 1968,<ref>{{cite book |last=Finler |first=Joel Waldo |year=2003 |title=The Hollywood Story |publisher=Wallflower Press |isbn=978-1-9033-6466-6 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=rvVhEJmbfrsC&pg=PA358 358–359]}}</ref> making it the [[1968 in film|fourth-highest-grossing film]] that year, and over $42.3 million in the U.S. through 2021.<ref name="The Numbers"/>

==Reception==
''Bullitt'' was well received by critics, and is considered by some to be one of the best films of 1968.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/1968.html |title=Greatest Films of 1968 |website=Filmsite.org |access-date=April 28, 2010 |archive-date=April 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414065342/http://www.filmsite.org/1968.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.films101.com/y1968r.htm |title= The Best Movies of 1968 by Rank |website= Films101.com |access-date= April 28, 2010 |archive-date= March 3, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170438/http://www.films101.com/y1968r.htm |url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/year/1968 |title=Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1968 |website=[[IMDb]] |access-date=May 22, 2010 |archive-date=May 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501071303/http://www.imdb.com/year/1968/ |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time, [[Renata Adler]] made the film a ''[[The New York Times]]'' Critics' Pick, calling it a "terrific movie, just right for Steve McQueen: Fast, well acted, written the way people talk". According to Adler, "The ending should satisfy fans from ''[[Dragnet (series)|Dragnet]]'' to [[Albert Camus|Camus]]."<ref>{{cite web |title=Bullitt (1968) |first=Renata |last=Adler |author-link=Renata Adler |date=October 18, 1968 |website=The New York Times |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173AEE61BC4052DFB6678383679EDE |access-date=October 30, 2011 |archive-date=March 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301005944/https://www.nytimes.com/reviews/movies |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2004, ''The New York Times'' placed the film on its list of the "Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made".<ref name="Nytimes2003"/> In 2011, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' listed it among the "15 Greatest Movie Car Chases of All Time", describing it as "the one, the first, the granddaddy, the chase on the top of almost every list", and saying, "''Bullitt''{{'}}s car chase is a reminder that every great such scene is a triumph of editing as much as it is stunt work". [[Quentin Tarantino]] called it "one of the best directed movies ever made."<ref>{{cite book|first=Quentin|last=Tarantino|title=Cinema Speculation|year=2022|publisher=W&N|page=48}}</ref>

It won 1968's [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Academy Award for Best Editing]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The 15 Greatest Movie Car Chases of All Time |first=Gilbert |last=Cruz |date=May 5, 2011 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2011/05/05/the-15-greatest-movie-car-chases-of-all-time/slide/bullitt-1968/ |access-date=October 30, 2011 |archive-date=November 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130210545/http://entertainment.time.com/2011/05/05/the-15-greatest-movie-car-chases-of-all-time/slide/bullitt-1968/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Among 21st-century critics, it holds a 98% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], representing positive reviews from 45 of 46 critics, with an average rating of 7.90/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Steve McQueen is cool as ice in this thrilling police procedural that also happens to contain the arguably greatest car chase ever."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bullitt/ |title=Bullitt (1968) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=March 13, 2021 |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301230228/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bullitt |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 81 out of 100 based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |title=Bullitt |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/bullitt |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=June 10, 2020 |archive-date=October 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007084718/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/bullitt |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2025, ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' listed ''Bullitt'' as having the best stunts of 1968.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Doherty |first=Thomas |date=June 7, 2025 |title=The Best Stunts of All Time, Over Nearly 100 Years of the Oscars |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-stunts-all-time-movies-oscars-stunt-design-100-years/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720043450/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-stunts-all-time-movies-oscars-stunt-design-100-years/ |archive-date=July 20, 2025}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
The film has won several critical awards.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062765/awards |title=''Bullitt'' Awards and Nominations |website=IMDb |access-date=April 28, 2010 |archive-date=January 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110115063353/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062765/awards |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Frank P. Keller]] won the 1969 [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing]], and it was also nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]].<ref name="Oscars1969">{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1969 |title=The 41st Academy Awards (1969) Nominees and Winners |access-date=August 25, 2011 |website=AMPAS |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402003856/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1969 |url-status=live}}</ref> Five nominations at the [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Film Awards]] for 1969 included [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|Best Director]] for Peter Yates, [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actor]] for Robert Vaughn, [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] for [[William A. Fraker]], [[BAFTA Award for Best Editing|Best Film Editing]] for Frank P. Keller, and [[BAFTA Award for Best Sound|Best Sound Track]]. Robert Fish, Harry Kleiner and Alan Trustman won the 1969 [[Edgar Award]] for Best Motion Picture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theedgars.com/awards/category-list-best-motion-picture/ |title=Category List – Best Motion Picture |website=Edgars Database |publisher=Mystery Writers of America |access-date=April 26, 2015 |archive-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821114442/http://theedgars.com/awards/category-list-best-motion-picture/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Keller won the [[American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards|American Cinema Editors Eddie Award]] for Best Edited Feature Film. The film also received the [[National Society of Film Critics|National Society of Film Critics Award]] for Best Cinematography (William A. Fraker) and the [[Motion Picture Sound Editors|Golden Reel Award]] for Best Sound Editing – Feature Film. At the 1970 [[Laurel Awards]], the film received Golden Laurel nominations for Best Action Drama, Best Action Performance (Steve McQueen) and Best Female New Face (Jacqueline Bisset).{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} In 2000, the [[Society of Operating Cameramen|Society of Camera Operators]] awarded ''Bullitt'' its "Historical Shot" award to [[David M. Walsh]].

==Legacy==
The famous car chase was later referenced in, among others, [[Peter Bogdanovich|Peter Bogdanovich's]] screwball comedy film, ''[[What's Up, Doc? (1972 film)|What's Up, Doc?]]'', the [[Clint Eastwood]] film, ''[[The Dead Pool]]'', in the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode, "[[Bendin' in the Wind]]", and in the ''[[Archer (2009 TV series)|Archer]]'' episode, "The Kanes". The car chase can be seen playing on the screen in the drive-in theater scene in the 2014 film, ''[[Need for Speed (film)|Need for Speed]]''. The 13th episode of the TV series ''[[Alcatraz (TV series)|Alcatraz]]'' includes a recreation of the chase scene, with newer models of the Mustang and Charger.<ref>{{cite web |title=Watch The Bullitt Chase Remake From The Alcatraz Finale |url=https://jalopnik.com/watch-the-bullitt-chase-remake-from-the-alcatraz-finale-5896697 |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=Jalopnik |date=March 27, 2012 |archive-date=October 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002013022/https://jalopnik.com/watch-the-bullitt-chase-remake-from-the-alcatraz-finale-5896697 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Bullitt'' producer Philip D'Antoni went on to film two more car chases, ''[[The French Connection (film)|The French Connection]]'' and ''[[The Seven-Ups]]'', both set and shot in New York City.  "The Bullitt Mustang" was a season-six episode of [[Blue Bloods (TV series)|''Blue Bloods'']], in which the car was central to a plot involving its theft.

The Ford Mustang name has been closely associated with the film. In 2001, the [Ford Motor Company released the ''Bullitt'' edition [[Ford Mustang (fourth generation)#Special editions|Ford Mustang GT]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/new/reviews/2001/russ0127.html |title=The Auto Channel – Ford Mustang Bullitt (2001) |access-date=February 2, 2011 |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810023929/http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/new/reviews/2001/russ0127.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Another version of the [[Ford Mustang (fifth generation)#2008–2009 Bullitt|Ford Mustang Bullitt]], which is closer to resembling the original film Mustang, was released in 2008 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the film.<ref>[http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0801_2008_ford_mustang_bullitt/index.html "2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt – First Test"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629114324/http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0801_2008_ford_mustang_bullitt/index.html |date=June 29, 2011}}. ''[[Motor Trend]]''.</ref><ref name="popmech">{{cite web |url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/a2259/4230204/ |title=Ford Mustang Bullitt Test Drive (with Burnout Video): L.A. Auto Show Preview |magazine=[[Popular Mechanics]] |date=November 5, 2007 |access-date=December 1, 2015 |last=Stewart |first=Ben |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208120913/http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/a2259/4230204/ |url-status=live}}</ref> A third version was released in 2018 for the 2019 and 2020 model years.<ref name="thirdversion">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-return-of-a-hollywood-legend-steve-mcqueens-mustang/ |title=The return of a Hollywood legend: Steve McQueen's Mustang |last=Strassmann |first=Mark |work=[[CBS News]] |date=January 22, 2018 |access-date=January 31, 2018 |archive-date=February 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201192950/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-return-of-a-hollywood-legend-steve-mcqueens-mustang/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2009, [[Bud Brutsman]] of ''[[Overhaulin']]'' built an authentic-looking replica of the ''Bullitt'' Mustang, fully loaded with modern components, for the five-episode 2009 TV series, ''Celebrity Rides: Hollywood's Speeding Bullitt'', hosted by [[Chad McQueen]], son of Steve McQueen.<ref>[http://news.boldride.com/2014/05/mcqueens-68-bullitt-mustang-tribute-build/49485/ "McQueen's '68 "Bullitt" Mustang Tribute Build"]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528005218/http://news.boldride.com/2014/05/mcqueens-68-bullitt-mustang-tribute-build/49485/ |date=May 28, 2014}}. from BoldRide.com</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/celebrity-rides-hollywoods-speeding-bullitt/episodes/455106/ |title=Celebrity Rides: Hollywood's Speeding Bullitt |website=TV Guide |access-date=April 26, 2015 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208152925/http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/celebrity-rides-hollywoods-speeding-bullitt/episodes/455106/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Mustang is featured in the 2003 video game ''[[Ford Racing 2]]'', in a drafting challenge, on a course named Port Side. It appears in the Movie Stars category, along with other famous cars such as the [[Ford Torino]] from ''[[Starsky & Hutch]]'' and the [[Ford Mustang Mach 1]] from ''[[Diamonds Are Forever (film)|Diamonds Are Forever]]''.<ref>{{cite web |author=Wilcox, Greg |title=Ford Racing 2 |url=http://www.gametour.com/site/review.php/title/812 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093126/http://www.gametour.com/site/review.php/title/812 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=March 13, 2015 |website=Game Tour (Multimedia Empire Inc.)}}</ref><ref name="fordrac2">{{cite web |title=Ford Racing 2 |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000E32Y9 |access-date=June 22, 2009 |website=Amazon |archive-date=November 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105223701/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000E32Y9 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2011 video game, ''[[Driver: San Francisco]]'', the "Bite the Bullet" mission is based on the famous chase scene, with licensed versions of the Mustang and Charger from the film.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 10, 2011 |title=The films that influenced Driver: San Francisco |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/314964/blog/the-films-that-influenced-driver-san-francisco/ |access-date=February 22, 2015 |website=ComputerAndVideoGames |archive-date=February 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222094434/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/314964/blog/the-films-that-influenced-driver-san-francisco/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Steve McQueen's likeness as Frank Bullitt was used in two Ford commercials. The first was for the Europe-only 1997 [[Ford Puma (sport compact)|Ford Puma]], which featured a special-effects montage of McQueen (who died in 1980) driving a new Puma around San Francisco before parking it in a studio apartment garage beside the film Mustang and the motorcycle from ''The Great Escape''.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 4, 2009 |url=http://thecathoderaychoob.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/a-word-from-our-sponsors-steve-mcqueen-drives-a-puma/ |title=A Word from Our Sponsors... Steve McQueen Drives a Puma |work=TheCathodeRayChoob.com |access-date=October 30, 2011 |archive-date=October 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007164722/http://thecathoderaychoob.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/a-word-from-our-sponsors-steve-mcqueen-drives-a-puma/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2004 commercial for the [[Ford Mustang (fifth generation)|2005 Mustang]], special effects were again used to create the illusion of McQueen driving the new Mustang, after a man receives a ''[[Field of Dreams]]''-style epiphany and constructs a racetrack in the middle of a cornfield.<ref>[http://www.autoblog.com/2004/10/26/ford-mustang-steve-mcqueen-ad-revealed/ "AutoBlog – Ford Mustang Steve McQueen Ad Revealed"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602084245/http://www.autoblog.com/2004/10/26/ford-mustang-steve-mcqueen-ad-revealed/ |date=June 2, 2011}}. ''Autoblog.com''.</ref>

Several items of clothing worn by McQueen's ''Bullitt'' received a boost in popularity due to the film - [[desert boot]]s, a [[trench coat]], a blue [[Polo neck|turtleneck]] sweater, and most famously, a brown [[tweed jacket]] with elbow patches.<ref>[http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21392/lot/100/ Bonhams Lot 100 From The Chad McQueen Collection: The Bullitt Jacket]. Retrieved March 22, 2014. In 1968's Bullitt, McQueen made the most unlikely items extremely fashionable – desert boots, a trench coat, a blue turtleneck sweater and a brown tweed jacket. Only McQueen could make those clothing items ... global trends... The jacket, much like the man, occupies a very special place in cinematic history, it is unquestionably one of the most important pieces of film –and McQueen memorabilia extant. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140112144252/http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21392/lot/100/ WebCite archive])</ref>

In February 2022, [[Steven Spielberg]] was announced to be directing and producing a new film centered on the Frank Bullitt character for [[Warner Bros. Pictures]], with [[Josh Singer]] writing the screenplay. The film was to be an original story, not a remake of the original film. [[Chad McQueen]] and niece Molly McQueen (son and granddaughter of Steve's) were to be [[executive producer]]s (Chad died in 2024).<ref>{{cite news |date=February 25, 2022 |last=Kroll |first=Justin |title=Steven Spielberg Developing New Movie Based On Classic Steve McQueen Character Frank Bullitt |url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/steven-spielbert-bullitt-at-warner-bros-and-amblin-1234960542/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=February 28, 2022 |archive-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227163824/https://deadline.com/2022/02/steven-spielbert-bullitt-at-warner-bros-and-amblin-1234960542/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2022, [[Bradley Cooper]] was cast as Frank Bullitt.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kroll |first=Justin |url=https://deadline.com/2022/11/bradley-cooper-frank-bullitt-steven-spielberg-steve-mcqueen-1235168968/ |title=Bradley Cooper To Play Frank Bullitt In Steven Spielberg's New Original Movie Based On The Classic Steve McQueen Character |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117210908/https://deadline.com/2022/11/bradley-cooper-frank-bullitt-steven-spielberg-steve-mcqueen-1235168968/ |date=November 17, 2022 |archive-date=November 17, 2022 |access-date=November 17, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1968]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Further reading===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Eagan |first=Daniel |title=America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry |url=https://archive.org/details/americasfilmlega0000eaga |url-access=registration |quote=Bullitt was based on the 1963 novel, Mute Witness, by Robert L. Fish,. |publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]] |location=London |year=2009 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/americasfilmlega0000eaga/page/641 641]–642 |isbn=978-0-8264-1849-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Kabatchnik |first=Amnon |title=Blood on the Stage, 1975-2000: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y6CjzgBKTa8C&q=Bullitt%20was%20based%20on%20the%201963%20novel%2C%20Mute%20Witness%2C%20by%20Robert%20L.%20Fish%2C&pg=PA231 |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |location=Lanham, MD |year=2012 |edition=1st |page=231 |isbn=978-0-8108-8354-3 |access-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-date=October 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001223101/https://books.google.com/books?id=y6CjzgBKTa8C&pg=PA231&q=Bullitt%20was%20based%20on%20the%201963%20novel%2C%20Mute%20Witness%2C%20by%20Robert%20L.%20Fish%2C |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Monush |first=Barry |title=Everybody's Talkin': The Top Films of 1965-1969 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N89_4hYsS-wC&q=Bullitt%20was%20based%20on%20the%201963%20novel%2C%20Mute%20Witness%2C%20by%20Robert%20L.%20Fish%2C&pg=PA274 |publisher=[[Backbeat Books|Applause Theatre and Cinema Books]] |location=Milwaukee |year=2009 |page=274 |isbn=978-1-5578-3618-2 |access-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-date=August 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825083024/https://books.google.com/books?id=N89_4hYsS-wC&q=Bullitt%20was%20based%20on%20the%201963%20novel,%20Mute%20Witness,%20by%20Robert%20L.%20Fish,&pg=PA274 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Murphy |first=Bruce |title=Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B5SGDAAAQBAJ&q=Bullitt%20was%20based%20on%20the%201963%20novel%2C%20Mute%20Witness%2C%20by%20Robert%20L.%20Fish%2C&pg=PA179 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press#Imprints|St. Martin's Minotaur]] |location=New York City |year=1999 |edition=1st |page=179 |isbn=978-0-3122-1554-5 |access-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-date=August 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825083022/https://books.google.com/books?id=B5SGDAAAQBAJ&q=Bullitt%20was%20based%20on%20the%201963%20novel,%20Mute%20Witness,%20by%20Robert%20L.%20Fish,&pg=PA179 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Sandford |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Sandford (biographer) |title=McQueen: The Biography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISBN9780878333073 |publisher=[[Taylor Trade Publications|Taylor Trade Publishing]] |location=Lanham, MD |year=2003 |page=224 |isbn=978-0-8783-3307-3 |access-date=October 27, 2016 |archive-date=August 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825083030/https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9780878333073 |url-status=live}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website | https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/bullitt }}
* {{AFI film|23455|Bullitt}}
* [https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0062765 Bullitt] at [[Box Office Mojo]]
* {{IMDb title|0062765|Bullitt}}
* {{imcdb movie|62765|Bullitt}}
* [https://www.allmovie.com/movie/bullitt-am6820 ''Bullitt'' at AllMovie]
* {{TCMDb title|21345|Bullitt}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|bullitt}}
* {{cite book |last1=James |first1=Dagon |last2=Nourmand |first2=Tony |title=Unseen McQueen |date=2013 |publisher=Reel Art Press |isbn=978-1-909526-04-4 |language=en}}
* [https://www.rollmagazine.com/feinstein-shoots-mcqueen/ Feinstein Shoots McQueen] at rollmagazine.com
* [https://reelsf.com/reelsf/bullitt-car-chase-complete Bullitt car chase sequence: complete breakdown] at ReelSF

{{Peter Yates}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1968 films]]
[[Category:1968 action films]]
[[Category:1960s chase films]]
[[Category:1960s crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American chase films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Edgar Award–winning works]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the San Francisco Police Department]]
[[Category:Films about automobiles]]
[[Category:Films about murderers]]
[[Category:Films based on American crime novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Peter Yates]]
[[Category:Films set in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award]]
[[Category:Ford Mustang]]
[[Category:American police detective films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Lalo Schifrin]]
[[Category:1968 drama films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Harry Kleiner]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s American films]]
[[Category:English-language crime thriller films]]