The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
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A group of criminals hijacks a New York City subway car, holding passengers for ransom while police attempt to negotiate a resolution.
The story
In New York City, four men wearing similar disguises and carrying concealed weapons board the same downtown 6 train, "Pelham 1-2-3," at different stations. Using their code names Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Mr. Grey and Mr. Brown, they take 18 people, including the conductor and an off-duty undercover police officer, hostage in the front car. Communicating over the radio with New York City Transit Police lieutenant Zachary Garber, Blue demands that a $1million ransom be delivered within exactly one hour or he will kill one hostage for every minute it is late. Garber, Lt. Rico Patrone and others cooperate while speculating about the hijackers' escape plan.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Four criminals hijack a New York City subway car, 'Pelham 1-2-3,' taking 18 hostages. The leader, Mr. Blue, demands a $1 million ransom within one hour. Police Lieutenant Zachary Garber coordinates the response while trying to deduce the hijackers' identities and escape plan. It is revealed that Blue is a former mercenary, Green is a former motorman, and Grey is a former Mafia member. During the standoff, Grey kills a transit supervisor. The ransom is transported in a police car that crashes before reaching the station. Garber tricks Blue into believing the money is at the station entrance. As police snipers engage the hijackers, Blue kills the conductor. The money is delivered and divided. Blue orders Garber to restore power and clear the signals, but Green moves the train further south. The hijackers override the dead man's switch and exit the train. An undercover officer hides between the rails. After the hijackers leave, the train gains speed without a driver. Blue kills Grey in a standoff over a gun, then kills the undercover officer before electrocuting himself against the third rail. The train eventually stops at South Ferry due to automatic safeties. Garber later finds Green, who bluffs his way through an interrogation.
- First release year
- 1974
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joseph Sargent
- Writers
- Peter Stone · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Walter Matthau · Zachary Garber; Robert Shaw · Mr. Blue; Martin Balsam · Harold Longman (Green); Héctor Elizondo
- Genres
- action; thriller; crime
- Themes
- hostage crisis; urban crime; tension and comedy
- Tone and mood
- suspenseful; witty; tense; funny
- Premise and plot tags
- hostage taking; subway hijacking; ransom; crime thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1973 novel by Morton Freedgood under the pen name John Godey
- Reception
- The film was a box-office success and received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its balance of tension and humor. It was noted for its 'unforced realism' and 'wry humor,' though some criticized the screenplay for its treatment of the hostages as 'stereotyped baggage.'
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 98% · review count: 44
- Production trivia
- The title is derived from the train's radio call sign, which is based on where and when the train began its run.; The film was an inspiration for the cinematography of the 2024 film Anora.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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