The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (also known as The Taking of Pelham 123) is a thriller movie released in 1974. It was directed by Joseph Sargent and based on a book by John Godey. It stars Walter Matthau, Jerry Stiller, Martin Balsam and Robert Shaw.

Related Topics:
1974 - Joseph Sargent - John Godey - Walter Matthau - Jerry Stiller - Martin Balsam - Robert Shaw

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Lieutenant Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) is a cynical and grumpy New York City Transit Authority policeman. His routine is interrupted by an unexpected hijacking of a subway train (on the number 6 line). The police force is confused by the hijacking because:

Related Topics:
New York City - Transit Authority - Hijacking - Subway train - 6 line

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• the subway is a closed system; there is no place to take the train to escape, and
• all subway trains have a dead-man's switch which requires a live person at the controls to keep the train running, thus preventing a hijacker from escaping away from the running train.

The police frantically pursue the train on the city streets to deliver the ransom of one million dollars as Lieutenant Rico Patrone (Jerry Stiller) attempts to negotiate and distract their attention. Unknown to the police, the four hijackers led by British mercenary Bernard Ryder (Robert Shaw) and a disgruntled former motorman Harold Longman (Martin Balsam) have disabled the dead-man's switch. Once the hijackers receive their ransom money, they send the train off at top speed toward the terminal station where it would crash and thus kill all the passengers. Previously, the hijackers have left the train and attempted to escape out of the subway tunnels with their ransom money.

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Music ►