Here is the movie with a scene that happens today - June 9. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight.
DUEL
On June 9, 1972 [the entire film] a salesman David Mann
leaves his California home on a business trip. He passes, is passed by and
re-passes a dirty Peterbuilt tanker trunk. Mann stops at a gas station and
calls his wife, who is upset that he did not confront a friend of his who had
made a pass at her. The station attendant tells Mann he needs a new radiator
hose, but Mann does not believe him and leaves. Mann gets behind the truck
again, which blocks all his attempts to pass. When Mann finally does get around
the truck, it’s driver begins to tailgate him at high speed, causing Mann to
finally crash into a fence opposite a diner, while the truck keeps going. After
using the restroom, Mann is shocked to see the truck parked outside. Mann has
an inner discussion with himself in which he tries to pick the driver out from the diner’s patrons and berating himself for just sitting there.
When he thinks he has identified the driver he confronts him, but the man
leaves in a different truck, followed shortly thereafter by the tanker. Leaving
the café, Mann stops to push a stopped school bus, but flees when the truck
reappears and pushes the bus. When Mann has to stop at a railroad crossing the
truck appears behind him and tries to push him into the train. Mann stops at Sally’s Snakerama to call the
police, but the truck returns and destroys the booth, with Mann just barely
escaping. Mann parks behind an embankment and the truck passes him. However
when Mann starts up, he sees the truck waiting for him just around the bend.
Again Mann can’t pass the truck, but when he does a chase begins. Several
people along the way either can’t or won’t help him. Near the top of a long
uphill climb, Mann ‘s water hose bursts and he barely makes the summit to coast
down the other side. Mann drives onto a dirt road and places his briefcase on
the accelerator and heads towards the pursuing truck, leaping out at the last
second. The tanker hits the car, which bursts into flames partly obscuring the
driver’s vision, as too late he realizes the truck is headed for a high cliff.
The truck and burning car plunge over the side as Mann sits tossing pebbles
while the sun sets.
This film is an early Spielberg
classic. This story of an average guy getting caught up in an extraordinary
situation brings North by Northwest to mind. And like a good Hitchcock
film, Spielberg gradually builds the suspense with the most apparently mundane
shots. Weaver is excellent as the ordinary guy who is finally pushed far enough
to fight back.
In the film at 2:50-54 the scores of baseball games that
occurred the previous day are given.
Producer - George Eckstein
Director - Steven Spielberg
Screenplay - Richard Matheson
Awards – The film won the
Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing Emmy and
was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in
Cinematography for
Entertainment Programming – For a Special or
Feature Length Program Made
for Television Emmy at the 24th Emmy
Awards.
Runtime – 1 hour 30 minutes
Released - November 13, 1971(original version), October,
1972 (extended version)
Starring –
Dennis Weaver as David Mann
Jacqueline Scott as Mrs. Mann
Carey Loftin as The Truck Driver
Eddie Firestone as Café owner
Lou Frizzell as Bus driver
Eugene Dynarski as Man in café
Lucille Benson as Lady at Snakerama
Tim Herbert as Gas station attendant
Charles Seel as Old man
Shirley O'Hara as Waitress
Alexander Lockwood as Old man in car
Amy Douglass as Old woman in car
Sweet Dick Whittington as Radio interviewer
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