Duel

Name: Duel
Genre: Action, Thriller, TV Movie
Released: 1971-12-25
Duration: 1 h 14 min
Rating: 7.6
Cast: Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Gene Dynarski, Lucille Benson

The most bizarre murder weapon ever used!

Duel (1971)

Timing: 1:14 (74 min)

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7.6/10
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All about film

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Actors and characters

Watch film Duel — Everything you need to know about Duel (1971)

14:24

Photo 96

Release date

1971-12-25

Country

United States

Production

Universal Television, American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Genre

Action, Thriller, TV Movie

Budget

$450 000

Revenue

$2 544

Website

Director

Steven Spielberg

Actors

Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Gene Dynarski, Lucille Benson, Tim Herbert, Alexander Lockwood, Shirley O'Hara, Carey Loftin, Charles Seel
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

George Eckstein

Operator

Jack A. Marta

Composer

Billy Goldenberg

Artist

Audition

Editing

Frank Morriss
All team (15)

Short description

Traveling businessman David Mann angers the driver of a rusty tanker while crossing the California desert. A simple trip turns deadly, as Mann struggles to stay on the road while the tanker plays cat and mouse with his life.

What's left behind the scenes

Lucille Benson (the woman at the gas station) played a similar role in another Spielberg film – "1941". The elderly couple in the car stopped by Mann also appears in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".
The film was shot in 13 days (excluding additional scenes for the theatrical release).
The number Mann calls his wife on was a real, working phone number at the time the film was made.
The truck driver's face is not shown, nor is his name mentioned. In Richard Matheson's story of the same name, the driver is named Keller, which sounds quite similar to the word "killer".
According to the filmmakers' concept, the license plates on the truck were taken from the cars it had destroyed. According to Spielberg, the truck driver wanted to destroy one car in every state.
At the 56th minute, when the main character enters the phone booth, the film crew is clearly visible in the reflection.
No sets were built for the film.
The film is partially based on a true story that happened to Richard Matheson.
Mann's car is a 1970 Plymouth Valiant.
After the television broadcast, Spielberg filmed several additional scenes for the theatrical version of the movie.
When Cary Loftin, who played the truck driver, asked Spielberg why his character was so persistently pursuing David Mann, Steven said: “Simply, you’re the most repulsive and filthy son of a bitch to ever walk the earth.” To which Cary replied: “Well, then I’m exactly what you need.”
According to the filmmakers, the license plates on the truck were taken from cars that it destroyed. According to Spielberg, the truck driver wanted to destroy one car in each state.
Originally, it was a 74-minute television film made for ABC. But after its tremendous success on television, producers decided to expand the film and release it theatrically.
When Cary Loftin, who played the truck driver, asked Spielberg why his character pursued David Mann with such persistence, Steven replied: 'Simply because you are the most repulsive, filthy son of a bitch the earth has ever borne.' To which Cary responded: 'Man, then I'm exactly who you need.'
After the television broadcast, Spielberg shot several additional scenes for the theatrical release of the film.
On the car that the character played by Dennis Weaver mistakenly believes is a police vehicle, one can notice the inscription “Grebleips” – Spielberg’s surname written backwards.
After filming wrapped, Spielberg had just over three weeks for post-production.
Footage from the film was used in an episode of the series 'The Incredible Hulk' (1978). After Steven Spielberg learned of this, he insisted that contracts for his future projects include a mandatory clause prohibiting studios from using footage from his films without his consent.
Footage from the film was used in one episode of the series "The Incredible Hulk" (1978). After learning about this, Steven Spielberg insisted that a mandatory clause be included in the contracts for his future projects, prohibiting studios from using footage from his films without his consent.
The scene at the railroad crossing, where the truck attempts to push Mann’s car under a train, was specifically shot for the theatrical release.
Lucille Benson (the woman at the gas station) played a similar role in another Spielberg film, '1941'. The elderly couple in the car that Mann stops also appears in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'.
During the filming of the scene where the truck falls off a cliff, the special equipment controlling the driverless car malfunctioned. To avoid losing time on repairs, a stuntman got behind the wheel of the truck and jumped out just a moment before the vehicle plunged into the abyss.
Dennis Weaver's acting in "The Evil" convinced Spielberg that a better candidate for the role of the victim could not be found.
Dennis Weaver's performance in 'The Seal of Evil' convinced Spielberg that there could be no better candidate for the role of the victim.
You can see 17 tally marks on the truck.
After filming was completed, Spielberg had just over three weeks for post-production.