Was the truck driver in duel in the cafe

He just follows and attacks, looming forever large in manns rearview mirror. The truck that we then see pulling out was another guy completely who just happened to be leaving then and there. Loftin was born on january 31st, 1914 in blountstown, florida and broke into movie stunt work in the late 1930s. Thats when he suck in his driver s side door, real sly like. This is part of a simple but extremely effective scheme by the truck driver, to isolate mann from any possible source of help. What was the drivers motivation in steven spielbergs. Even when dave stops at chucks cafe for lunch, the truck waits for him to get.

As a tribute to the intense car and truck chase movie, ive put together a list of 10 fun facts that you might not know. Written by richard matheson, based on his short story. Basically, the driver s motive was that it was evil, and toying with people on the highway before killing them was what it did because, well, thats what it did. Spielbergs duel, fourwheel combat the new york times. Its not the cafe owner, although the two actors do look very similar. Weaver and the neverseen truckdriver then engage in a motorized duel. I saw this movie on american movie classics one of those movies that you watch and have to watch the whole movie to find out who the truck driver was. It didnt seem likely that the truck driver would stop directly on the highway to block his way. Steven seagal fight scenes 19881995 above the law the glimmer man duration. In the duel book, the truck driver is called keller. For the next 90 minutes, mann and the neverseen truckdriver are pitted against one another in a motorized duel to the death.

Play now duel 1971 movie clip opening credits the p. The most puzzling thing in the movie for me was when he helps the kids and the bus. The truck driver gets a few moments of these to show that he is not above helping out a school bus full of kids in need or giving a friendly honk to passing trains. The movie was good but who was the truck driver and what guy was he in the cafe scene with the guy with the cowboy boots. I cant seem to see the truck the trucker that david mann attacked in chucks cafe drove away in.

On a twolane highway in the california desert, he encounters a faded and grimy tanker truck, a peterbilt 281, traveling slower than the speed limit and expelling thick plumes of diesel exhaust. It stars dennis weaver as a terrified motorist stalked on a remote and lonely road by the mostly unseen driver of a mysterious tanker truck. The identity of the truck s driver, and the motivations for his actions, are left unknown. I still believe the guy in the cafe in the maroon shirt and cowboy hat was the trucker. The truck driver is the main antagonist of the 1971 short story duel by the late richard matheson, and the 1971 television film of the same name, which is steven spielbergs first directed film. In a lengthy career spanning 61 years, his body of work included classic films. Moments later, the truck is back, dangerously tailgating mann before abruptly cutting him off. He is considered to be one of the film industrys most accomplished stunt drivers. Only one example of the films uncredited main character, a 1955 peterbilt 281, remains in existence. One of his most famous, yet discreet roles was as the murderous truck driver in steven spielbergs duel billed as cary loftin, in which only his arm and boots.

David mann is minding his own business driving down a desolate california. He is the nameless and unseen driver of a large rusty 1955 peterbilt 281 gasoline tanker truck. The truck from duel is a piece of movie history the drive. In the movie david never mentions it, even not in the monologue while being in the cafe after chased. Duel is a 1971 television and later fulllength theatrical thriller film directed by steven spielberg and written by richard matheson, based on mathesons short story of the same name. At one point, the truck driver carey loftin, whose face is never shown waves mann past. Duel is a 1971 television and later fulllength theatrical thriller film directed by steven.

It stars dennis weaver as a terrified motorist stalked on a remote and lonely desert highway by the mostly unseen, psychotic driver of a mysterious tanker truck. Duel, steven spielbergs 1971 thriller, chucks cafe is. And if the truck driver pulled onto the shoulder to let him pass, he could pull off the highway, too. Finally at 72mins, another fifteen or twentysecond shot showing dennis weavers eyes superimposed over the road as another voiceover reveals he is about to get on the incline, has been removed. William carey loftin january 31, 1914 march 4, 1997. It works, but mann wins the duel by sacrificing his car. Duel the best bits of film trivia the tanker driver. Duel is a 1971 television and later fulllength theatrical thriller film directed by steven spielberg in his fulllength film directing debut and written by richard matheson, based on mathesons short story of the same name. Le chene, 12625 sierra highway, southern california chucks cafe, the truckstop at which a frazzled mann tries to pick out the seemingly psychotic driver, looks much the same but has been transformed into an upmarket french restaurant. Steven spielberg said that the multiple license plates on the front bumper of the truck suggested that the truck driver is a serial killer which ran down other drivers in other states. Pace of editing, noise and music increases as the demon truck is now openly out to get driver dave dennis weaver in steven spielbergs tv movie duel, 1971. Though we know stunt driver carey loftin of bullitt fame was behind the wheel, the truck driver is never seen in the film, giving it a hint of the supernatural.

Presumably, he could continue all the way to san francisco at this speed, hanging back just far enough to avoid the worst of the exhaust fumes. Did the duel truck driver openly presented what he did. Peterbilt tanker from movie duel on farm near lincolnton. Additionally, spielberg said that the multiple license plates on the front bumper of the peterbilt subtly suggested that the truck driver is a serial killer, having run down other drivers in other states. Theres a video on youtube about the last remaining duel truck and a backstory on the owner brad wike and him coming across it and buying it. The film throttle 2005 has a scene featuring a dennis weaver lookalike driving a red plymouth valiant as an overt reference to duel. Duel was a made for television movie that originally aired in 1971, then remade for theatrical release. The truck driver is never seen driving the truck, except briefly through his side window during an early overtaking shot. When he left we see him go around the front of the truck. When david chases the truck out of chucks cafe on foot, he has a stain on his shirt. Pictures of the truck driver pictures of the truck driver. He soon finds himself chased by the mostly unseen driver of a rusted peterbilt 281 who chases and terrorizes mann after mann overtakes him. Spielberg keeps the tension high throughout, only allowing mann to escape the furnace of the chase in a handful of scenes. Duel begins when a california businessman embarks on a car trip and happens to pass a certain truck on a twolane road.

The movie was released november 11th, 1971, which is 43 years ago today. A simple trip turns deadly, as mann struggles to stay on the road while the tanker plays cat and mouse with his life. Here are a few pics of cary loftin, the truck driver. The truck driver was played by carey loftin, and when he asked spielberg what his motivation was for tormenting weaver, spielberg said to. Almost everything he does in the movie seems to be.

Since owning the duel truck, brad has not done much to the truck, but he did add the swamp cooler to the back of the cab and he did climb up on the roof and bend the horn to look more like the main truck used in the filming of the movie the one that went off the cliff and was destroyed at the end. In duel, steven spielberg creates a faceoff between an anonymous truck driver and suburbanite david mann dennis weaver, who has to battle. The truck, which seems to have a mind of its own the driver is never. The film monster man 2003, starring eric jungmann, features a large truck terrorizing the occupants of a red car, though the makes and models differ, and unlike in duel, the driver s face is shown. For the general concept of persons fighting in arranged combat for honor, see duels duel is a 1971 television movie about a salesman driving through the california desert who is suddenly attacked by a large tanker truck after passing it on the deserted road directed by steven spielberg. Its a remarkably simple, strippeddown film, a teethgritting suspense thriller that unrelentingly increases the pressure on the traveling businessman david mann dennis weaver as he faces off with a vicious truck driver who seems intent on killing mann. Author richard matheson conceived duel after a similar experience with a reckless trucker. Duel was one of stephen spielbergs first films, and it was an incredible start to what would would become an amazing filmmaking career. Mann passes the unsightly truck which promptly roars past him and slows down. However when david exits his car to help the bus driver, there is significant damage to the driver s side of his car. Duel i always got the impression that the truck driver. The movie starred dennis weaver as a motorist on a business trip that was being terrorized by a murderous tanker truck on a desolate stretch of road in california. I always got the impression that the truck driver was never in the cafe. He was portrayed by the late carey loftin biography.

David mann dennis weaver is a middleaged businessman driving to an appointment in his plymouth valiant. It will be on display saturday at a truck show near lincolnton. The truck driver is the main antagonist of the 1971 short story duel by the late richard matheson, and the 1971 television film of the same name, which is. Arguably hollywoods greatest stunt driver ever, carey loftins amazing driving and stunt skills were utilized in dozens of hollywood productions over a period of nearly half a century. With dennis weaver, jacqueline scott, eddie firestone, lou frizzell.

The look in his eyes as he sips his beer tells me who he really is. Just before this scene, the scene where the train blows it airhorn after the truck driver blows the truck. Duel was the first film of steven spielberg, made for tv and adapted from a short story by pulp author and screenwriter richard matheson. The first encounter between driver dave dennis weaver in his red plymouth valiant and a nasty looking tanker truck, with radio entertainment, from steven spielbergs tv movie duel, 1971. I wasnt two minutes in and i was hooked, amazed, thrilled.

D at the virginiacarolina truck show, 31 july 2010. Duel, as everybody knows, is the story of a traveling businessman desperate to get to his meeting on time who is faced with the most bizarre threat ever. When david crashes his car into the fence at chucks cafe, it shows that it was the passenger side that crashed into the fence. Mann enters the diner chucks cafe to compose himself. Cary loftin, carry loftin, carey lofton, gary loftin, william carey loftin was an american professional stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor in the u. Special edition dvd 2005 but yorik pointed out in a comment that during the days when duel was made it was not an. Duel is a 1971 american action thriller film written by richard matheson, which is based on his. When carey loftin, playing the truck driver, asked steven spielberg what his.