The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The original 1974 thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three doesn't carry the Oscar-winning classic status of Dog Day Afternoon or The French Connection, but this ingenious crime caper/hostage drama based on the 1973 novel by John Godey remains one of the great New York crime films of the 1970s. Walter Matthau stars as Zachary Garber, the Everyman head of the transit police who takes charge after a subway car is hijacked and the passengers are held hostage by an armed gang led by soldier of fortune and heist mastermind Bernard Ryder (Robert Shaw), who runs his team like a Special Forces platoon. This is an era before cell phones and wi-fi, so Garber is at the center of communications, negotiating with both the gang and the city to have the ransom money delivered before the baddies start executing hostages. Director Joseph Sargent meets the challenge of the story's sprawl—over multiple locations, with characters connected through phone calls, radio signals, and subway communications lines. And his use of location shooting and street crowds makes New York City a character in its own right. Martin Balsam and Héctor Elizondo costar as members of the gang, while Jerry Stiller and Doris Roberts have small but distinctive roles, and the imposing Julius Harris is solid as a police inspector. Remade in 2009 with Denzel Washington and John Travolta, the original is still something of a cult film for fans of thrillers and action cinema. Newly remastered with extras including audio commentary by actor Pat Healy and film historian Jim Healy, and new cast and crew interviews, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)