Bullitt (1968)

Bullitt is a 1968 American crime thriller film directed by Peter Yates, from a screenplay by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner, based on the 1963 novel Mute Witness by Robert L. Fish. It stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, and Norman Fell. In the film, San Francisco police detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) investigates the murder of a witness he was assigned to protect.

A star vehicle for McQueen, Bullitt began development once Yates was hired upon the completion of the screenplay, which differs significantly from Fish's novel. Principal photography took place throughout 1967, with filming primarily taking place on location in San Francisco. The film was produced by McQueen's Solar Productions, with Robert Relyea as executive producer alongside Philip D'Antoni. Lalo Schifrin wrote the film's jazz-inspired score. Bullitt is notable for its extensive use of practical locations and stunt work.

Bullitt was released in the United States on October 17, 1968, by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. It was a critical success, with praise for its screenplay, editing, music and action sequences; its car chase sequence is regarded as one of the most influential in film history, and retrospective reception has named Bullitt among the greatest action films ever made. The film received numerous awards and nominations, including being nominated for two Academy Awards, winning for Best Film Editing. It grossed $42.3 million worldwide, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1968. In 2007, Bullitt was preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.