Speeding Bullitt: The Life and Films of Steve McQueen

Paul D. Wilson takes us behind the scenes of his 1999 short film Finding McQueen, sharing how the project came together, and exploring his ties to key figures from Steve McQueen's career.

Long before Steve McQueen started vacationing in Palm Springs, California in 1961, celebrities were already escaping Hollywood to the desert. In this episode of Speeding Bullitt, historian Jim Cook shares his extensive research on Hollywood's ties to the Coachella Valley.

The Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill joins me on this episode to discuss Steve's Palm Springs era. Together, we explore his former homes and revisit some of the actor's favorite spots. Later, I chat with the current owner of McQueen's first Palm Springs home, which you can rent for your next vacation.

Writer, actor, podcaster, and Speeding Bullitt regular Dion Baia joins me on this episode of the podcast to discuss five AI-generated Steve McQueen films created by ChatGPT. While this episode is purely speculative, Dion's extensive knowledge of film and television makes for an engaging and enjoyable conversation.

In 2022, Hagerty.com released an article titled The 10 Most Valuable Steve McQueen Cars Sold at Auction. On this episode of Speeding Bullitt, I'm joined by automotive journalist Matt Stone, author of McQueen's Machines, to explore the history behind these iconic vehicles in greater detail.

Over four decades after his passing, Steve McQueen's sense of fashion continues to influence what men wear today, including Tom Hoy from Easy on the Ivy and Lincoln McConnell-Brown from Dressing Like McQueen. Tune in as both men join me to discuss the icon's effortlessly cool style.

During the summer of 1968, Leilani Chun found herself on the set of Bullitt alongside Steve McQueen. She joins me on this bonus episode of the show, to share her interaction with "The King of Cool."

On this episode of Speeding Bullitt: The Life and Films of Steve McQueen, I'm joined by Marshall Terrill, writer and Steve McQueen expert. Together, we explore McQueen's relationship with his third wife, Barbara Minty, his struggle with Mesothelioma, and his passing on November 7, 1980.

Dr. Jason Ney, Associate Professor of English at Colorado Christian University and film historian, joins me to discuss Steve McQueen's final film, The Hunter. We explore the cars featured in the movie, the film's cast of ridiculous characters, and the exciting stunt work performed by Steve McQueen and Loren Janes.

Mickey Guinn, retired actor, stuntman, and driver for Hollywood Local 399 Teamsters joins me to talk about befriending Steve McQueen on the star's penultimate film, Tom Horn, and to share stories about working with many actors including William Shatner, Bette Davis, and Jim Carrey.

Florence Esposito takes me back to The Old Place in Agoura Hills, California during the early to mid-70s, where she worked and mingled with Steve McQueen and other Hollywood stars at the beloved rustic bar.

The Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill joins me to provide insight into McQueen's rarely seen 1978 film, An Enemy of The People. We also discuss the extensive interview Steve gave Charles Champlin at Loyola Marymount University in 1978, which I also present in its entirety.

In 1974, Steve McQueen starred in The Towering Inferno, the top grossing film of the year. By 1975, he became a recluse, and faded into the background of Hollywood. On this episode of the podcast, the Steve McQueen expert, Marshall Terrill, joins me to talk about the icon's time away from the spotlight.

Lee Marvin expert Dwayne Epstein joins me to discuss his new book, Killin' Generals: The Making of The Dirty Dozen, the Most Iconic WW II Movie of All Time, and to explore the life and films of one of Steve McQueen's contemporaries, and the man credited with drastically altering the way real violence is depicted on film, Lee Marvin.

Writer, actor, podcaster, and fellow disaster movie fan Dion Baia joins me on this lengthy episode to discuss the best Disaster movies ever made, The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure. We also review the history of disaster movies and explore the career of Irwin Allen.

Documentary filmmaker, producer, and author, Laurent Bouzereau explores the impact disaster movies have had on his career, especially Steve McQueen's The Towering Inferno. He also shares what he learned about the classic disaster film from talking to his friends, Robert Wagner and Faye Dunaway.

Carlena Gower, Angela Allbright in The Towering Inferno, joins me to reveal what it was like working with Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, to talk about being on the set of the greatest disaster movie ever, and to discuss her life and career after the film.

It's that time of year again, when movie fans congregate at The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania to celebrate Steve McQueen's 1958 classic sci-fi monster movie, The Blob. Chuck Francisco, aka Dash Daring, joins me on this episode of Speeding Bullitt to discuss this year's Blobfest programming.

After seeing The Graduate in 1968, Steve McQueen couldn't believe Dustin Hoffman was going to be a movie star. Five years later, they starred in Papillon together. Beverly Gray, author of 2017's Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Became the Touchstone of a Generation, joins me to discuss Dustin Hoffman and The Graduate.

Kevin Kehrwald, author of the book Prison Movies: Cinema Behind Bars, and a professor in the English department at Frostburg State University, where he founded the Film Studies program, joins me to discuss the history of prison movies; exploring films and actors from all decades, including movies about women in prison and prison comedies.