JohnDoe
Bryn
BrentonSteve McQueen Biopic in the works
August 24th 2007 00:24
Steve McQueen - The Bounty Hunter, The Driver, the Myth
McQueen on the other side
“If I hadn't made it as an actor, I might have wound up a hood.” – Steve McQueen
John Doe treats the notion of a cinematic retelling of the Cooler King’s life with the same level of scrutiny as religious extremists paid to Passion of the Christ. When it comes to charismatic movie stars with tough guy presence all stand in Steve McQueen’s cloud of smoking rubber.
Well over on cinematical.com they are reporting that the rights have been purchased and a greenlight has been given for a King of cool biopic. If it is honest there will be sex, drugs and women combined with paranoia, violence and the occasional post Charlie Manson gunplay.
Based on his first wife Neile Adams memoirs titled My Husband My Friend, Johnny can’t improve upon Cinematical’s casting nomination of Daniel Craig for the lead. For those who don’t know the basic history here is a brief recap.
“Stardom equals freedom. It's the only equation that matters.” – Steve McQueen
McQueen on his throne
Fully aware of his strengths this street kid who became the biggest box office draw in the world was dedicated to being physically honest onscreen. Driven by a single minded determination as a young aspiring actor he was arrogant and aggressive, traits that remained till late in his career.
What you lookin at
Reluctantly breaking into TV with the hit western series Wanted Dead or Alive (1958) he was soon recognized as the bounty hunter with the sawn down Winchester rifle. That same year he also starred in a schlock B Grade Sci fi The Blob, which went on to be a drive in hit and develop a following.
Wanted Dead or Alive
Building up momentum in 1959 he co starred opposite Frank Sinatra at the crooners request in the War film Never So Few. While still doing his weekly show, he accepted a role in the Director John Sturges western remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai launching the moody 30 year old on a path to cinema legend.
Between the Sturges classics McQueen worked with Robert Alderich on this hard bitten war gem
Teaming up with Sturges again three years after The Magnificent 7 for the classic war adventure The Great Escape as Captain Hilt’s aka The Cooler King his status was ensured.
Who me?
Around this period his personal life was in turmoil as his addictive and often obsessive personality was shaken up by the temptations of unimaginable attention. Continuing to rise in Nevada Smith and The Cincinatti Kid in 1966 he appeared in the Sand Pebbles, a part many feel warranted Oscar attention.
As the kid from Cincinatti
Snubbed, in an act of defiance, going against type he convinced Director Norman Jewison (Rollerball, Cincinatti Kid) his rough around the edges exterior could be polished into the immaculate playboy thief Thomas Crown.
making an impression as Thomas Crown
It is his next film Bullitt that many fans put on a pedestal and it’s not just because of THAT car chase and its ground breaking approach to the procedural cop drama. No, by this time McQueen could focus and control his on camera energy. Actually cutting out his own lines of dialogue if he could communicate it with body language and those cold blue eyes, a simple look or a slight flicker of facial movement spoke volumes of the characters inner turmoil.
"You only say what's important and you own the scene."– Steve McQueen
Detective Frank Bullitt
International acclaim, immeasurable wealth and all the other perks were nice but Steve’s one true love remained race-car driving and motorbikes. In 1971 he embarked on making the definitive film on Le Man’s. A gruelling 24 hour race which he had competed in and come second.
"I'm not sure whether I'm an actor who races or a racer who acts."-Steve McQueen
Racing Le Mans
Living a life of excess drinking, balling and doing cocaine as a result of the negative reception to his auto-doco-drama, in this period he teamed up with the equally volatile Sam Peckinpah for the gunpowder and octane action classic the Getaway.
“I live for myself and I answer to nobody.” – Steve McQueen
Shooting down Mexico way romance also exploded behind the scenes when Steve charmed super producer Robert Evan’s (Chinatown, The Godfather) wife Ali McGraw (Love Story).
The lovers breaking the rules
Starring with a talented up and comer named Dustin Hoffman (Straight Time, Lenny) in Papillon the rebellious actor lodged a performance considered the high point of his thespian skills.
Poster for Papillon
Always in competition the superstar had a long time rivalry with Paul Newman (The Hustler) that was finally settled in the skyscraper on fire disaster flick The Towering Inferno. Getting along onset there was a feud about name placement on the poster that has become Hollywood folklore.
Dunaway, Newman and McQueen - all is forgiven
Tired of the games that come with his status the final entries in his filmography try to demolish the image that had been built within the system. Playing his age in Enemy of The People as water contamination in the 1800’s is ignored by the masses.
Living as a hermit was like a self imposed Prison sentence
As a modern day bounty hunter wearing eye glasses, carrying a limp and unable to reverse park his ride with The Hunter (1980) he purposefully opposes all previous self made celluloid incarnations.
Dying the same year as the film was released in a Mexican hospital after finding god and asking for forgiveness for his many real life sins. Steve McQueen left a legacy behind that continues to thrive. Widespread Cult devotion guarantees that the makers of this new film better do the man justice or Reservoir Dog Michael Madsen and JD are going to hammer em.
A sweet retro making of doco from the Bullitt DVD titled “Commitment to Reality”
| 76 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Chic Critique
Cheers
CC
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
From a really young age their was something about McQueen's demeanor that made his use of siilence rivetting to Doe.
I like the idea a posse is already forming, they still don't know if the film will be straight to DVD or on at cinemas.
Great to meet another fan
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
McQueen single handedly redefined the cop as anti hero with Bullitt, often imitated never equalled.
The documentary style also benefited The French Connection and its ilk..
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.
Having always been an avid fan and practicing adherent to the "Less is more" school, I think you know where I stand on McQueen..I first saw him in "Papillon" as a kid. One of the few times I saw an actor do so much by saying so little!
Going over to Cinematical now to check out this Craig guy....he'd better be good.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Daniel Craig is the new 007 from Casino Royale, he has the pit bull face of McQueen and teh macho toughs too..
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.
You know who I'd pick to play McQueen if I could do a sort of "dream team" thing?
Gary Cooper.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Aside from Daniel Craig, I think that if a schtick free Bruce Willis was an unknown he could have pulled it off about 20 years ago.
The actor needs that protruding bottom lip and frowning smirk.
Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
love McQueen's movies, alwasy entertaining and action packed...
First saw him in Bullitt, and then The Great Escape and I was hooked...
Excellent review and some great clips to boot..
Take care,
Nick
Comment by Anonymous
Look at pictures of Wentworth from prison break, then look at McQueen from Wanted
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
McQueen's talent was underestimate at the time, often thought of as just a cinema tough guy, he had so much more that we saw in films like The Sand Pebbles, Papillon and Enemy of the People.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I am a giant fan of Director Sam Peckinpah (Click here to read my profile of the man),The Getaway and Junior Bonner both rank highly with me...The Getaway is gritty action at its most explosive and Junior Bonner reminds me of The Lusty Men with Robert Mitchumn for it aging Rodeo angle.
As for Wentworth Miller, I have to admit finding Prison Break predictable and rather dull as far as jail series go (Give me Oz anyday)...so I only saw the first 4 episodes.
I didn't think much of Wentworth's thespian skills, he seemed to have no presence and rather bland like a daytime soapy actor...but he does physically look the part, maybe he improved later on.