Duel at fifty

After a hearty festive meal, chances are this Christmas, you’ll settle down by the fire to enjoy a movie. If you’re spoilt for choice why not try this one, which made the name of one of the most famous directors in history, Steven Spielberg. Not only that, but it featured a truck to scare the living daylights of cinemagoers everywhere, as Andrew Roberts explains…

Fifty years ago, American television viewers were amazed by the latest ABC TV Movie of The Weekend. Duel had a shooting schedule of just 14 days and a budget of only $750,000, which was low even for 1971 – and the result was one of the finest all American road movies. As for its director, he was a 24-year-old named Steven Spielberg.

The origins of the film date from November 1963 when the writer Richard Matheson was harassed by a truck whe crossing the Californian desert. He turned the incident into both a short story and the film's screenplay. For the role of the villainous oil tanker and Spielberg staged an audition of commercial vehicles. However, he thought modern trucks with their forward control and large windshields were too bland and lacking in menace, so he opted for a 1955 Peterbilt.

It was a wise choice, for the Peterbilt was not so old that it would have been implausible for regular haulage duties but with a definite air of malice. Three examples would appear in the picture – the principal 281 plus a 1960 Peterbilt 351 as a back-up and a 1964 351. The last-named was employed when Spielberg shot 16 minutes of extra footage for a European cinematic release in 1972.

The car driven by the hapless hero of Duel was a Valiant; viewers will note the occasional on-screen changes between the V8 and six-cylinder models. Spielberg thought the Plymouth's red paint finish would better contrast with Canyon County's surroundings and the Peterbilt. In addition, the film crew would regularly apply a coat of oil and dirt to the tanker to make it look more threatening yet. Spielberg cast the great character actor Dennis Weaver as Mann, and Carey Loftin, one of Hollywood's finest stunt experts, played the tanker driver.

The final scene had to be achieved in just one take, and the driver's door swinging open just before the Peterbilt meets its doom was due to Loftin jumping clear. We never see the driver's face, and this was a conscious decision on Spielberg's part. In a recent interview, he explained, "The supernatural horror really does not take place on the screen. It takes place in the minds of the audience. By not showing the driver, the audience gets to make any substitution they choose". When you next re-watch Duel, one detail of the Peterbilt tanker stands out – its grille is adorned with licence plates. The director explained, “the driver wanted to destroy a car in every state” – and now its intended target is a 1970 Plymouth Valiant.

Most importantly, while a lesser picture would have Mann transform into Clint Eastwood Mk. II in the final reel, Mann has to rely on his wits and a Detroit-built family saloon that visibly lurches across the tarmac during the chase sequences. And this clip alone should demonstrate why Duel is one of the greatest vehicle pursuits ever to be committed to celluloid.