Speeding Bullitt: The Life and Films of Steve McQueen

Dr. Ira Wells, author of the 2021 book, Norman Jewison: A Director's Life, joins me to talk about the Canadian filmmaker's relationship with Steve McQueen, revealing details of a Western film Jewison had planned for "The King of Cool".

James Coburn's daughter-in-law Robyn L. Coburn joins me to discuss her 2021 book, Dervish Dust: The Life and Words of James Coburn, highlighting James's relationships with Steve McQueen and Bruce Lee.

Jeff Commings, host of the podcast, The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey, joins me to discuss John Williams's career, his best scores, and of course the super important film score for The Reivers.

Chris Rieger, Director of the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast Missouri State University joins me to talk about Faulkner's rise to fame, we compare The Reivers book to the movie, and we also discuss Faulkner's screenwriting career.

How does the biggest name in Hollywood end the 1960s? By starring in a film adaptation of William Faulkner's last novel, 1962's The Reivers, which takes place in Mississippi at the turn of the 20th century. Tune in as the Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill joins me to discuss the icon's third and final comedy.

Why is society obsessed with Charles Manson? Jeffrey Melnick, author of Creepy Crawling: Charles Manson and the Many Lives of America's Most Infamous Family, joins me to explore society's obsession with Manson. McQueen expert Marshall Terrill joins me on the second half of the episode to share his thoughts on Manson.

Tom O'Neill, author of CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties, discusses his shocking findings from 20 years of researching the crimes that took place at 10050 Cielo Drive in 1969. He also reveals what's in McQueen's LAPD Manson file, and shares what he knows about Steve's cocaine dealer.

In the summer of 1969, hippy cult leader Charles Manson and his followers terrorized Los Angeles, murdering actress Sharon Tate, McQueen's close friend, Jay Sebring, and others. Writer Ivor Davis was there, reporting on the madness as it unfolded in real time. Ivor joins me to reflect on the Manson murders 50+ years later.

Teenagers! Fast cars! Red blobby monsters! Novelist and co-host of the Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers podcast, Dion Baia, joins me on this Halloween bonus episode of Speeding Bullitt to discuss all of The Blob movies.

Writer and Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill joins me to share stories and anecdotes from his impressive writing career. Marshall has written 27 books, including 7 that focus on McQueen.

Writer and Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill returns to debunk or confirm rumours about 'The King of Cool'. Did Steve McQueen punch Charles Manson in the face? Whats the story behind the famous quote, "I live for myself and answer to nobody"? Did McQueen die with a poster for The Blob on his wall? Tune in to find out.

Lee Purcell's film career was launched when Steve McQueen selected her to star in Solar Productions' Adam at 6 AM. Purcell, who had never acted in a film before, become the only actress or actor to be introduced to the world by Steve McQueen as his personal discovery, and the only performer to receive mentorship from the icon.

The Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill and I discuss Quentin Tarantino's first work of fiction, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: A Novel, which is loaded with plenty of Steve McQueen.

Novelist and co-host of the Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers podcast, Dion Baia, joins me to discuss Steve McQueen's five consecutive box office hit films in the 1960s: The Cincinnati Kid, Nevada Smith, The Sand Pebbles, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Bullitt.

Professional auctioneer Matt Moravec from Mecum Auctions, the world leader in live auctions of collector and classic vehicles, discusses what it was like to bang the gavel on the 1968 Bullitt Mustang, when it sold for 3.4 million dollars in 2020.

Matt Stone, author of the 2020 book, Bullitt: The Cars and People Behind Steve McQueen, joins me to discuss the vehicles in the film, including the Mustangs, the Chargers, and the green Volkswagen Beetle everybody loves to talk about.

Hop in the highland green Bullitt Mustang with Marshall Terrill and me as we explore Steve McQueen's defining film, 1968's Bullitt. We talk about the time McQueen witnessed a murder in San Francisco, dig deeper into Steve's vision for Solar Productions, and go into what makes Bullitt McQueen's most memorable picture.

Blobfest is an annual three-day festival that celebrates the film in which Steve McQueen appeared in his first star billing role, The Blob. Typically the festival is held at The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania; however, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's edition has gone virtual. Chuck Francisco, aka Dash Daring, joins me to discuss all things Blobfest including this year...

Tune in to hear the Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill and I answer and discuss questions sent in by you, the listeners. This episode covers all time periods of McQueen's life and career, exploring different aspects such as, his relationship with Sam Peckinpah, his workout regiment, his acting style, plus much more.

On this episode, I connect with two people who worked with Steve McQueen in the late 1950s, actor Michael Dante and writer William F Nolan. Tune in to hear both guest share anecdotes about Steve McQueen and about working in Hollywood over the past 60 years.

Peter Drummey, Chief Historian and Stephen T. Riley Librarian for the Massachusetts Historical Society joins me to discuss the historical significance of Thomas Crown's home at 85 Mount Vernon Street in Boston's affluent neighbourhood of Beacon Hill.

Film producer Arthur Friedman joins me to discuss his time working for United Artists in the 1960s, including his involvement with the world premiere of The Thomas Crown Affair in Boston, Massachusetts in 1968. Our conversation also includes anecdotes from Arthur's experience in film distribution, insights into his friendship with Bobby Darin, and he explains how he got involved with the Coen brot...

1968's The Thomas Crown Affair was the only film Steve McQueen had to fight to be in after becoming a star. Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill joins me to discuss why Steve badly wanted to play Thomas Crown, and how it impacted his life and career. Megan Sanders and Simon Tennant join me in the second half of the show to discuss the Sanders chukka boot, a model made popular by Steve McQueen.

Writer and Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill unpacks the contents of Steve McQueen's FBI file, as well as addresses rumours about Steve, including hearsay about his sexuality.

This episode contains a new introduction with Steve McQueen expert Marshall Terrill. Frank Hill met Steve McQueen in 1963 as a youth attending Boys Republic in Chino, California. Over the next 17 years, Frank developed a close relationship with McQueen, spending a significant amount of time with the Hollywood icon. During our 60-minute conversation, Frank shares many never-before-heard stories abo...