| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
by Joseph Sargent and based on a book by John Godey . It stars Walter Matthau and
Robert Shaw.Lieutanent Garber (played by Matthau) is a grumpy New York City Transit Authority policeman. His routine is interrupted by an unexpected hijacking of a NYC subway train (on the number 6 line). The police force is confused by the hijacking as all subway trains have a dead-man's switch which requires a live person at the controls to keep the train running, thus preventing a hijacker from escaping. The police pursue the subway train with a frantic race on the city streets to deliver the ransom. Unknown to the police, is that the hijackers (led by Shaw's character) have disabled the dead-man's switch. Once the hijackers receive their ransom money, they send the train off at top speed toward the terminal station where it would crash and thus kill all the passengers. Previously, the hijackers have gotten off the train and attempt to escape out of the subway tunnels with their ransom money. Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The