upper waypoint

Peter Yates, Director of 'Bullitt' and 'Breaking Away,' Dies

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

In San Francisco, "Bullitt" is a cult classic. Why? Well, the 1968 cop film is not known for its plot, acting, or memorable lines—not even so much as a "Do you feel lucky, punk?" or "A man's got to know his own limitations," or, to go back a ways and up several levels in class, "The stuff that dreams are made of."

"Bullitt" featured one of the most attractive stars of the day, Steve McQueen, to keep you watching. But the reason people remember it is the car scene. No one, before or since, has ever driven the streets of San Francisco the way McQueen and an ill-fated bad guy did in the extended chase—it goes on and on and on—that features cars vaulting down hills and and careering through many other (much-changed) San Francisco locations.

We mention it at all because of the news that Peter Yates, who directed the film, has passed away. (Yates should be better remembered, in our humble opinion, for the cycling/coming-of-age classic "Breaking Away.")

Here's Yates's San Francisco masterpiece, if you've got 11 minutes:

Sponsored

lower waypoint
next waypoint
State Prisons Offset New Inmate Wage Hikes by Cutting Hours for Some WorkersCecil Williams, Legendary Pastor of Glide Church, Dies at 94Erik Aadahl on the Power of Sound in FilmFresno's Chinatown Neighborhood To See Big Changes From High Speed RailKQED Youth Takeover: How Can San Jose Schools Create Safer Campuses?How to Attend a Rally Safely in the Bay Area: Your Rights, Protections and the PoliceWill Less Homework Stress Make California Students Happier?Nurses Warn Patient Safety at Risk as AI Use Spreads in Health CareSilicon Valley House Seat Race Gets a RecountBill to Curb California Utilities’ Use of Customer Money Fails to Pass