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An ex-con armed robber and his wife leave a bloody path on their way to Mexico. McQueen kicks ass and acts like one towards Ali in this classic!

Directed by Sam Peckinpah. The cast includes Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson, Sally Struthers, Topol 

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"I live for myself and I answer to nobody."

Steve McQueen (March 24th, 1930 - November 7th, 1980)�
a.k.a Terrence Steven McQueen�

Steve McQueen was the prototypical example of a new sort of movie star which emerged in the 1950s and would come to dominate the screen in the 1960s and '70s -- a cool, remote loner who knew how to use his fists without seeming like a run-of-the-mill tough guy, a thoughtful man in no way an effete intellectual, a rebel who played by his own rules and lived by his own moral code, while often succeeding on his own terms. While McQueen was one of the first notable examples of this new breed of antihero (along with James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Paul Newman), he was also among the most successful, and was able to succeed as an iconoclast and one of Hollywood's biggest box-office draws at the same time.

"I'm out of the Midwest. It was a good place to come from. It gives you a sense of right or wrong and fairness, which is lacking in our society."

Terrence Steven McQueen was born in Indianapolis, IN, on March 24, 1930. In many ways, McQueen's childhood was not a happy one; his father and mother split up before his first birthday, and he was sent to live with his great uncle on a farm in Missouri. After he turned nine, McQueen's mother had married again, and he was sent to California to join her. By his teens, McQueen had developed a rebellious streak, and he began spending time with a group of juvenile delinquents; McQueen's misdeeds led his mother to send him to Boys' Republic, a California reform school. After ninth grade, McQueen left formal education behind, and after a spell wandering the country, he joined the Marine Corps in 1947. McQueen's hitch with the Leathernecks did little to change his anti-authoritarian attitude; he spent 41 days in the brig after going Absent With Out Leave for two weeks.

"I have to be careful because I'm a limited actor. I mean, my range isn't very great. There's a whole lot of stuff I can't do, so I have to find characters and situations that feel right. Even then, when I've got something that fits, it's a hell of a lot of work. I'm not a serious actor. There's something about my shaggy-dog eyes that makes people think I'm good. I'm not all that good."

After leaving the Marines in 1950, McQueen moved to New York City, where he held down a number of short-term jobs while trying to decide what he wanted to do with his life. At the suggestion of a friend, McQueen began to look into acting, and developed an enthusiasm for the theater. In 1952, he began studying acting at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. After making an impression in a number of small off-Broadway productions, McQueen was accepted into Lee Strasberg's prestigious Actor's Studio, where he further honed his skills. In 1956, McQueen made his Broadway debut and won rave reviews when he replaced Ben Gazzara in the lead of the acclaimed drama A Hatful of Rain. 

"They call me a chauvinist pig - I am and I don't give a damn!"

The same year, McQueen made his film debut, playing a bit part in Somebody Up There Likes Me alongside Paul Newman, and he married dancer Neile Adams. In 1958, after two years of stage work and television appearances, McQueen scored his first leading role in a film as Steve, a noble and rather intense teenager in the sci-fi cult item The Blob, while later that same year he scored another lead, in the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive. McQueen's moody performances as bounty hunter Josh Randall elevated him to stardom, and in 1960, he appeared in the big-budget Western The Magnificent Seven (an Americanized remake of The Seven Samurai), confirming that his new stardom shone just as brightly on the big screen. In 1961, McQueen completed his run on Wanted: Dead or Alive and concentrated on film roles, appearing in comedies (The Honeymoon Machine, Love With a Proper Stranger) as well as action roles (Hell Is for Heroes, The War Lover). In 1963, McQueen starred in The Great Escape, an action-packed World War II drama whose blockbuster success confirmed his status as one of Hollywood's most bankable leading men; McQueen also did his own daredevil motorcycle stunts in the film, reflecting his offscreen passion for motorcycle and auto racing. (McQueen would also display his enthusiasm for bikes as narrator of a documentary on dirt-bike racing, On Any Sunday).

"Stardom equals freedom. It's the only equation that matters."

Through the end of the 1960s, McQueen starred in a long string of box-office successes, but in the early '70s, he appeared in two unexpected disappointments -- 1971's Le Mans, a racing film that failed to capture the excitement of the famed 24-hour race, and 1972's Junior Bonner, an atypically good-natured Sam Peckinpah movie that earned enthusiastic reviews but failed at the box office. Later that year, McQueen would team up again with Peckinpah for a more typical (and much more successful) action film, The Getaway, which co-starred Ali MacGraw. McQueen had divorced Neile Adams in 1971, and while shooting The Getaway, he and MacGraw (who was then married to producer Robert Evans) became romantically involved. In 1973, after MacGraw divorced Evans, she married McQueen; the marriage would last until 1977.

"I believe in me. I'm a little screwed up, but I'm beautiful."

After two more big-budget blockbusters, Papillon and The Towering Inferno, McQueen disappeared from screens for several years. In 1977, he served as both leading man and executive producer for a screen adaptation of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, which fared poorly with both critics and audiences when it was finally released a year and a half after it was completed. In 1980, it seemed that McQueen was poised for a comeback when he appeared in two films -- an ambitious Western drama, Tom Horn, which McQueen co-directed without credit, and The Hunter, an action picture in which he played a modern-day bounty hunter -- and he wed for a third time, marrying model Barbara Minty in January of that year. However, McQueen's burst of activity hid the fact that he had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a highly virulent form of lung cancer brought on by exposure to asbestos. After conventional treatment failed to stem the spread of the disease, McQueen traveled to Juarez, Mexico, where he underwent therapy at an experimental cancer clinic. Despite the efforts of McQueen and his doctors, the actor died on November 7, 1980. He left behind two children, Chad McQueen, who went on to his own career as an actor, and daughter Terry McQueen, who died of cancer in 1998.

The true origin of his nickname "King Of Cool" apparently came from the 1963 film The Great Escape, in which his character was dubbed "The Cooler King" because his numerous attempts to escape from a POW camp kept landing him in solitary confinement. After playing similar characters in films like Bullitt, The Towering Inferno and The Thomas Crown Affair, McQueen eventually became the "King Of Cool." 

Television Series

1.    "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958) .... Josh Randall

Notable TV guest appearances

1.    "What's My Line?" (1950) playing "Mystery Guest" 12/18/1966

2.    "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955) playing "Gambler" in episode: "Man From the South" (episode # 5.15) 1/3/1960

3.    "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955) playing "Bill Everett" in episode: "Human Interest Story" (episode # 4.32) 5/24/1959

4.    "Trackdown" (1957) playing "Mat Cody/Wes Cody" in episode: "Brothers, The" (episode # 1.31) 5/16/1958

5.    "Trackdown" (1957) playing "Josh Randall" in episode: "Bounty Hunter, The" (episode # 1.21) 3/7/1958

6.    "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957) playing "Bill Longley" in episode: "Bill Longley" (episode # 2.23) 2/10/1958

7.    "Climax!" (1954) in episode: "Four Hours in White" (episode # 4.19) 2/6/1958

8.    "20th Century-Fox Hour, The" (1955) playing "Kinsella" in episode: "Deep Water" (episode # 2.16) 5/1/1957

9.    "West Point" (1956) in episode: "Ambush" (episode # 1.23) 3/8/1957

10.    "Studio One/The Defender" (1948) playing "Joseph Gordon" in episode: "Defender, The: Part 2" (episode # 9.21) 3/4/1957 VHS

11.    "Studio One /The Defender" (1948) playing "Joseph Gordon" in episode: "Defender, The: Part 1" (episode # 9.20) 2/25/1957

12.    "United States Steel Hour, The" (1953) in episode: "Bring Me a Dream" 1/4/1956

13.    "Goodyear Television Playhouse" (1951) in episode: "Chivington Raid, The" (episode # 4.13) 3/27/1955

Many people don't realize that from 1970 on, given his tremendous star power, McQueen was offered nearly every decent starring role coming out of Hollywood in the 70s. 

Here are only a few he turned down:

- 1969 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Butch Cassidy went to Paul Newman. Originally, Newman was to be 'Sundance' with McQueen as 'Butch'.

- 1971 Dirty Harry, McQueen didn't want to do another cop film after 'Bullitt', went to Clint Eastwood

- 1976 Apocolypse Now, McQueen didn't want to film in the Phillipines, went to Martin Sheen

- 1975 One flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, went to Jack Nicholson

- 1982 Rambo (First Blood) pitched to McQueen in the late 70s, went to Sly Stallone

- 1996 The BodyGuard written for  McQueen, finally was made 16 years later with Kevin Costner 

Films

SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (MGM) Opened July 3, 1956
Biography of boxer Rocky Graziano's rise from New York City sidewalks to arena success. � McQueen's first taste at the big screen was a "bit" part.� Cast list: PAUL NEWMAN, PIER ANGELI, EVERETT SLOANNE, SAL MINEO, STEVE McQUEEN

NEVER LOVE A STRANGER (ALLIED ARTISTS) Opened July 9, 1958
Chronicle of a racketeer, predictable all the way. Cast List: JOHN DREW BARRYMORE, STEVE McQUEEN, LITA MILAN

THE BLOB (PARAMOUNT) Opened September 12, 1958
Steve McQueen's first starring role, tries to save a town from being swallowed by� giant slop of cherry jell-o from outer space.� A remake was made thirty years later. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, ANETA CORSEAUT, EARL ROWE, JOHN BENSON

THE GREAT ST. LOUIS BANK ROBBERY (UA) Opened February 26, 1960
Modest robbery caper with virtue of McQueen in cast. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, DAVID CLARKE, JAMES DUKAS, GRAHAM DENTON

NEVER SO FEW (MGM) Opened December 7, 1959
WW2 action and romance tale filled with salty performances which make one forget the clich's and improbabilities.Cast list: FRANK SINATRA, GINA LOLLOBRIGIADA, STEVE McQUEEN, PETER LAWFORD, CHARLES BRONSON, BRIAN DONLEVY

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (UA) Opened October 23, 1960
A tale of seven American gunslingers hired to protect a small Mexican village. Outstanding cast. Cast list: YUL BRYNNER, STEVE McQUEEN, ROBERT VAUGHN, JAMES COBURN, CHARLES BRONSON, BRAD DEXTER, ELI WALLACH

THE HONEYMOON MACHINE (MGM) Opened July 10, 1961
Comedy about two American sailors who find a way to beat the roulette table in Venice. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, JIM HUTTON, PAULA PRENTISS, BRIGID BAZLEN, DEAN JAGGER

HELL IS FOR HEROES (PARAMOUNT) Opened June 26, 1962
Tough WW2 actioneer about a small squadron forced to hold off the whole German army. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, BOBBY DARIN, FESS PARKER, JAMES COBURN, NICK ADAMS, BOB NEWHART, NICK GUARDINO

THE WAR LOVER (COLUMBIA) Opened October 25, 1962
WW2 film about two american B-17 pilots, both in love with the same woman and both loving the war.� With many films about war and B-17's, this is the most realistic. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, ROBERT WAGNER, SALLEY ANNE FIELD, GARY COCKRELL

THE GREAT ESCAPE (UNITED ARTIST) Opened August 7, 1963 
The true story about a massive plot to escape from a nazi P.O.W. Camp.� This blockbuster was filmed on lacation in Germany with an international cast.� Breakthrough film for McQueen. A TV sequel was made twenty-five years later. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH, JAMES COBURN, CHARLES BRONSON, JAMES GARNER, DAVID McCALLUM, JAMES DONALD, DONALD PLEASENCE

SOLDIER IN THE RAIN (ALLIED ARTIST) Opened November 27, 1963
This bittersweet comedy/drama is based on a novel by William Goldman.The fairy tale like story revolves around two contemporary army buddies, played vigorously by Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen. Gleason is Master Sergeant Maxwell Slaughter, the smooth operator, who supply Sergeant Eustis Clay (McQueen) idolizes and hopes will join him as a civilian in a private business enterprise.Clay endeavors to be a player in the military, just like Slaughter, but it seems as though Clay still has a lot to learn from his mentor.The two powerhouse leads are vibrantly supported by Tuesday Weld who holds her own as a shrill dizzy blonde teenager named Bobby Jo Pepperdine.Tony Bill is perfectly bumbling as Private First Class Jerry Meltzer, McQueenís screwball sidekick.� Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, JACKIE GLEASON, TONY BILL, TUESDAY WELD, ADAM WEST

LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER (PARAMOUNT) Opened December 25, 1963
A tough, yet tender love story about a foot-loose musician (McQueen) and the Macy's salesgirl (Wood) who is carrying his child. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Actress--Natalie Wood, Best (Original) Story and Screenplay. The chemistry between McQueen and Wood is undeniable. Cast list: NATALIE WOOD, STEVE McQUEEN, HARVEY LEMBECK, TOM BOSLEY

BABY, THE RAIN MUST FALL (COLUMBIA) Opened January 12, 1965
Adapted by Horton Foote from his own play The Travelling Lady, Baby the Rain Must Fall stars Steve McQueen as a troube-prone country singer and Lee Remick as his estranged wife. Released on parole after serving time for knifing a man, McQueen returns to Remick and their young daughter Kimberly Block. When he proves incapable of supporting his family, McQueen's violent nature erupts once more, with catastrophic results. Don Murray costars as a compassionate sheriff who tries to keep McQueen from straying off course. Though it seems to go on forever when seen today, Baby the Rain Must Fall was praised effusively by the critics in 1965 as a welcome change of pace for McQueen. Cast list: LEE REMICK, STEVE McQUEEN, DON MURRAY, JOSEPHINE HUTCHINSON

THE CINCINNATI KID (MGM) Opened October 27, 1965
A eager and rising cardshark challenges a veteran player for the chance to be known as "The Man." Set in the swampy hedonism of New Orleans during the Great Depression, the card game is a gritty exploration of the manly sport of stud poker. As the men battle across the card table, the upstart realizes that someone is forcing the honest dealer to help him win. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, EDWARD G. ROBINSON, ANN-MARGRET, TUESDAY WELD, RIP TORN

NEVADA SMITH (PARAMOUNT) Opened June 29, 1966
ìSo we killed his parents. Who'd have thought he'd make a big deal about it?� That's the attitude of three outlaws who brutally murder a rancher and his Indian wife in front of young Max Sand (McQueen). Following the slaughter, Max swears revenge under the name Nevada Smith. Barely in his twenties and unable to read, write or shoot, he meets Jonas Cord (Brian Keith), a decent gun merchant. Cord cannot dissuade Nevada from the futility of his pursuit and teaches him to play Poker and to shoot, ìyou learn to do that with either hand, when you're drunk or asleep, or with the sun in your eyes and you might stand a chance.� Undaunted, Nevada hunts his quarry, one by one, through gambling halls, brothels and a Southern chain gang until the terrified Fitch (Karl Malden) realizes, ìhe doesn't just chase you. He executes you.� Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, KARL MALDEN, BRIAN KEITH, SUZANNE PLESHETTE, PAUL FIX

THE SAND PEBBLES (20th CENTURY-FOX) Opened December 20, 1966
The complex tale begins simply enough in 1926 China, where a group of American soldiers are patrolling the Yangtze River on a gunboat called the San Pablo. The crew members, who call themselves Sand Pebbles, includes Jake Holman (Steve McQueen), a dispassionate but capable navy machinist, and his only friend, Frenchy (Richard Attenborough), a sailor in love with an English-educated Chinese girl, Maily (Marayat Andriane), who has been sold into prostitution. Strong feelings of nationalism have been sweeping through China, however, and when Chiang Kai-shek moves against the feudal warlords, the United States decides to treat the upheaval as a civil war, and the San Pablo is ordered to confine its function to protection of American civilians in the area. Included among them are Mr. Jameson (Larry Gates), a missionary, and Shirley Eckert (Candice Bergen), a schoolteacher with whom Jake falls in love. Soon Jake finds himself in the middle of an international military crisis when his native assistant, Po-han (Mako), is brutally tortured in an attempt to draw the San Pablo's fire, and the boatís inexperienced and prideful captain (Richard Crenna) wants to give his humiliated ship and disgraced crew a chance for glory. This film will give him his only Academy Award Nomination as Best Actor.� This is a must see film.� Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH, RICHARD CRENNA, CANDICE BERGEN, MAKO

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (UNITED ARTIST) Opened June 26, 1968
Slick, sophisticated romantic caper film starring McQueen as a cool Boston millionaire who masterminds a bank heist, then carries on a torrid romance with beautiful insurance investigator Faye Dunaway. McQueen loved the challenge of playing an iny leaguer, considering his rough background. Highlighted by inventive camerawork, chic surroundings and the Oscar-winning song "The Windmills of Your Mind." Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, FAYE DUNAWAY, JACK WESTON, JACK BURKE

BULLITT (WARNER BROTHERS) Opened October 17, 1968
Something is wrong when Detective Lt. Frank Bullitt (McQueen) and Detective Sgt. "Del" Delgetti (Don Gordon) are assigned to guard the star witness in a showcase mob hearing: Congressman Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) expects the witness to give his career an important boost ... but when professional killers show up, only Chalmers or his aides could have given them the location of the safe house. This movie is probably too good for anyone to try a remake, and it includes the best car chase on film.Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, ROBERT VAUGHN, JACQUELINE BISSET, DON GORDAN, SIMON OAKLAND, NORMAN FELL, ROBERT DUVALL

THE REIVERS (NATIONAL GENERAL) Opened December 25, 1969
Based on William Faulkner's novel, THE REIVERS is a coming-of-age story laced with adventure and comedy. Young Lucius McCaslin (Mitch Vogel) leaves home and sets off on a journey with Boon (McQueen), the family handyman, who is a reiver (cheating philanderer); and his best friend, Ned (Rupert Crosse). The three set off for the big city, where the boy, inspired by Boon, learns some valuable lessons about the world. A delightful piece of southern Americana, director Mark Rydell's THE REIVERS is witty and filled with lively action. The score by John Williams and the superb cinematography enhance the richly fleshed-out characters. McQueen, in particular, gives one of the most memorable--and often underrated--performances of his career. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, RUPERT CROSSE, SHARON FARELL, WILL GEER

LE MANS (NATIONAL GENERAL) Opened June 23, 1971
Exciting study of Grand Prix auto racing with exceptional fine camera work on the track.� An American race car driver (Steve McQueen) returns to competition a year after an accident leaves him badly injured. As he prepares to face his chief rival in the famous Le Mans race, he also begins a new romance with the wife of a driver who died in the same accident that nearly killed him. Often considered the best racing film ever, LE MANS captures on film the personal intrigue and death-defying sportsmanship of the world's most famous and dangerous racing competition. Steve McQueen did most of his own driving on the 8.5 mile course, often exceeding 200 mph. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, SIEGFRIED RAUCH, ELGA ANDERSON

ON ANY SUNDAY (CINEMA 5) Opened July 28, 1971
Motorcycling documentary on many aspects of racing.� McQueen is featured throughout.� Nominated for Best Documentary. Cast list: MERT LAWWILL, ,MALCOLM SMITH, STEVE McQUEEN

JUNIOR BONNER (ABC-CINERAMA) Opened August 2, 1972
Aging cowboy comes home for a local contest.� A very good movie to watch. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, ROBERT PRESTON, IDA LUPINO, BEN JOHNSON

THE GETAWAY (NATIONAL GENERAL) Opened December 19, 1972
Just paroled from prison, McQueen robs a bank and goes hayhire.� They decide to run and the chase is own.� A very entertaning film with lots of action. You won't be disappointed. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, ALI MacGRAW, BEN JOHNSON, SALLY STRUTHERS, SLIM PICKENS, AL LETTIERI

PAPILLON (ALLIED ARTISTS) Opened December 16, 1973
About a guy who is determined to get off of Devil's Island, despite the odds, in this exciting adventure tale. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, DUSTIN HOFFMAN, DON GORDAN, VICTOR JORY

THE TOWERING INFERNO (20th CENTURY-FOX) Opened December 18, 1974
One of the best disaster movies ever put on film.� With an all-star cast you don't want to miss. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, PAUL NEWMAN, WILLIAM HOLDEN, FRED ASTAIRE, SUSAN BLAKELY, RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN, JENNIFER JONES, ROBERT VAUGHN, ROBERT WAGNER, DON GORDAN, O.J. SIMPSON

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE (WARNER BROTHERS) Opened March 17, 1978
Bearded scientist McQueen defies the community by taking a stand against polluted water system. � Adaptation of the Ibsen play.� This film is superior to other McQueen films, but received very limited distribution.� This is the only Steve McQueen film not available for sale, yet. I hope one day that it becomes available. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, CHARLES DURNING, BIBI ANDERSSON

TOM HORN (WARNER BROTHERS) Opened March 28, 1980
Real life story about a Wyoming bounty hunter, named Tom Horn.ÝCast list: STEVE McQUEEN, LINDA EVANS, SLIM PICKENS

THE HUNTER (PARAMOUNT) Opened July 28, 1980
Biography of a real life modern bounty hunter, Ralph "Papa" Thorson.� McQueens last film. Cast list: STEVE McQUEEN, ELI WALLACH, KATHRYN HARROLD, BEN JOHNSON