50th Anniversary of Steven Spielberg's first film "Duel" - Saturday, November 13, 1971

[Mr. E Man]

It was fifty years ago today that Steven Spielberg's first film, "Duel" premiered as a Movie of the Week on Saturday, November 13, 1971.
I remember that evening very well. I have been a fan of Steven Spielberg ever since. It is still my favorite of all of his films. My wife and I will be watching this in our home theater tonight to commemorate the anniversary.


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[Apollo]

Saw it the first time it aired, will be putting in the blu-ray tonight

 

[Bigdaddy]

My daughter introduced me to it last year, loved it! Might have to put it on tomorrow, I'm in the middle of a 14 hour shift so I wouldn't make it past the opening if I tried watching it tonight.

 

[CB2001]

Happy 50th Anniversay! Even now, I still feel dread when a semi truck rides too close.

 

[joberg]

Happy 50th Anniversay! Even now, I still feel dread when a semi truck rides too close.

Specially the rusted kind hauling fuel

 

[Captain Dunsel]

When I was a kid on a Spring break, in the late 1980’s, my family stayed in the small town of Ridgway, CO and attended a gathering in the town park in which Dennis Weaver, who was a local resident of the town, recreated a speech he gave in one of the McCloud TV movies, on a small stage. I vaguely recall it being a speech that was directed at “a senator” and had something to do with the environment. Some of it was difficult to hear since he delivered it without a microphone. After the speech, he mingled in the park, signed autographs, etc. He seemed to be a very soft-spoken, down-to-earth person.

I had no idea who Dennis Weaver was and only loosely paid attention to him, that day. It was about 5 years later that I finally saw Duel (over one of the summers when it played in TBS over and over) and realized who I had seen on that small stage.

 

[Axlotl]

I wasn't born yet when it first aired, but I remember it being on TV a lot after JAWS came out. Loved it as a kid, haven't seen it since.

 

[sbaxter]

In 1971, Spielberg also directed the first episode (following two earlier pilot films) of Columbo, titled "Murder By the Book."

SSB

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

I think that may have been his second or third job, Duel, but I know he did a story in the Night Gallery pilot with Joan Crawford. I believe that was also her last acting gig.

Amazing to think he's been working for 50 years now, and that at least 35-40 of them were solid!

 

[Apollo]

Duel started his film career.

Originally he wanted to jump into movies, but no one was going to give him the chance so he HAD to do Tv, which he had previously turned his nose up on....

 

[Probe Droid]

Also saw it on TV the first time it played. Hard to believe it was half a century ago. Yikes!

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Duel started his film career.

Originally he wanted to jump into movies, but no one was going to give him the chance so he HAD to do Tv, which he had previously turned his nose up on....

What's funny is that he's always wanted to do a musical but by the time he got into making movies, musicals were passé. Now, at the end of his career, he's doing West Side Story.

 

[Apollo]

What's funny is that he's always wanted to do a musical but by the time he got into making movies, musicals were passé. Now, at the end of his career, he's doing West Side Story.

Well he did do a homage to Musicals AND “A Mad Mad Mad Mad World“, with “1941”

 

[Bigdaddy]

Well he did do a homage to Musicals AND “A Mad Mad Mad Mad World“, with “1941”

1941 is one of my Christmas movies, I don't watch it until after Thanksgiving.

 

[phez]

I remember seeing that when it aired, it scared the crap out of me and I knew exactly what it was when I watched the clip above. I had no idea that was Spielberg.

 

[Mottrex]

What's funny is that he's always wanted to do a musical but by the time he got into making movies, musicals were passé. Now, at the end of his career, he's doing West Side Story.

Is he retiring then

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Maybe not for awhile, but he's certainly in the latter stages of both his life and career.

 

[Mottrex]

Maybe not for awhile, but he's certainly in the latter stages of both his life and career.

That sort of brings your own mortality home when you see your heroes getting old.
I dont know if I could watch another telling of Romeo and Juliet as NW was my perfect Maria..
Then again Baz Lermahns was pretty Awesome but he did an Amazing job of it setting it in Downtown LA and in Venice beach!
Very clever..