Bullitt

Bullitt is a 1968 film about an all guts, no glory San Francisco cop who becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection.

Directed by Peter Yates. Written by Alan Trustman and Harry Kleiner, based on the novel Mute Witness by Robert L. Fish.

• Why don't you just relax and have your orange juice and shut up, Delgetti?

• I do not choose to have people accuse me of false promises for the sake of cheap sensationalism, or to be compromised by your lieutenant. Castrate him.

Pete Ross: This is Pete.

Telephone voice: Yeah

Pete Ross: We lost him.

Telephone voice: He's your brother, Ross. If you can't find him, we have people who will. And you're paying for the contract.

Captain Bennett: I got the report back from the lab, nothing at the hotel. How come they got in?

Bullitt: Ross got to the door, unhooked the chain, from the inside.

Captain Bennett: He let the killers in himself? Well ah, why would he do a thing like that?

Bullitt: I'm waiting to ask him.

Captain Bennett: What about the setup? What do you think about that?

Bullitt: Shotgun and a backup man. Professionals.

Captain Bennett: Yep.

Chalmers: Now what went wrong lieutenant?

Bullitt: Who else knew where he was?

Chalmers: [irritated] What?

Bullitt: Who else knew where he was?

Chalmers: What are you implying?

Bullitt: Well, they knew where to look for him and used your name to get in.

Chalmers: Are you suggesting I disclosed his whereabouts?

Bullitt: Somebody did. And it didn't come from us.

Chalmers: That's hardly the issue.

Bullitt: Well, it certainly is. I, I've got an officer with a family. And he's shot up pretty bad.

Chalmers: Em'em, and I've got a witness that can't talk.

Bullitt: I want to know about Ross. What is the deal you had with him?

Chalmers: Deal? Lieutenant don't try to evade the responsibility. In your "parlance", you blew it. You knew the significance of his testimony, yet you failed to take adequate measures to protect him. So to you it was a job, no more. Were it more, and you'd the dedication I was lead to believe.

Bullitt: You believe what you want. You work your side of the street, and I'll work mine.

Chalmers: Lieutenant I shall personally officiate at your public crucifixion, if Ross doesn’t recover during the course of the hearings so I can at least present his deposition. And I assure you I shall not suffer the consequence of your incompetence. And even if there wasn’t any, I’m rather certain I can prove negligence on your part.

Desk Clerk: Am I helping you, sir?

Delgetti: I never had it so good.

Cathy: Your world is so far from the one I know. What will happen to us in time?

Bullitt: Time starts now.

[After searching the luggage of Dorothy Simmons, murdered because of what she knows about the murder of mob witness Johnny Ross, and finding travelers checks of hers and someone named Albert E. Rennick]

Delgetti: No passports, no tickets.

Bullitt: Call Immigration in Chicago, have them wire Rennick's passport application, I'll get a fingerprint check on Ross.

[A facsimile of Albert Rennick's passport arrives at SFPD headquarters from Chicago; Walter Chalmers sees the photo]

Chalmers: [mistaking the identity of the man in the photo] Ross.

Captain Bennett: [reading the passport information on the fax] Albert Edward Rennick, used car salesman, Chicago.

Chalmers: [puzzled] Who's Rennick?

Bullitt: [picking up a copy of the fingerprint check proving the man's identity] He was the man who was shot at the Hotel Daniels. You sent us to guard the wrong man, Mr. Chalmers.

Chalmers: He's still my witness. I'll be delighted to let you have him after he testifies tomorrow. [pause] The organization... several murders, could do us both a great deal of good.

Bullitt: Look Chalmers, let's understand each other... I don't like you.

Chalmers: Oh come on now, don't be naïve lieutenant. We both know how careers are made. Integrity is something you sell the public.

Bullitt: You sell whatever you want, but don't sell it here tonight.

Chalmers: Frank, we must all compromise.

Bullitt: Bullshit! Get the hell out of here, now.

Captain Bennet: Play it by the book from now on.

Bullitt: Does Chalmers run the case, or do I?

Captain Bennet: All I'm interested in is results. Do whatever you think is best. I'll try to back you up.

• There are bad cops and there are good cops - and then there's Bullitt.
• Steve McQueen As 'Bullitt'
• The word 'cop' isn't written all over him - something more puzzling is.
• Detective Lt. Frank Bullitt - some other kind of cop. Pity the guy he works for.

• Steve McQueen - Frank Bullitt
• Robert Vaughn - Walter Chalmers
• Jacqueline Bisset - Cathy
• Don Gordon - Delgetti
• Robert Duvall - Weissberg
• Simon Oakland - Captain Bennet
• Norman Fell - Baker
• Georg Stanford Brown - Dr. Willard
• Justin Tarr - Eddy
• Carl Reindel - Stanton
• Felice Orlandi - Renick
• Vic Tayback - Pete Ross
• Pat Renella - Johnny Ross

Wikipedia has an article about:

Bullitt

• Bullitt quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Bullitt at Rotten Tomatoes