What's the best Steve McQueen movie?

[Jack Scorpion]

I'd never really been the biggest fan of Steve McQueen in the past. An unbeliever I guess I was, but I'd only seen:

The Thomas Crown Affair
The Cincinatti Kid
The Magnificent Seven

Now, all three of those movies I liked. In fact, I <b>loved</b> The Cincinatti Kid and The Magnificent Seven. (For some reason I like the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair better. Blasphemy!)

But it never seemed to me that McQueen had any significant role in my opinions of the movie. He just never seemed to have the charisma and the screen presence that I align with successful moviestars.

Now: I just saw The Great Escape for the first time. Great movie! Real great. And this time, I really enjoyed Steve McQueen in particular. So much so that I am posting this thread to ask the following question:

What other Steve McQueen movies are a mustsee? Which is his best?

 

[Doh!]

I haven't seen it in years, but I used to really like "The Blob."

His best film is "Nevada Smith" followed closely by "Great Escape."

 

[Solid Citizen]

"Well it seemed like a good idea at the time"

Steve McQueen:

Magnificent Seven

SC

 

[geo]

Bullit.

 

[Prairie Shade]

My Personal

The Sand Pebbles

 

[Mycroft]

I like them all, but see Hell is for Heros for good measure. My favorites are Bullit, and Great Escape. hmm, is Le Manns any good?

 

[mysterygal]

Thomas Crown Affair :arated:

 

[Sefton]

How about "The Getaway", Directed by Sam Peckinpah and available in a new restored version. You might enjoy that one.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Bullitt was a great example of Steve McQueen's coolness, great look, great attitude.

 

[MikeyB17]

Gotta be the 'Great Escape ' for me, if only for the A-2 he wears, although of course, there's a lot more to the film than probably the most famous movie A-2. Closely followed by 'The War Lover' and 'Magnificent Seven'.

MB-17

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I don't have a favorite but liked The Great Escape and Magnificent Seven.

However, the first time I ever saw McQueen, I took my little brother to see the sci-fi flick, The Blob. When I saw him, I thought -- wow!

This was not too long after James Dean died and I loved Jimmy. McQueen had the same rebel/outsider/cool look, so I could not take my eyes off him.

karol

 

[Hondo]

Gotta be the 'Great Escape ' for me, if only for the A-2 he wears, although of course, there's a lot more to the film than probably the most famous movie A-2. Closely followed by 'The War Lover' and 'Magnificent Seven'.

MB-17

Hey Mikey, I haven?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t seen ?¢‚Ǩ?ìWar Lover?¢‚Ǩ? in years, thanks for reminding me and of course ?¢‚Ǩ?ìThe Great Escape?¢‚Ǩ?, (with or without the a-2) Steve McQueen had many talents, could do comedy ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSolder in the Rain?¢‚Ǩ? as well as drama such as War Lover and ?¢‚Ǩ?ìHell is for Heroes?¢‚Ǩ? plus "The Sand Pebbles" McQueen at his best, in fact Magnificent Seven, Bullit (I once retraced the mustang race route in S.F. awesome ) there are some many, its hard to pin point one film. His TV show "Wanted Dead or alive" I loved this show, those early westerns onTv, "Have Gun will Travel" and others.
I agree K.D. Lighter, McQueen a real "rebel/outsider/cool look" King Cool lives on. :cool2:

 

[Burma Shave]

If you want to see McQueen ...

... being McQueen, rather than acting, rent On Any Sunday -- a feature-length ode to motorcycling, filmed in (I think) 1971. It shows him riding motorcycles in races and strictly for fun. While Bud Ekins occasionally stepped in for McQueen on some stunts, Steve did most of his own riding and driving in Bullitt and The Great Escape, which are my two favorite of his movies.

 

[PrettyBigGuy]

Let's not forget Papillion!
A little differen't from his other roles, but IMHO, his best acting.
Mag7 is fabulous. Be sure to watch the "making of" featurette on the DVD. James Coburn's comments on how McQueen tried to upstage Ule Brenner is hilarious!
Hell is for Heros is another great.
PBG

 

[Jack Scorpion]

Bullitt - was like a Dirty Harry movie, but I prefer Dirty Harry. San Francisco, not following orders from superiors, but there was one big difference. Bullitt only pulled out his gun once, at the end. That's cool, but for some reason it just doesn't fit what I consider a "San Francisco Cop Movie". LA, NY, maybe.

Nevada Smith - I was really not impressed by this movie. Maybe it was because I saw The Wild Bunch the day before and was astounded. Not to mention watching The Outlaw Josie Wales before that. Shrug.

The Getaway - I LOVED this movie. I think of all the McQueen movies I've seen, that role fit his distant, cool attitude best of all; plus, what a girl. My favorite McQueen movie thus far. Probably my favorite Peckinpah movie, too.

 

[louis]

Ever see "Tom Horn?"

A lovable, though worn and hardened, psycho, killer-cowboy, takes a job as enforcer for the local cattle baron. He's lethal at five hundred yards, and as dangerous as he is alone in a world that wants his kind out of the way for good. "I reckon that's the biggest bug I've ever seen," says Tom, when served a lobster, while attending a cattleman's association picnic. They try to gun him down, sneaky bastards try sneaking up on him while he's soaking in a watering trough with love interest, Linda Eveans. But, somehow, it doesn't work out for the rustlers. The cowardly shitpokes don't know, Tom Horn was forged in hell. Tom blazes away and the blood of the cowards end up a splatter across the lady's face. Tom's a wrong man, a nightmare cowboy whose killed too much, and folks can't stomach it. But, how to get rid of the scariest cowboy that ever was. A definite plan is called for.

 

[majormoore]

Tom Horn, to me is the best he did.

Mike

 

[John in Covina]

Tom Horn, to me is the best he did. Mike

*************
Tom Horn is a superb movie.

 

[Pilgrim]

For movies, I'd take Bullit. I am also a big fan of The Great Escape, but it was a wonderful ensemble performance, and McQueen was just one of many principals. (Hard to overlook James Garner, Donald Pleasance, Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough, David McCallum and James Coburn, to name just a few.)

But don't forget his TV series "Wanted-Dead or Alive" in which he played Josh Randall. He had a neat-o sawed off 1892 vintage 44/40 Winchester which he wore as a sidearm.

 

[MrBern]

I'd have to go with SandPebbles. It mustve been a very powerful movie to view in the `60s w/ the VietNam war raging.

" I was home free! "