The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is a thriller movie released in 1974. It was directed by Joseph Sargent and based on a book by John Godey . It stars Walter Matthau, Jerry Stiller, Martin Balsam and Robert Shaw.

Lieutenant Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) is a cynical and grumpy New York City Transit Authority policeman. His routine is interrupted by an unexpected hijacking of a subway train (on the number 6 line). The police force is confused by the hijacking as all subway trains have a dead-man's switch which requires a live person at the controls to keep the train running, thus preventing a hijacker from escaping. The police frantically pursue the train on the city streets to deliver the ransom of one million dollars as Lieutenant Rico Patrone (Jerry Stiller) attempts to negotiate and distract their attention. Unknown to the police, the four hijackers led by British mercenary Bernard Ryder (Robert Shaw) and a disgruntled former conductor Harold Longman (Martin Balsam) have disabled the dead-man's switch. Once the hijackers receive their ransom money, they send the train off at top speed toward the terminal station where it would crash and thus kill all the passengers. Previously, the hijackers have gotten off the train and attempt to escape out of the subway tunnels with their ransom money.

See also

• The French Connection
• The Warriors
• Money Train

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