STEVE MCQUEEN: MAN ON THE EDGE (TV)
Summary
A documentary about the life of actor Steve McQueen.
McQueen was born Steven Terence McQueen in 1930, and his father left the family a few months after he was born. His mother Julia Ann McQueen returns home with him to Slater, Missouri, where he grows up on his uncle’s farm. His mother eventually remarries, and McQueen resents his new stepfather. In his adolescence he becomes a delinquent and is sent to Boys Republic, a boarding school in Chino, California. He makes frequent attempts to run away, all of them unsuccessful. He completes his education there and starts wandering around the country at the age of 16. The following year he joins the Marines, and is demoted and punished for ill conduct and attempting to go AWOL. In 1950, the 20-year old McQueen travels to New York City and takes up residence in Greenwich Village. There he becomes interested in acting and works tirelessly at it, studying the craft and auditioning all over town. He manages to perform in minor theater roles until 1956, when he auditions for and receives a small part in the film “Somebody Up There Likes Me.” That same year, McQueen meets and falls in love with a young dancer and Broadway actress named Neile Adams. They soon become close and marry four months after their first meeting. They encounter difficulty when McQueen is fired from his theater job, causing friction between him and Adams. She gets her manager to find him another acting job, and he starts to gain recognition for his various television appearances.
Soon thereafter, McQueen is cast in the leading role in the 1958 science-fiction movie “The Blob.” Those close to him note that he had difficulties on the set, as he craved approval. He appears in other low-budget films without much in the way of attention, while Adams experiences more success in her career. McQueen returns to television to play Josh Randall, the leading role in the western series “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” where he tries more subtlety and experimentation with his acting style. However, his unpredictable and often argumentative attitude becomes challenging for the show’s production staff. He becomes known for his solitary nature as well, often taking long motorcycle rides by himself. At this time he also becomes involved in dirt bike racing and becomes extremely competitive about it. In 1959, director John Sturges casts McQueen in “The Magnificent Seven” and works closely with him; the film becomes a huge success and gives McQueen a great deal of name recognition. In June 1959, his daughter Terry is born, and in 1960 his son Chad is born as well.
In 1962, Sturges brings McQueen the script to “The Great Escape,” and becomes excited about the prospect of the film. This film, more so than his previous work, makes him a star in the eyes of many. He goes on to star in 1963’s “Love with the Proper Stranger” alongside Natalie Wood, a more nuanced and romantic role than he had been in before. During the filming of 1965’s “The Cincinnati Kid,” his aggressive personality causes problems between him and director Norman Jewison, and he feels uneasy around his co-stars, particularly Edward G. Robinson. Those close to him note that McQueen did not treat women particularly well, viewing them as “challenges” to be overcome. His mother suffers a stroke and falls into a coma; McQueen and Adams rush to her side, hoping that she would recover, but she does not and dies. Her death proves to be emotionally devastating for him. During the filming of 1966’s “The Sand Pebbles,” where McQueen plays the part of a naval engineer, his mood becomes changeable and sometimes dangerous for the rest of the crew. However, his performance in the film earns him an Academy Award nomination, although he privately notes that acting is a painful and soul-searching process for him.
McQueen lobbies hard to play the title role in 1968’s “The Thomas Crown Affair,” in part because the character is vastly different from his earlier roles; many believe he secretly wanted to prove to himself and everyone else that he was capable of a more “erudite” role. However, his attitude once again causes friction with Jewison and his co-star, Faye Dunaway. At this time, McQueen founds his own production company, Solar Productions, and signs a six-film deal with Warner Brothers. The first of these six films is 1968’s “Bullitt,” which appealed to McQueen both for the unconventional main character he portrayed and for its innovations in filming car chases. The film runs over-budget and McQueen clashes with the studio executives, cancelling the remaining films of the deal. However, “Bullitt” draws widespread acclaim from viewing audiences. In 1969, McQueen again steps outside his stereotypical role to portray a country bumpkin in “The Reivers.” He does this partially to strengthen his appeal with children; Adams recounts that he loved children, particularly his own, and she notes how much McQueen could relate to children and talk to them.
He continues to pursue his interest in car and motorcycle racing avidly. For years, McQueen plans with Sturges to make a film about the Le Mans auto race, despite the many technical difficulties involved in doing so. These plans start to come to fruition in 1970, as McQueen wants to share his excitement and enthusiasm for the sport with the viewing audience. However, the studios attempt to impose their own ideas about the film, and McQueen becomes frustrated with their interference. The final film, 1971’s “Le Mans,” ends up failing, and McQueen’s association with Sturges comes to a close, as does the lifespan of Solar Productions and his car racing career. In the late 1960’s, McQueen becomes quite enamored with the lifestyle of the “flower children” and the counterculture of American youth, which Adams attributes to the dissolution of their marriage in 1972. McQueen receives private martial arts instruction from actor/martial artist Chuck Norris, and McQueen gives Norris advice about filmmaking.
During the filming of 1972’s “The Getaway,” a crime drama film, McQueen becomes attracted to and eventually marries his co-star, Ali MacGraw. In 1973 he stars in “Papillon,” earning a commanding salary for his performance. In 1974, McQueen fulfills a lifelong dream and stars alongside Paul Newman in “The Towering Inferno.” He feels exhausted after the film, which he views as “catching up” to Newman’s career. He continues his motorcycle racing and becomes involved with the Boys Republic, visiting the staff and students annually. Disillusioned with his own public image, McQueen drastically alters his appearance, growing a long beard and putting on weight. He keeps an amiable relationship with Adams, partially to ensure the happiness and safety of their children. In 1978, McQueen surprises everyone by appearing in “An Enemy of the People,” portraying a scientist concerned about his town’s water pollution. He uses this as an opportunity to break away from his more “physical” roles and take on a more classical acting role. The film does not find much success despite some critical applause for McQueen’s efforts.
In 1977, McQueen and MacGraw divorce, and McQueen plays the lead role in 1980’s “The Hunter,” his final film role. The role is reminiscent of much of his earlier work and touches on themes of fatherhood, echoing McQueen’s own life. In 1980, he marries his third wife, Barbara Minty, and in the same year he is diagnosed with cancer. In his final days he tries to reconnect with his associates in the film business and mend his relationships with them. On November 7th, 1980, McQueen finally succumbs to his cancer and dies, and is remembered fondly by his friends and family.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:04
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:07639
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Deviller … Executive Producer
- Brian Donegan … Executive Producer
- Gene Feldman … Producer, Director, Writer
- Suzette Winter … Producer, Writer
- Stephen Janson … Associate Producer
- James Coburn … Narrator
- Karl Malden … Interviewee
- Norman Jewison … Interviewee
- Chuck Norris … Interviewee
- Hilly Elkins … Interviewee
- Robert Wise … Interviewee
- Shelley Winters … Interviewee
- Neile Adams … Interviewee
- Jack H. Harris … Interviewee
- Don Gordon … Interviewee
- Bud Ekins … Interviewee
- Robert Relyea … Interviewee
- Chad McQueen … Interviewee
- Terry McQueen Flattery … Interviewee
- Faye Dunaway
- Ali MacGraw
- Julia Ann McQueen
- Steve McQueen
- Barbara Minty
- Paul Newman
- Edward G. Robinson
- John Sturges
- Natalie Wood