Hector Elizondo on "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three"

[@kendallrivers1119]

Hector was great in the role. Played such a psycho, unpredictable asshole and yet still made him funny as hell. Great cast overall, but Hector added a lot to the film.

[@devilsadvocacy]

The casting of Hector as "Joe Welcome" was perfect, as were pretty much all the casting

[@dukek3524]

One of the best, if not the best, heist films of all time.

[@JuanReyes-vv9tp]

Agreed!! I grew up in NYC. Born in the mid 60's. This movie brilliantly catches the whole era. David Shire captures the hardcore NY feel with his amazing score. I thought I knew everything there was to know about this classic but I totally missed the no graffiti train. Great inside trivia that Mr. Elizondo tells at the 6:13 mark.

[@iangray3854]

yes I agree....and I love Jaws.....and Force Ten From Laverne......those 5 years of movies were the best......my favorite actor

[@ianmillerdevilsfan1223]

Very true, hard to beat it

[@RWSCOTT]

great stuff. Such an authentic, detail-driven film & packed w/real New York working class accents.

[@koreainsincere]

Loved him in Pelham and also loved him in Columbo, he was extraordinary.

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

Good on the Rockford Files and American Gigolo.

[@susanb2015]

And Kojack.

[@luishumbertovega3900]

"A Case Of Immunity", with Sal Mineo, one of the two actors who were murdered in a Columbo episode and also later in real life. The other one: Barbara Colby, from "Murder By The Book", directed by Steven Spielberg, with Jack Cassidy as the killer.

[@duskopopov77]

" Why don't you go grab a goddamn airplane like everybody else?.. Because we're afraid of flying" his character was outstanding, and made pelham one of thee best thrillers EVER!

[@joejordan1259]

He's a very good actor and that movie was one of my favorite movies of all time. What a cast.

[@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures]

Wonderful share, thank you! I've always loved Pelham One Two Three, everyone is a memorable character in it, and that includes the city too. Hector's got great electricity in it, you're not sure exactly what his character's going to do; he's like a subway train with flickering lights headed towards an unknown dark destination, but he's got this dark humour in it that makes him a pleasure to watch. Great, great film.

[@wonglee2424]

Great interview with Hector. One guy that did great work in the film too was the late Jerry Stiller who famed in another New York setting Seinfeld

[@mrjoepad1]

And the Tim Allen/ Earl Hindman connection to Home Improvement and Hector on Last Man Standing.

[@nuyoricanbrooklyn4231]

I have the DVD, and watch it every now and then just to listen to the sound track. They made another one in 1998 but I never watched it, then again why would I.

[@SparkyMarkyMark23]

Forget 1998 version. The Original & The 2009 Rulez✊🏻!

[@tonymanzo3766]

The travolta version stunk, he overplayed his role, his best was the initial confrontation with the motorman of the 7 train at grand central, a real mistake for us native nyers. All downhill from there. The 74 version was far superior although seemed to be dated 50 years later. Those trains were repainted, rebuilt and scrapped since then. NYC was a different kind of gritty then and this was dead on perfect.

[@Conn88]

He looks and sounds amazing for 85

[@USNorseman]

It would be a great honor to meet this wonderful man, a fantastic actor who never lost who he was as a person. Thank you Hector!!!!

[@alanmacvean2053]

Everything Mr. Elizondo has been in has been awesome , he is a wonderful actor !

[@PetersonZF]

I've loved Héctor Elizondo as an actor since seeing him in American Gigolo, but I only saw Pelham 123 for the first time quite recently and thought it was absolutely fantastic. It's one of my favourite crime thrillers now.

[@johncordero9452]

Awesome actor, great movie, fantastic interview. Thanks for sharing!

[@jammygitt]

One of my favorite movies. Hector brought so much to this role. From the salacious flirting with the female passenger with his tongue to the mimicry of "Mr. B-B-B- Brown" to the "Blow It out Your Ass, Colonel".

[@jimmymac9843]

This guy is so awesome.

[@brad243-k1n]

one of the all-time classics ... it's in my top 10

[@saskiecanada]

That was great. The material, the editing of the Hector Elizondo interview talking about Martin Balsam, Robert Shaw, Walter Matthau, with clips from the movie and the music. Thanks!

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

Great actor and story teller.

[@Violet-fj8yd]

Great actor and seems like a nice guy. Love that film, just bought the dvd.

[@MrAitraining]

Hector was a great bad ass in this with awesome lines and delivery. "I'm not your mister buh buh brown" "I guess I got us on the scoreboard right?"

[@ColonelFredPuntridge]

"She's a twenty-dollar hooker! I could do this job and hump that broad at the same time!"

[@paulmatulavich7321]

Outstanding presentation! Hector is a true American icon.

[@pasqualeperillo]

very best role authentic hector is great actor

[@mark-shane]

Great .funny guy.Thanks Hector

[@BadApe351]

What a wonderful artist is Hector Elizondo. His Mr Grey was an absolute psycho. He seems like such a character in real life as well. So glad he's still going strong at 87. And what a wonderful retrospective on one of the truly great movies. Pelham had us all on the edge of our seats. All the characters were totally believable...and scary...especially for a 12 year old seeing it at the cinema on first release in 1974. It turned all the lead actors into stars for me. And it's amazing to think that only a year later Robert Shaw would star in my favourite movie of all time - JAWS.

[@johnodonohoe7602]

Great Movie stuck with me all these years seen it multiple times !

[@sylviaroberts4236]

Love Hector

[@seanodonohue1326]

Cool dude. Great actor.

[@melbrooks1192]

Great cast. Great lines from this movie.

[@unc1589]

Can’t think of another NY movie that was more authentic! Every single reaction is what a true New Yorker would do from start to finish. Nowhere else on earth can you find a more diverse group of people. Nice? Nice is too time consuming in a place like New York. Everybody spoke their mind. Overly sensitive people don’t fare well in 70s New York. But we were kind. We’d help anybody. Racial slurs were the norm. Nobody took it personal unless you meant to offend. Then you had a fight on your hands. The truest city in the world. I could cry at how much I miss it. Because it’s over. Not a single New Yorker would ever believe how it is today. And the world for that matter.

[@kittygram51]

Absolutely true. I grew up in the Bronx 60s/70s and this movie nailed it

[@steverogers2603]

Nice interview! Thanks for sharing. Interesting to hear him describe Shaw. Shaw was a great actor, but after hearing of his dislike for Dreyfus on his next film, Jaws, it puts his seemingly challenging personality in perspective.

[@gregoryyoung8819]

Robert Shaw's next film after Pelham was the Sting. Then came Jaws.

[@gregoryyoung8819]

I"m wrong . You're right. It went, The Sting, 1973, Pelham 1974 and Jaws 1975

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Plenty of other actors never had a problem with Shaw though. Much as I like Dreyfuss, back then he was a bit of a pain in the arse during the filming of Jaws and Shaw reacted to that.

[@anthonylilly6862]

Great actor, equally great human

[@gregggillott8551]

I'm 64 and just watched it.. great comedy

[@tommarks3726]

Classy guy. One of my favorite movies, classic. Thank you Mr Gray.

[@Pelham_123]

Hector Elizondo is the best. I loved him too as Barney in Pretty Woman.

[@patricktilton5377]

The movie's been remade twice, but neither other version comes anywhere near the greatness of the original. And you just can't beat that magnificent David Shire score, which screams "the '70s"!

[@JustMovieclips1930]

Ahhh Mr. Hector Elizondo, always a great storyteller 🎉🎉 It's so nice to hear about his stories of wisdom through his experiences in every film 🫶💖

[@jeralnlawrence5011]

Great Interview!

[@vicferrari4046]

Thank you so much for posting this interview. This was a real treat!!!!

[@billy-v]

I think I first saw this movie as a second grader and even being that young this guy made an impression on me-I mean my jaw just dropped. He was perfect for the role. Great interview!

[@rtd1409]

Just the best its a movie that inspired my career in transit.

[@LordStanleysCup]

One of the greatest crime films of all stone. Classic!!

[@MarcPagan]

The picture perfectly captured the wonderful smartassery of NYC.

[@gabekarp3008]

One of the best movie scores ever.

[@MrPloxDa3rd]

Homeboy went from being the first hijacker to die to being the only one left to tell the tale.....

[@TestTubeBabySpy]

The first time I saw this movie, it was already over 20 years old, this and also Poseidon Adventure. I liked old movies when I was a kid.

[@rwrae72]

Thank you Mr. Grey! The music score was the coolest.

[@stephenhaynes149]

Brilliant! Can you share the David Shire interview too?

[@johngallagher4280]

Good music 🎶 !! I remember the little subplot of Walter Mathau giving a tour to the visiting Japanese subway people. Funny.

[@1986SSMONTECARLO]

Elizondo was GREAT as Mr. Grey

[@pressureworks]

One of the most surprising film endings. Very Columboesque.

[@Pure-Minty]

Hector was the ultimate bad guy in this. Still one of my favs today.

[@eric7922]

He’s so good in this... I’ve watched The Taking of Pelham 123, Dog Day Afternoon and The French Connection hundreds of times, and nothing, I mean nothing, interrupts them...

[@michaelynedwards1043]

He was great in another film, The Flamingo Kid, can’t find it to stream.

[@buddyvilla7393]

For a “ theatre person” Martin Balsam had a knack for co- starring in classic seminal films. “On The Waterfront “, Twelve Angry Men as the jury foreman. Breakfast At Tiffany’s,Seven Days In May,Little Big Man, A Thousand Clowns winning an Oscar ,Taking of Pelham, All The President s Men and he was for a short time George Clooney s father- in- law.

[@patgalvez4563]

I remember this movie and 'The Laughing Policeman' came to our theater back to back..

[@Jodyrides]

Hector was actually my favorite character in this movie.. he played a wise guy that didn’t like being told what to do, and he could back it up… I also loved hector‘s performance in Valdez is coming.. Burt told him it was for hunting rabbits..

[@Goat69-mi1ku]

I believe Hector is the only Main Character still alive.

[@freddagg12]

Great movie

[@billyz5088]

Robert Shaw could certainly be an intimidating presence to work with - Richard Dreyfuss can attest to that - but Shaw was an actor's actor - during this era of filmmaking - real acting skills still mattered - and guys like Shaw made sure of that ..

[@manofthehour6856]

This is absolutely BRILLIANT! One of my favorite films, and he "ruins" it by pointing out the MTA agreement to cooperate stipulated no graffiti on the subway car / at the stations! What a lovely man and such great stories. Hector Elizondo needs to write his autobiography!!!!!!

[@pressureworks]

Very kind of you to devote your time and effort uploading these jems. ..... Now are you sure you wanna smoke that cigar ???

[@8avexp]

Most of the scenes were filmed in the tunnels leading to what is now the Transit Museum. Elizondo says he's been a subway rider all his life.

[@blindnumber]

that man is king of comedy.

[@johnstrawb3521]

Hector was superb here. Menacing, out of control... as for the line 'I'll shoot your peepee off' it hints at a casual disregard for anyone else; sociopathy and even sexual dysfunction. "Sinister" is right.

[@Iambriangregory]

Thank you Dr phillis don't forget you can be arrested for practicing psychiatry without a license stick to your day job keep it simple okay?

[@MrAitraining]

"I'm not your mister buh buh Brown"

[@SenatorBulworth]

... and what an excellent theme song! Was all the money recovered you think?

[@alanbrooks2237]

Soundtrack also helped tie the film together. (An aside about NYC in the mid-‘70s: the Bicentennial, a couple years later, helped buck up spirits a bit-just in time.)

[@kh7cz]

Why they remade this film is beyond belief as you can't top this one.

[@jimiwilson1029]

For the record, "Fast Eddy" is Edward Mikolic.

[@jameshoran8]

You knew during the movie that Shaw was going to kill him as he was always causing trouble. Finally not yielding his gun was the breaking point. Just as you knew Garber was going to rough up Frank to get him in line as he bitched about everything Zack was trying to do.

[@JuanReyes-vv9tp]

Lt. Rico Patrone : Wait a minute. I just figured out how they're going to get away. Lt. Garber : I'm listening. Lt. Rico Patrone : They're going to fly the train to Cuba. Lt. Garber : You're a sick man, Rico.

[@Jesucristoestodo]

How complicated things were WITHOUT cellphones…this film wouldn’t work today…plot would have to change drastically!

[@ClayHarris-g4r]

Mr Green? Why cant i go in there!

[@VanillaLimeCoke]

Monk’s therapist from Seasons 7 and 8

[@devilsadvocacy]

4:58 He is right about the state of the city in the 1970s. It was a mess. The mafia ran things more effectively than city hall did, ex. catching the Son of Sam serial killer

[@johngallagher4280]

Bernie Goetz.

[@scottdunn2178]

Great movie. He didn't want to give up that S&W M76 9mm submachine gun did he?

[@iangray3854]

I meant Naverone

[@christianblake3997]

I love that saying, still waters run deep! You never hear things like that nowadays but it’s so apt!🙂👍

[@johnstrawb3521]

There ARE spoilers, fwiw, if you haven't seen this 50 year-old gem.

[@AdVictoriam93]

48

[@Iambriangregory]

WHHAATTT are you talking about? What spoilers? Are you talking about the video? and if you are don't you think people already would have watched it before they got to your comment? more than likely for what it's worth it's worth nothing if you really ask duh oh brother! Your comment was not necessary delete it for your own sake so you don't get embarrassed again double duh!

[@Boypogikami132]

@@Iambriangregory I haven’t watched the movie in it’s entirety but I technically watched it?

[@kigormley]

Who in that film didn't make a top class contribution. ""I'm gonna sue, I'm gonna sue the ass off you", " I didn't have my hand down the john Mr Dolowitz"', "Who are you calling a 20 buck a trick hooker", I'm not your Mr B, B, B, Brown", "It is quite alright Mr Garba, quite alright, quite alright, quite alright" - "Garba to Patrone, Garba to Patrone", "What do they want for their lousy 50 cents, to live forever".

[@warrenrosen132]

Ahchoo...

[@planetwisconsin9901]

Does Pinocchio have wooden balls! I gotta remember that!

[@andyphillips9693]

Gold dust.

[@joehuiras4955]

Man, they don't make fast eddies anymore :(

[@GizmoBeach]

Excellent movie (especially compared to the dreadful and unnecessary remake) but you can't help thinking man if only Robert Shaw had hired more competent help (as far as making the film more interesting.) The driver was necessary and Mr. Brown seemed calm and collected and capable but Mr. Grey was a huge liability throughout. Surely Mr. Blue could've found a better substitute. A heist film is greatly improved by having clever villains not ones causing their own demise.

[@fumanpoo4725]

Ginko biloba!

[@VUclear]

For a video that's ostensibly from a "Film School," the sound quality and editing stinks.

[@tonymanzo3766]

Movie is great and shows nyc as it really was in the mid 70s. Now it’s a different kind of gritty, no soul, just MTA sanitized. Forget the 2008 version, as a native nyer the location shots were enough to make me scratch my head and roll my eyes, and John travolta overacting just annoyed me. And the 6 train is nowhere near Coney Island.

[@BaronEvola123]

The actors and the score are brilliant. The editing and directing are as well. There are some very famous, seasoned actors in this. They're so good and well-cast that although Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw are the stars, you, as the viewer don't really see them as stars.