Episode 8-
'Subway Stories'
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How they made two of the great New York subway movies – and what those movies still tell us about an imperfect system.
One of the mainstays of NYC cinema is the subway, which serves as an immediate visual cue to not only the city’s setting, but its mood. But the subway is also, conveniently for dramatists, a microcosm of Gotham. The city and its subway are both places where people of all walks of life – race, class, gender, temperament – rub shoulders and try to get along.
In this episode, we look at the production of two iconic examples of NYC subway cinema: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) and The Warriors (1979). But we also look at the complicated history of the subway – where it came from, what it promised, and what it delivered – as well as its challenging present and uncertain future.
Our guests are historian Nancy Groce, pop culture writer Hunter Harris, Warriors director Walter Hill, public transit expert Danny Pearlstein, and film critic Alissa Wilkinson.
Original theatrical poster for "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three."
Original theatrical poster for "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three."
Original theatrical poster for "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three."
Press release announcing the making of "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three."
Press release announcing the making of "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three."
Press release announcing the casting of Walter Matthau in "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three."
A look at the set design.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Still image from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), directed by Joseph Sargent, photographed by Owen Roizman.
Original theatrical poster for 'The Warriors.'
Original theatrical poster for 'The Warriors.'
Original press notes for 'The Warriors.'
Original press notes for 'The Warriors.'
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Still image from The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill, photographed by Andrew Laszlo.
Coverage of "The Warriors" from the "New York Daily News," March 4, 1979.
Coverage of "The Warriors" from the "New York Daily News," March 4, 1979.
Coverage of "The Warriors" from "Boxoffice," February 26, 1979.
SHOW NOTES
The information on Hoyt-Schmerhorn’s use in film and television is from this Slate article. The Court Street O’Dwyer story is from the Passaic, New Jersey Herald-News, January 10, 1974, pulled from the Taking of Pelham One Two Three archive in the clippings file in the Billy Rose Theater Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
The opening narration about the subways is from the 1950 educational film “This is New York,” which you can watch here.
The subway history in the opening, and throughout this episode, is primarily from the book Subway: The Curiosities, Secrets, and Unofficial History of the New York City Transit System, by John E. Morris. You can buy it here.
Nancy Groce was interviewed on August 4, 2021. She is a folklorist, ethnomusicologist, and New York historian, and is a senior folklife specialist at the Library of Congress. You can read more about her here.
Hunter Harris was interviewed on July 30, 2021. She is a freelance writer and reporter, and writes the newsletter “Hung Up” on Substack. You can follow her on Twitter @hunteryharris, and on Instagram @hunterh.
The historical information on New York City’s “actualities” is mostly drawn from Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies by James Sanders. You can buy it here.
You can watch Billy Bitzer’s “Interior N.Y. Subway, 14th St. to 42nd St” here, and “2 A.M. in the Subway” here.
Dutchman is very hard to legally see – good luck finding a legal home media or streaming release – but some kind soul put it up on YouTube seven years ago, God bless ‘em, and it’s still there. The Incident is available on Blu-rayfrom Twilight Time (but it’s going out of print, if it hasn’t already), but those of you with multi-region players can pick up its Region B Blu-ray from Eureka. Luckily, it’s currently streaming on The Criterion Channel, as part of their wonderful “New York Stories” series.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is also streaming as part of that Criterion Channel series, and it’s available for digital rental or purchase via the usual suspects. It also has a wonderful Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three production information is from the film’s clippings file in the Billy Rose Theater Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and from Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York by James Sanders, which you can buy here.
Alissa Wilkinson was interviewed on July 30, 2021. She is is film critic and senior culture reporter at Vox. Her book Salty: Lessons on Eating, Drinking, and Living From Revolutionary Women is out in May 2022. You can follow her on Twitter @alissamarie, and on Instagram @alissawilkinson.
The story of MTA’s unofficial scheduling policy is from Subway Lives: 24 Hours in the Life of the New York City Subway by Jim Dwyer, which you can buy here or read here.
Walter Hill was interviewed on July 22, 2019. A legendary screenwriter, filmmaker, and producer, his new film, a Western titled “Dead for a Dollar,” starring Christoph Waltz and Willem Dafoe, was announced this summer at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Warriors is available for digital rental and purchase on the usual platforms, and is available on Blu-ray and DVD(though, with the utmost respect to Mr. Hill, we somewhat prefer the original theatrical version).
Archival audio describing Robert Moses is from the documentary Citizen Jane: Battle For the City, which is currently streaming on Hulu, available for digital rental or purchase, and out on DVD.
Information on Robert Moses is, of course, from The Power Broker by Robert Caro. You can buy it here.
Danny Pearlstein was interviewed on October 6, 2021. He is policy and communications director for the Riders Alliance, New York’s grassroots subway and bus rider organization. You can follow them on Twitter @RidersAlliance, and you can follow him @dannypearlstein.
Music:
Alma Smirnova - “Just a Waltz,” “Tiny Clock
Jackson F. Smith - “Cantina Rag”
Mr. Smith - “Insomnia”
EXETEXE - “Ronin”
Audiobinger - “Death Note”
Monolog Rockstars - “Dream Sequence”
The Insider - “Right”
Opening Theme:
Our opening theme features sound from the following films: Coogan’s Bluff, Sweet Smell of Success, Quick Change, The Freshman, Death Wish, Death Wish 3, Taxi Driver, 25th Hour, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.