Duel (1971 film)
Duel is a 1971 American action-thriller television film directed by Steven Spielberg in his feature directorial debut. It centers on a traveling salesman (Dennis Weaver) driving his car through rural California to meet a client. However, he finds himself chased and terrorized by the mostly unseen driver of a semi-truck. The screenplay by Richard Matheson adapts his own short story of the same name, published in the April 1971 issue of Playboy, and based on an encounter on November 22, 1963, when a trucker dangerously cut him off on a California freeway.
| Duel | |
|---|---|
International theatrical release poster | |
| Based on | "Duel" 1971 short story by Richard Matheson |
| Written by | Richard Matheson |
| Directed by | Steven Spielberg |
| Starring | Dennis Weaver |
| Composer | Billy Goldenberg |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | George Eckstein |
| Cinematography | Jack A. Marta |
| Editor | Frank Morriss |
| Running time | 74 minutes (original) 90 minutes (theatrical) |
| Production company | Universal Television |
| Budget | $450,000 |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | November 13, 1971 |
Produced by Universal Television, Duel originally aired as a part of the ABC Movie of the Week series on November 13, 1971. It later received an international theatrical release by Universal Pictures in an extended version featuring scenes shot after the film's original TV broadcast. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with Spielberg's direction being singled out for praise. It has since been recognized as an influential cult classic and one of the greatest films ever made for television.