[Bret08]

Pictures & Stories from the Steve McQueen 30th Anniversary Tribune & Film Festival:

Hey guys, I figure since so many of us involved with drivers duty I figured it would be good start a thread to share.

Anyway here's some of mine.

Lots of funny stories but the best for me had to be when we finally settled on who was driving who (a story in and of itself because some of the VIPs wanted to couble up leaving some of our Loyal Bullittheads high & dry).

Anyway I ended up driving Chad's son's - Steven & Chase. Great kids I have to say - well mannered and personable. I'm sure my 10 & 7 year old daughters will love that as they reconized Steven from some Disney movies in the pictures I showed them prior to leaving this morning. But what was really funny was that just as we where about to leave the "W" Hotel's to the Theater – Chad jumps out of the lead car & comes up to my window – leans in & puts his hand on my shoulder & says: “No pressure – but you should know you've got the only surviving male Steve McQueen gene pool riding in your car.”

DOH! :shock:

Oh yeah – “No Pressure” – we all laughed about it but at that point I realized that “IF” there was an accident of any sort – I didn’t want to survive it with that on my head.

Anyway it was a great event - I just wished it'd turned out better for some of the other Bullittheads who had worked so hard for this and been involved from the start...

 

[Droopy]

Once in a lifetime event. Congrats Bret and all that participated!!

 

[Bullitt4003]

Great event. Hope to see more photos. You guys clean up good. By the way, how was the movie :wink:

 

[TwoStangWmn]

Thanks for sharing! I always wonder why Chad, in all the pictures I have seen him in, wears sunglasses? I would like to see his eyes and see if they are as blue as his Dad's. :smile:

 

[Dj A]

Nice pics Thanks for posting them

 

[jimbo020]

Thanks for sharing! I always wonder why Chad, in all the pictures I have seen him in, wears sunglasses? I would like to see his eyes and see if they are as blue as his Dad's. :smile:

I thought I read somewhere that when he crashed his racecar at Daytona he suffered several severe injuries, including injuries to one eye I think. NOT SURE about this, I just remember reading something about it. Maybe someone else knows for sure.

You guys DO clean up well!!! Nice outfits! But I see no one remembered the correct shoes...:nerd:

 

[Bret08]

Thanks for sharing! I always wonder why Chad, in all the pictures I have seen him in, wears sunglasses? I would like to see his eyes and see if they are as blue as his Dad's. :smile:

I tend to think he got most of his looks from his mom "Neile".

Chad even made a comment (jokingly) that he credits his mom for his height.

But yes Chad wears the glasses because of his accident.

 

[texasbullitt]

doesn't get much better then that you gusy, an dthanks bret for the pix and updates great stuff

 

[Bret08]

You guys DO clean up well!!! Nice outfits! But I see no one remembered the correct shoes...:nerd:

Hey be nice - it was a stretch and against my better judgment just to get me into a turtleneck.

Besides finding a turtleneck in SoCal is almost impossible these days.

But the original plan wasn't to get out of the cars when we dropped off the VIPs - but that like just about everything - flew out the window.

 

[jimbo020]

Looks like it was a great event. Congrats!
Now go get some Frank Bullitt shoes... :lol: (they ARE super comfy) :wink:

 

[Bret08]

Looks like it was a great event. Congrats!
Now go get some Frank Bullitt shoes... :lol: (they ARE super comfy) :wink:

I'm good - I've been wearin' boots too long and if you buy the right ones they're pretty comfy too.

 

[chrisW]

so who all ended up going?>

and did someones bullitt need a jump start?

 

[1968medic]

so who all ended up going?>

and did someones bullitt need a jump start?

Yeah!! Ben Macabe's died. For once it wasn't MY car that broke!! I drove up the sidewalk right in front of the doors and we eventually got her up and running!!

Good Times!! Not exactly how it was suposed to go down!! But Thats HOLLYWOOD!!
Everyones Got a Dream! Whats Your Dream??!!

 

[marichardson]

This was a night to be long remembered!
I was the last to arrive late, with my VIP actor Pat Rennella AKA Jonny Ross,the villain chased and shot by Lt Bullitt. Initially, I was a little tweaked with my driving assignment, since I would be picking up my VIP from his residence and arriving late (missing all the grand entrance events). Furthermore at the last minute, I was instructed there would be a delay in pick-up time, since Mr Rennella's niece would be accompanying him. Due to traffic issues, the trip to the McQueen tribute took longer than expected. This proved to be a blessing, allowing time for conversations with my guest VIP. Mr Rennella is a very warm and charming gentleman, putting me at complete ease. Upon leaving his residence, he remarked that my 08 Bullitt sounded like the original movie Bullitt car! On the arrival and return trips, he made numerous compliments about the Bullitt. He reminiscenced about his experiences and impressions about Steve McQueen and the making of the movie Bullitt. What a honor to hear firsthand personal details about this!
We arrived and parked right in front of the theater in a coned off lane on Sunset Blvd. After seeing Mr Rennella escorted by event organizers, I headed off to the restroom prior to seating. Duties completed, a well dressed distinguished gentleman asked me for directions to the stage entrance. I immediately recognized him as the actor Robert Vaughn,AKA Chalmers! Although I missed sitting with the other Bullittheads, any inconveniences I felt were more than made up by these other awesome experiences. IMBOC sure has opened up many doors..
Sorry I have so few pics to share. Most were poor quality due to the tricky light conditions and Hollywood atmosphere.






3 pics, #1:left to right Pat's niece, "Jonny Ross", my sister. #2: My #2086 end of the line, #3: Jacqueline Bisset, much better looking than my poor pic.

looking for other SoCal Bullitthead reports and pics, signing off from Hollywoodland...

 

[texasbullitt]

Good Stuff Mike ........

 

[jim253]

I drove Neile McQueen Toffel to the event. I was supposed to pick her up at her home in Beverly Hills at 6 pm - made it at 6:01. Not bad considering traffic and the fact that it’s way up in the hills and a bit hard to find! On the way to the theater we talked about how Hollywood has changed in 40 years and some of the cars she’s owned. She was very charming and gracious, but wasn’t afraid to tease me a little for not changing down into first gear at one point when traffic started to move again. We were supposed to arrive last, at 6:40pm., and I pulled up to the theater just as my clock changed to 6:39 to find we were …..3rd to arrive. I found out at that point that most of the plan had gone out the window quite a while ago. Such is the way of Hollywood!
The night was a lot of fun for me; in addition to Neile, I met Robert Vaughn and Don Gordon. Both were very gracious to all of us. In the remarks before the film started, Don Gordon said that this would be the first time since Steve’s death that he’d seen one of Steve’s movies. And it sounds like I need to buy Robert Vaughn’s book.
I didn’t take any pictures, because my camera is pretty bulky, and I was supposed to be driving anyway. So I hope some of the others will be able to deliver in that department.

 

[JcodeBullitt]

I was given the pleasure of driving Jacqueline Bisset and her friend to the event in my 68. Arriving at her home at 5:20 pm, I waited for Miss Bisset to step out her front door. When she did, she looked great! However, when seeing the car that was taking her to the event, she remarked, "That's the Bullitt, I was wondering what was making all that noise."

After getting Miss Bisset buckled in the passenger seat, and her friend settled in the back, we headed down Benedict Canyon to Sunset Blvd. Although traffic was heavy, I was able to pull up to the red carpet at the Cinerama Dome right at 6:00 pm as Miss Bisset was the first celebrity scheduled to appear.

As with Jim253, taking pictures was a difficult task.

 

[ETicket]

More Stories

Like Mike, it will be a night long remembered!.

My VIP was Don Gordon aka Sgt. Delgetti. Steve was Don’s best friend and that he still missed him very much. After picking him up at his house and as we were leaving his gorgeous house he ask me how long I have been driving (He thought I was a Chauffer) I explained that I was with IMBOC and that he was riding in Bullitt Mustang, all could say was cool man. As we were driving down Sunset He began to tell stories about Steve and himself would ride their Triumph motorcycles down Sunset and through the Hollywood hills also as we would get to intersections he would recall stories about himself and Steve.

Along the way I got a phone call from the Jules Verne people that they were running behind and to go to the W hotel to meet up with everyone else as I told Don about the change he said Steve would not put up with these #@%! and Hollywood has changed so much over the past years and this was Don's first red carpet in a very long time.

After Bullitt and on the way back to his house Don told me that it was the first time he had watch Bullitt on the big screen. Don began telling stories about the making of Bullitt and how Steve and him would sneak away and ride their motorcycles because they were not allowed to ride during the filming (insurance reason) during one of these ride Steve got about 4 feet of air over one of the bumps after they stopped he turns to Don and says would it be great to jump a car over that bump like we did, Don looks at Steve and says you mean like you did there’s no way I could do that and that is how the jump scene become part of the movie. Don went on to say that Steve was a great rider and he was good at best. Don says that Steve did all the driveing himself in the movie except the scene when the Mustang goes into the ditch only because the Insurance guys where on set that day and Steve made a point to show them that was not driving.

Don is a very warm and charming gentleman and misses Steve very much, truly a great man.

It was great to meet SteveNYC aka Steve wish we could have gone to dinner and to see mayFiebl again. and of course ALL of the other SoCal guy's and Terri. <script type="text/javascript"> vbmenu_register("postmenu_2095981", true); </script>

PS - After I got home and was cleaning out the B I found a tip from Don in one of the cup holders.

 

[chrisW]

great stories guys....

 

[Bulldog1964]

This looks and sounds like it was a blast! Very cool Pics and stories!!! Man I had no idea you guys were driving everyone to the event!!! WOW WAY COOL!!!! Thank you for sharing your stories and pics...
This thread may need to become a STICKY as some of the stories are the actual people who helped make the movie Bullitt!!! 20 years from now you would hate for this one to be burried!!!