The Taking of Pelham 123
John Godey’s 1973 thriller. Four armed men hijack a New York subway car and hold seventeen passengers, demanding a million dollars within an hour and leaving the transit authority to work out how they intend to escape from a tunnel. The tension comes from the train itself, which keeps moving, and from Lieutenant Zachary Garber trying to solve the problem from the control room. Filmed the following year with Walter Matthau.
Recommended by 1 Person
Jeffrey Archer
John Godey published the novel in 1973 and Joseph Sargent filmed it the following year with Walter Matthau. What I like about Pelham 123 is that the train is always moving. You feel the tension of movement and action. You realise that Transit Police Lieutenant Zachary Garber—played brilliantly by Walter Matthau in the movie—is the good guy, and he is trying to solve the problem.
Interview · July 2026
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