Death Car on the Freeway
Death Car on the Freeway is a 1979 American made-for-television crime thriller film starring Shelley Hack. In a plot similar to Steven Spielberg's Duel, this tells the story of an unseen driver who is dubbed "The Freeway Fiddler".
| Death Car on the Freeway | |
|---|---|
 Print ad | |
| Genre | Mystery Thriller |
| Written by | William Wood |
| Directed by | Hal Needham |
| Starring | Shelley Hack George Hamilton |
| Music by | Richard Markowitz |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Stanley Shpetner |
| Production location | Los Angeles |
| Cinematography | Bobby Byrne |
| Editor | Frank Morriss |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Production company | The Shpetner Company |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release |
|
The cast features several TV veterans, including George Hamilton, Frank Gorshin, Peter Graves, Dinah Shore, Harriet Nelson, Barbara Rush and Abe Vigoda. Director Hal Needham appears in a supporting role. The face of the driver is never shown, and none of the stunt drivers who "acted him out" are credited for the role of "The Freeway Fiddler". Death Car on the Freeway first aired on CBS television on September 25, 1979 (presented as the CBS Tuesday Night Movie).
Plot
Janette Clausen (Hack) is a television reporter investigating a series of freeway murders involving a psychopathic van driver who is deliberately targeting and killing female motorists by crashing into their cars. She pieces together clues while continuously facing opposition from those around her.
Cast
- Shelley Hack – Jan Claussen
- Peter Graves – Lieutenant Haller
- Frank Gorshin – Ralph Chandler
- George Hamilton – Ray Jeffries
- Harriet Nelson – Mrs. Sheel
- Barbara Rush – Rosemary
- Dinah Shore – Lynn Bernheimer
- Abe Vigoda – Mr. Frisch
- Alfie Wise – Ace Durham
- Robert F. Lyons – Barry Hill
- Tara Buckman – Jane Guston
- Morgan Brittany – Becky Lyons
- Nancy Stephens – Christine
- Hal Needham – Mr. Blanchard