Richard C. Sarafian died on September 18, 2013, aged 83, following complications with pneumonia. A veteran of the Korean War, he was a reporter, then worked as assistant to director, Robert Altman, before starting on his own directing career.
I’ll remember
him best for his 1971 movie Vanishing
Point.
Kowalski
[Barry Newman], is a Vietnam veteran and former cop. Driving a Dodge Challenger
muscle car, he is pursued by police across the desert, as he races to get to
his destination and win a bet. He encounters a naked biker [Gilda Texter] and gay
hitch-hikers [Arthur Malet & Anthony James] along the way. Cleavon Little
turns in a comical role as blind radio DJ, Super Soul.
This was the
first road-chase-thriller movie I saw and it still stands as one of the best in
the genre, with memorable chase sequences and location scenery.
It may seem
dated now, but subsequent road thrillers like The Driver [1976], The
Hitcher [1986], and Drive [2011],
owe a huge debt to Vanishing Point, a
true original and cult classic.
