November 13, 1971 – Spielberg’s feature debut Duel starring a demonic Peterbilt premieres
Steven Spielberg's feature length directorial debut, Duel, debuted as a made for TV movie on this day in 1971. The flick starred Dennis Weaver as David Mann, a business commuter driving a Plymouth Valiant through the Mojave Desert on his way to meet a client. After passing a rusty and crusty 1955 Peterbilt 281, the unseen big rig driver chases and terrorizes Mann for the rest of the film.
Duel originally aired as part of ABC's Movie of the Week series. The film's success on the small screen resulted in Universal Studios conducting additional filming after its initial airing for an international theatrical release.
Richard Matheson adapted the script from his own short story, originally published in Playboy magazine. Matheson loosely based the plot on a real experience he had...
