FAQ

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (aka The Taking of Pelham 123) is a remake of Stoppt die Todesfahrt der U-Bahn 1-2-3 (1974) (1974), which was based on the 1973 novel of the same title by American author Morton Freedgood, writing under the pen name of John Godey. The novel was adapted for the 1974 movie by American screenwriter Peter Stone and further adapted for this teleplay by April Smith. There has since been another remake: Die Entführung der U-Bahn Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) (2009).

Pelham refers to a local Manhattan train that departs from Pelham Bay Park . The 123 refers to the time that it leaves 1:23. The "taking" refers to a hijacking. The story line revolves around an attempt to hijack the Pelham 123 train for a ransom of five million dollars. If the money is not delivered within one hour, the hijackers threaten to kill one passenger for each minute of delay.

The dead man feature is a device built into the train that requires a motorman's hand to be pressing the throttle at all times. If it's released, the train stops cold.