STEEL

US, 1980, 102 minutes, Colour.
Lee Majors, Jennifer O'Neill, Art Carney, Harris Yulin, George Kennedy.
Directed by Steve Carver.

Steel is a routine, tough story about the building industry. It has the patriarch, played by George Kennedy, whose ambitions are carried on by his daughter, Jennifer O'Neill. Art Carney is the family friend. Lee Majors is the steel boss brought in to complete the work. Harris Yulin is the villain. There are the expected conflicts, there is the exhilaration of putting up the building and beating deadlines. Some character actors portray a range of experts in the building trade. Nothing startling, but enjoyably done in its way. Direction is by Steve Carver, director of action films
including Drum, the sequel to Mandingo.

1. Enjoyable American drama? Characters? The American dream? The building industry?

2. City locations, the buildings, aerial shots? Action sequences? Editing and pace? Musical score?

3. The title, its focus, buildings, the need for steel, the enterprise?

4. The focus on Lew Cassidy: driving his chauffeur, ambitions, driving force, speed? Clashes with his brother? Friendship with Big Nose? His working on the site? Helping the man who throws? Falling to his death? The consequences of his death?

5. Cass as his strong daughter, the funeral, the clashes with Eddie? Advice of Big Nose? On the highway, getting Mike to help? her reaction to the woman in the truck? Persuading him? Supporting him? In love, getting him into her society? The success of the enterprise?

6. Mike, tough driver, background in the work, his freezing? Agreement? The women? Going to get his men, persuading them? Tactics for each one? His work on the site, crises, getting the steel during the strike, clashes with Eddie? In love with Cass? His freezing and the reaction of the men, handling situations, the accident on top of the site? The achievement?

7. Eddie, clashes with his brother, his henchmen, the steel, the trucks, his words at the funeral? His calling the wildcat strike? His being defeated?

8. Big nose, Art Carney style, friendship with Eddie? support? The funeral, consoling Cass? His shrewdness and knowledge, the advice about Mike? Supporting Mike? Family friend?

9. The men and their work, danger, their skills, tough, recruited by Mike, their resistance, working, rivalry? Lionel and his friend? The accident?

10. American themes, big business, cities and buildings, achievements? Enterprise, Hard work? Productivity? The tough drama of the American dream?