Alan Trustman, who helped make Steve McQueen the king of cool as the screenwriter of the 1968 films Bullitt and The Thomas Crown Affair, has passed away.
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Trustman died on Feb. 5 at a nursing home in Miami, his son John confirmed to The New York Times. The lawyer-turned-screenwriter was 95.
Born in Boston in 1930, Trustman graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1952 and Harvard Law School in 1955. He then joined the law firm Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, where his father was a partner. Trustman later became a partner himself before retiring at 37.
While at the firm, the view from his office of the First National Bank of Boston—where he’d previously worked and learned all about their security procedures—inspired him to write his first screenplay, The Thomas Crown Affair.
The 1968 heist film starred Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown, a bored millionaire who masterminds a bank robbery without getting his hands dirty. When the bank’s insurance investigator, Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway), takes the case, the two engage in a romantic cat-and-mouse game while he plans his next move.
A 1999 remake of the film starred Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Michael B. Jordan is also directing and starring in a new version alongside Adria Arjona. That film is slated for a March 5, 2027, release.
Alan Trustman Helps Make Steve McQueen a Film Icon with ‘Bullitt’
Also in 1968, Trustman wrote McQueen’s classic, Bullitt. The film stars McQueen as police lieutenant Frank Bullitt, who works to protect a star witness from mob hitmen. Set in San Francisco, the thriller is famous for its iconic car chase scene.
Per IMDb, Trustman’s other writing credits include They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), Lady Ice (1973), Hit! (1973), Crime and Passion (1975), and The Next Man (1976).
Trustman is survived by his wife, Dr. Barbara Buchwald; son, John; daughter, Laurie; sister, Patty; and 11 grandchildren. He was previously married to Playboy cartoon editor Michelle Urry, who died in 2006.