Walter Matthau plays New York police lieutenant Zachary Garber in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).
Garber is the transit police officer who negotiates with four hijackers after they seize a subway train in Manhattan. The criminals demand a ransom and threaten to kill passengers if the city fails to meet their deadline.
Joseph Sargent directed the film, which adapts John Godey's 1973 novel. Its tightly controlled setting, countdown structure, and professional dialogue made it a major influence on later urban thrillers. The hijackers are identified by colors rather than personal names, including Mr. Blue and Mr. Green.
The title refers to the train's radio designation: Pelham 1-2-3. The story has also been filmed as a 1998 television movie and a 2009 feature starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta, but Matthau belongs to the original theatrical version.