will be suicide, but it is the only way to prove their innocence. The two hijack a bus and outfit it with a crude set of armor made from scrap steel. They are about to enter Phoenix when Maynard Josephson, an old friend of Shockley's, warns the two of a gauntlet of armed police officers that Blakelock has set up to "welcome" them. Josephson convinces Shockley to turn himself in to Feyderspiel, whom he thinks is an honest broker. As the pair follow Josephson out of the bus, Josephson is shot dead by snipers from a nearby building, and Shockley is hit in the leg. With no other option, the two return to the bus and enter the town. The bus is shot at as it runs the titular "gauntlet" of hundreds of armed officers lining both sides of the road, until it reaches the steps of City Hall, finally immobilized. The two emerge from the riddled bus and surrender, but Shockley uses Feyderspiel as a shield, to have him confess that Blakelock and Feyderspiel are both corrupt. The enraged Blakelock opens fire, killing Feyderspiel and wounding Shockley. Blakelock is then killed by Mally. Realizing Blakelock's crime and having witnessed his wanton killing of Feyderspiel, the rest of the assembled officers watch as Shockley and Mally walk away safely from the gauntlet. Cast Clint Eastwood as Detective Ben Shockley Sondra Locke as Augustina "Gus" Mally Pat Hingle as Detective Maynard Josephson William Prince as Commissioner Edgar A. Blakelock Bill McKinney as Constable Michael Cavanaugh as Assistant District Attorney John Feyderspiel Carole Cook as The Waitress Mara Corday as Jail Matron Doug McGrath as Bookie Jeff Morris as Desk Sergeant Roy Jenson as Biker Dan Vadis as Biker Production Written by Dennis Shryack and Michal Butler, the film was originally set to star Marlon Brando and Barbra Streisand; Brando subsequently withdrew and was replaced by Steve McQueen. However, differences between McQueen and Streisand ultimately led to their joint departure in favor of Eastwood and Locke. Some preproduction discussion occurred regarding transforming the Ben Shockley role into a down-and-out Dirty Harry portrayal. The Gauntlet was filmed in Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as in nearby deserts in both states. The set for the house scene was built at a cost of $250,000 and included 7,000 drilled holes that would include explosive squibs for its demolition. The helicopter chase scene