Steve McQueen: 20 Photos of the King of Cool

March 24, 2010 11:20 AM

"He liked camping, he liked rugged things, he liked firing a gun." LIFE publishes 20 previously-unseen pictures of Steve McQueen.

Via. More at Life.com. Previously on Metafilter.

posted by churl (31 comments total)

Steve McQueen Steve McQueen
When I was a little boy I wanted to grow up to be
Steve McQueen Steve McQueen
The coolest doggone motherscratcher on the silver screen
posted by Rangeboy at 11:25 AM on March 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Dammit, Rangeboy beat me to it.

(I think it's "goddamn motherfucker", tho...at least in concert!)
posted by notsnot at 11:26 AM on March 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Ada Lovelace and Steve McQueen in one day! It is like a perfect spectrum of human accomplishment!
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:31 AM on March 24, 2010

The world needs more Steve McQueen.
posted by cjorgensen at 11:32 AM on March 24, 2010

I had forgotten he was in The Magnificent Seven. Watching TMS back-to-back with Seven Samurai is cinematically and culturally very interesting.
posted by DU at 11:35 AM on March 24, 2010

...slurp!!



(thank you.)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 11:36 AM on March 24, 2010

i can't tell you how much i love this shot of him with the series land rover. seems like not all of these are in the searchable life archive yet. any pointers on seeing a high rez version of these outside of the slideshow?
posted by Bohemia Mountain at 11:37 AM on March 24, 2010

Wow, check out Neile Adams in this pic. That's hardcore.
posted by kenko at 11:46 AM on March 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

, he liked having cigarettes put out on his chest .....
posted by The Whelk at 11:48 AM on March 24, 2010

He didn't like green eggs and ham though, no sam i am.
posted by spicynuts at 11:48 AM on March 24, 2010

Oh, I saw these earlier and thought about posting them, I'm glad you got around to it! They are so incredibly awesome - I'm beginning to think that the early 60s were just the aesthetic high point of America and maybe the world.
posted by mygothlaundry at 11:52 AM on March 24, 2010

Here's THE picture of Steve McQueen on a motorcycle. Also, I am a complete dork and want one of these.
posted by marxchivist at 11:55 AM on March 24, 2010

Can anybody identify this sleeping bag? Were those metal snaps common? I suddenly find myself interested in vintage sleeping bags. :-/
posted by circular at 12:00 PM on March 24, 2010

A bunch more awesomeness from the Selvedge Yard.
posted by HumanComplex at 12:04 PM on March 24, 2010

More like the king of HOT amiritelaydeez?
posted by Brittanie at 12:13 PM on March 24, 2010

Steve McQueen knew what makes a man a man. It's something each of us has to find for himself. I envy those that have found it, but I know that my own lies before me and all around me already.
posted by Xoebe at 12:34 PM on March 24, 2010

I think what makes me a man is a particular set of chromosomes. What makes me an adult is entirely irrelevant to my gender.
posted by spicynuts at 1:05 PM on March 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Good shot of him in the SS.
posted by Relay at 1:07 PM on March 24, 2010

I didn't read the links or anything, but is an entire post about Dr. House's rat really FPP worthy?
posted by absalom at 1:23 PM on March 24, 2010

When you meet a new man, how can you tell right off the bat if you’re going to get along? Find out if, like you, he has an abiding love for Steve McQueen. Any kind of love will do.
posted by joeclark at 1:30 PM on March 24, 2010

He's the man your man could smell like.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 1:31 PM on March 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

The smell that each man must find for himself.
posted by xod at 1:44 PM on March 24, 2010

I recently taught my one-year-old son how to bounce a ball off of the wall like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape because you can never start 'em too early.
posted by signalnine at 2:09 PM on March 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

He was a wife abuser.
posted by RussHy at 2:52 PM on March 24, 2010

He was a wife abuser.

This. He abused just about everyone in his life. I can't watch his movies anymore, and I used to love him.
posted by swerve at 2:56 PM on March 24, 2010

The guy was ridiculously charismatic.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:58 PM on March 24, 2010

He wasn't always cool; "We're talking shirt-tucked-in-no-belt, people."
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:30 PM on March 24, 2010

Newman and McQueen with me and I win anything.
posted by Senator at 4:21 PM on March 24, 2010

Steve is the prototypical cool American male. Y'know, I'm talking about Steve McGarrett, alright? Steve Austin, Steve McQueen. Y'know, he's the guy on his horse, the guy alone. He has his own code of honor, his own code of ethics, his own rules of living, man. He never, ever tries to impress the women but he always gets the girl.

More like the king of HOT amiritelaydeez?

"Laydeez"? I was pretty sure I was straight but some of these made me pause (not that there's anything wrong with that). This photo of Neile Adams restored some balance.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:13 PM on March 24, 2010

He was also stoned on pot all day every day. Dude, it’s not like I’m idolizing Adolf fucking Eichmann (or Pat fucking Boone). I love him unconditionally. You can too.
posted by joeclark at 7:13 PM on March 24, 2010

I've reached this weird point, one I never thought I'd get to, where all I want to look at is the clothes. Those pants! That Western shirt with the three-snap cuffs!
posted by OmieWise at 4:52 AM on March 25, 2010