Duel: Steven Spielberg's First Movie Playing Online for Free

Most filmmakers start off on low budget or no-budget movies, and Steven Spielberg is no exception. While Spielberg made short films in middle school, and even a feature-length film in high school, Duel was the first true movie to bear the Steven Spielberg imprint.

Steven Spielberg is arguably one of the most successful directors of all time -- perhaps the most successful director of all time. While ticket prices have driven many of his blockbusters out of the top ten most financially successful films, Spielberg's movies have enjoyed unprecedented popularity for over 30 years. And yet, before he reached the pinnacle of Hollywood success, Spielberg was just a struggling filmmaker, working his way up through the system.

Steven Spielberg

Born on December 18, 1946, Steven Allan Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His family moved around often because of his father's work, but many of Spielberg's formative years were spent in Arizona. Spielberg began making movies at a very young age using the family's 8mm film camera. The old adage of "show me the boy at seven, and I'll show you the man" certainly applies to Spielberg. Throughout his early teens he made action and adventure movies with his friends, charging admission to see his films.

At the age of 16, Spielberg wrote and directed a 136-minute science-fiction movie called Firelight. Made for $400, the movie was shown in a local theater and returned a profit of $100. Firelight depicts a group of scientists and a person who believes in UFO's as they investigate colored lights in the sky. People begin disappearing, taken away by aliens. If you've seen Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the plot should be recognizable. Unfortunately most of the film has been lost.

Spielberg's parents divorced while Steven was still in high school and he moved to California. After graduating high school, Spielberg applied to the film schools at UCLA and USC but was rejected due to low grades. He attended California State University, Long Beach instead and continued making short films. While in college, Spielberg interned at Universal Studios and made a short film entitled Amblin'. This 24-minute film, made in 1968, was seen by Sid Sheinberg, then Universal's VP for television. Sheinberg was impressed with the young director's film and offered Spielberg a contract to direct television shows. Spielberg was uncertain. To accept the offer would mean he would have to drop out of college. Sheinberg asked Spielberg if he wanted to finish college or direct. Spielberg became the youngest contract director in Hollywood history. (In 2002 he would finish his degree.)

Spielberg was now a professional director. He directed an episode of Night Gallery, Marcus Welby M.D., and Columbo. Universal was impressed enough with his work to let him direct three made-for-TV movies. The first of the three was Duel. In this movie, Dennis Weaver is pursued by a tractor trailer truck. The movie was broadcast in 1971 and was so well received that it was released as a feature film overseas. Spielberg was now a feature film director, and the rest is history.

To watch Duel in its entirety, click HERE.

Notable Movies of Steven Spielberg

Jaws (1975)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

E.T. (1982)

Jurassic Park (1993)

Schindler's List (1993)

Saving Private Ryan (1998)