Bullitt, like most films of the 1960s, especially private eye thrillers and mysteries, has a male-driven plot and a male-dominated cast, headed by Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn.
The only female part in this private-eye thriller is played by the young Jacqueline Bisset.
Jacqueline Bisset
Katharine Ross, who became a star the year before after appearing in The Graduate, turned down the role of Cathy, which was then assigned to Jacqueline Bisset.
Bisset’s career was ascending at this time with a lot of publicity. The trailer made it seem like she had a prominent role. Unfortunately, she plays a character of purely decorative function and is given only a few minutes onscreen.
In the film, Cathy also drives a sexy car, a 1964 Porsche 356 Cabriolet.
Cathy is shown working in architectural studio with a model of modernistic and angular fountain she has designed. This is an actual model of a sculpture titled “Quebec libre!” by a Canadian sculptor.
The fountain was built and completed three years later in 1971, not in black as the model shows, but in natural gray concrete. It may be seen today at the Embarcadero Center in downtown San Francisco, across the street from the Ferry Building.
All in all, she has 3 scenes in the film.
