Steve McQueen is ideally cast as a champion race car driver, participating in the famed 24-hour race headquartered in Le Mans, France. Though dedicated to Going for the Gold, McQueen finds time to romance widowed Elga Andersen. The dramatic angle to this plot wrinkle is that McQueen may well have been responsible for the death of Andersens husband during a previous car pile-up. Director John Sturges, whod previously helmed Steve McQueens legendary motorcycle chase scenes in The Great Escape, was originally slated to direct Le Mans, but had had his fill of McQueens contentiousness and ankled the project. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide