At the outset of the 1960s, the United States felt poised for its greatest decade yet or armageddon. The Soviet Union's launch of the Earth satellite Sputnik in 1957 had placed many Americans on edge.

Few movie stars embodied the suave nonchalance of the counterculture of the 1960s better than Steve McQueen, a top box office draw whose effortless charm earned him the nickname the “King of Cool.” ...

Steve McQueen was rarely hesitant to talk about his career, although there was one sci-fi film on his resume that he refused ...