Gone in 60 Seconds (1974 film)

Gone in 60 Seconds
Promotional poster
Directed by	H. B. Halicki
Produced by	H. B. Halicki Richard L. Muse
Written by	H. B. Halicki
Starring	H. B. Halicki Eleanor Marion Busia Jerry Daugirda James McIntyre George Cole Ronald Halicki Markos Kotsikos
Music by	Ronald Halicki Philip Kachaturian Eb Jensen
Cinematography	Scott Lloyd-Davies Jack Vacek John Vacek, Sr.
Editing by	Warner E. Leighton P.J. Webb
Distributed by	HB. Halicki Junkyard and Mecantile Company
Release date(s)	July 28, 1974 (1974-07-28) 1974 March 15, 1974 (1974-03-15) Finland June 27, 1975 France July 14, 1975 Netherlands August 7, 1975 Norway October 16, 1975 Germany February 20, 1976
Running time	105 min. (approx)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$150,000
Box office	$40 million

Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1974 American action film written, directed, produced by, and starring H.B. 'Toby' Halicki. It centers on a group of car thieves and the 48 cars they must steal in a matter of days. The film is famous for having wrecked and destroyed 93 cars in a 34-minute car chase scene. It was later remade in 2000 under the same name.

Plot

Maindrian Pace (H.B. 'Toby' Halicki) is an intelligent, respectable insurance investigator who runs a quality auto shop in town. What very few know is that he is the leader of a group of professional car thieves.

One day, a South American drug lord offers Pace $400,000 to steal 48 specific cars to be delivered within five days. The cars are all very high-end, ranging from Mustangs and Cadillacs to limousines and race vehicles, making the order difficult to fill under the time limit.

Mapping out a basic strategy, the gang begins to scout out their targets which have all been given female names. One example is a yellow 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1, receiving the code name "Eleanor". Being part of the insurance industry, Pace does have one small idiosyncrasy when it comes to stealing: All of the cars stolen by the gang must be insured.

The thieves carry out their plan easily at first but run into a couple of obstacles. First, a white Cadillac that the gang steals is revealed to have several kilos of heroin stashed in the trunk. Against his brother-in-law's suggestion to sell the heroin on the side, Pace has the Cadillac and its contents burned at a remote location. Then they discover that the "Eleanor" they stole is not insured after its owner posts a notice on the local newspaper. After pleas from his fiancée Pumpkin Pace decides, much to the chagrin of his buddies, to return it.

On the day before the deadline, a disguised Pace spots another "Eleanor" at a radio station in Long Beach and prepares to steal it, but is unaware the police have been alerted after his brother-in-law sells him out anonymously. As a result of the tip-off, two detectives (Butch Stockton and Phil Woods) confront Pace as he drives off the carpark. This results in a lengthy car chase that spans from Long Beach to Carson. During the chase, Pace drives a battered "Eleanor" into a 30-foot jump over a prior car crash, losing the police in the process.

Minutes later, Pace spots another yellow Mustang pulling into a car wash. He asks for his car to be washed and then dupes the owner of the other Mustang into reporting to the manager's office. He subsequently leaves the car wash with the other Mustang, switching the license plates and removing his disguise. The Mustang owner faints at the sight of the wrecked "Eleanor" exiting the car wash machine while the manager is arrested by the police, who mistake him for Pace.

Production

Gone in 60 Seconds was classified as an independent film — H. B. Halicki wrote, starred, directed, produced and even did his own stuntwork in the film, which, at the time, was phenomenal. In a contemporary context, however, the portions of the film preceding the chase sequences are seen as typical of a badly acted 1970s movie. Halicki employed family and friends (instead of professional actors) to play parts in his movie to keep the budget low. Therefore, the acting is somewhat substandard when compared to other films of the time. The characters depicted as being members of the emergency services were actual police officers, firemen, or paramedics. The then-mayor of Carson, California, Sak Yamamoto, also appeared as himself.

All of the police cars damaged in the film, as well as the garbage truck that overturns, three fire trucks, two waiting for the cars to clear, and another one stopping to put out a fire, were bought at city auction by Halicki in 1972, for an average price of $200 each. They sat in an empty lot for over a year until production on the movie began in 1973. The fire trucks seen on the Vincent Thomas Bridge during the main chase were real Long Beach FD units on their way to an emergency call. The "crash" staged for the film was blocking both lanes and they could not get past until the cars were cleared. Halicki asked the camera crew to film them in case he found a place and time to fit the shots into the movie.

There was no official script, apart from several pages outlining main dialog sequences. Much of the action/dialog was improvised and ad-libbed by the cast and crew as they went along. This caused many problems for the editor, Warner E. Leighton, who never knew what footage was being dumped on him or where in the movie it belonged. In the DVD audio commentary, he described the script for the construction site scenes of the main pursuit as a piece of cardboard with a circle on it. Halicki pointed at it and said, "That's the dust bowl. We went around it twice. There's your script."

The pursuit is the longest car chase (34 minutes) in movie history and takes Pace through five cities as he attempts to lose police. Nearly every civilian vehicle seen in close proximity to the main chase (especially in downtown Long Beach) was owned by Halicki. This resulted in several of them being seen multiple times in the 34-minute sequence. The second "Eleanor" that Maindrian steals from the car wash, and the white Ford that he and Stanley spend much of their time in, are visible parked in one street that Maindrian turns onto before hitting the boat in Long Beach. The white Ford also shows up in many other shots.

Locations

The workshop scenes at Chase Research were filmed at Halicki's real-life workshop, and occasionally filming would stop for several days so he could repair cars to earn money and continue production.

Vehicles

1-Baker-11, the unmarked gray LBPD sedan that initiates the climactic pursuit, is a 1970 Mercury Montego. Parnelli Jones still owns his Big Oly Ford Bronco and often brings it out to car shows.

Stunts

The car that flips during the earlier night-time chase in Torrance was overturned by six men lifting it up from one side. The film was later skip-framed to create the desired effect.

The garbage truck that overturns when two police cars smash into the side of it was pulled over at the precise moment the cars hit by two tow trucks. Cables can be seen attached to the top of the garbage truck as it topples.

To achieve the effect of cars sliding into each other when hit by the patrol car at Moran Cadillac, the filmmakers put oil under the tires of the first car to help it slide. According to the commentary track on the DVD only the first two Cadillacs in the row were owned by the film company. When it came time to do the stunt, the oil trick worked too well and many of the agency's own Cadillacs that were for sale were badly damaged. Halicki had to purchase all of them.

The jump scene at the end of the chase is notable and set the standards for a number of subsequent pictures. Acting as the climax to the lengthy chase sequence, the jump manages to achieve a height of 30' over a 128' in distance — a feat which would not be easily replicable without the use of modern CGI. Halicki compacted ten vertebrae performing this jump. The injury was not very serious, although according to director of photography Jack Vacek, Halicki never walked the same again.

Real accidents

In one scene at the construction area where the Mustang has been surrounded, a patrol car roars up a hill in pursuit and overturns. This was a real accident, and the officer inside was nearly crushed when the siren "can" on the roof caved the roof in. The scene was left in.

J.C. Agajanian Jr., who plays a detective in the roadblock sequence at Torrance Mazda Agency, was almost killed when the stunt with "Eleanor" went wrong and the Mustang slammed into his unmarked police car, which he was standing behind.

The scene where the Mustang tags a car on the highway and spins into a light pole at 100 mph was a real accident. Halicki was badly hurt and filming was stopped while he recovered. According to people on the set, after the mishap the first thing that Halicki said when he regained consciousness was "Did we get coverage?" Likewise, the scene in which a train derailment is observed in the film was not part of the original shooting script but it is in fact a real train that derailed and when Halicki heard about this he wanted to incorporate it into the film.

General public as extras

With the exception of a few extras, the bulk of the by-standers in the movie are the general public going about their business. This caused several incidents where people assumed a real police pursuit was in progress, with many trying to help the accident "victims." In the scene at the Carson Street off-ramp where the two cars collide after Maindrian drives against traffic, a pedestrian can be seen in the background shouting angrily at the passing police cars for not stopping to help the occupants. Much of the crowd at the gas station where Harold Smith is pulled over after the night-time Torrance chase were part of a real biker gang, who verbally abused the police officers "arresting" the actor and demanding they leave him alone.

Ronald Halicki, the director's real-life brother and Corlis Pace in the film, operated the crane that lifted "Jill," the red Challenger, to its fate in the car-crusher at the junkyard.

"In" jokes

When Maindrian is first telling Atlee about the new contract, a message on the blackboard behind them says, "Sgt. Hawkins called about Vacek case" — a reference to director of photography Jack Vacek. The license plate of the Rolls-Royce outside the airport reads "HBH," the initials of the film's star/director/writer, H. B. Halicki.

When Pumpkin tells Maindrian that they have to give "Eleanor" back because the car is not insured, Maindrian reads the owner's address from a newspaper: 18511 S Mariposa Ave, Gardena. This was in fact Halicki's own real home address at the time.

Early in the film when the boys are stripping down the Challenger, they are conversing about how Atlee became a "professional." Atlee says, "Butch Stockton was a professional and he got caught." Butch Stockton is the driver of 1-Baker-11 in the film.

Music

The six original songs by Philip Kachaturian featured in pre-1999 releases of the film (but since removed in the remastering process) are:

• "Gone in 60 Seconds"
• "Lois Lane Blues"
• "I Do Hope the Man Doesn't Catch Me"
• "Big Town, Big City"
• "Chariot Ride"
• "Low Rider"

Cast and crew

Actor	Role
H.B. "Toby" Halicki	Maindrian "Vicinski" Pace
Marion Busia	Pumpkin Chase
Jerry Daugirda	Eugene Chase
James McIntyre	Stanley "Sage" Chase
George Cole	Atlee Jackson
Ronald Halicki	Corlis Pace/The Crane Operator
Markos Kotsikos	Uncle Joe Chase
Christopher J.C. Agajanian	Himself (the host of Ascot Park)
Gary Bettenhausen	Himself (the King Midget racer)
Parnelli Jones	Himself (Parnelli Jones Enterprises owner)
Terence H. Winkless	Lyle Waggoner's Car Cleaner (Roy's Auto Detail)
Butch Stockton	1-Baker-11 Detective (Driver)
Phil Woods	1-Baker-11 Detective (Passenger)
Wally Burr	Male Police Dispatcher
John Halicki	Sgt. Hawkins
J.C. Agajanian, Jr.	Light Blue Unmarked Detective
Sak Yamamoto	Himself (City of Carson mayor)
Edward Abrahms	Harold Blight Smith
Edward Booker	Lowrider
Anthony Cole	Lowrider
Michael Cole	Lowrider
Mark Cole	Lowrider

VHS and DVD releases

Following its release, a home video VHS was released containing the theatrical version, complete with original soundtrack and effects. It has, however, been out of print since around 1986 and is therefore considered a collector's item.

In 2000, a 25th anniversary remastered edition was released on DVD and VHS to American viewers. This special remastered edition contained a completely reworked image, with a newly cleaned up print compared to the grainy, dirty and unsatisfactory previous version. It also contained another significant change to the soundtrack, replacing the original with a slightly generic overlay rather than the more country style of music chosen by Halicki for the original theatrical release. This has been the center of debate for many fans, who have objected to this alteration and, in some cases, feel almost cheated. The sound effects were also reworked for the remastered version, using more typical collision and engine sounds. This is an improvement over the theatrical release, which contained often-distorted sound effects (although these were the actual sounds used at the time of filming). In May 2005 a Region 2 DVD was released in Europe.

The pre-release version of the movie can be seen (albeit in still frame form) on the 25th Anniversary DVD. By accessing the hidden "Easter Egg," you get to watch an older version of the film — possibly a pre-release version — as the first half of the movie has a different order and additional scenes. At this time it is unknown whether this version will ever be released to the public in full form.

In the Speed Channel broadcast of the movie, a documentary, hosted by Denice Halicki, is shown before the beginning of the film. The documentary described the production processes of the movies produced by H.B. Halicki as well as his life.

The 48 cars stolen in the film

• Locations seen in film

#	Years	Automobiles	Codes
1	1974	Cadillac Fleetwood 75	Marion
2	1974	Cadillac Fleetwood 75	Barbara
3	1973	Cadillac Fleetwood 75	Lindsey
4	1972	Cadillac Fleetwood 75	Dianne
5	1971	Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five	Nicole
6	1972	Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five	Ruby
7	1972	Lincoln Continental	Julie
8	1971	Freightliner WFT 6364	Frances
9	1973	Cadillac Coupe DeVille	Mary
10	1972	Mercedes-Benz 450SE	Joanne
11	1930	Hudson Motor Car Company	Beverly
12	1974	Cadillac Coupe DeVille	Patricia
13	1974	Lincoln Continental Mark IV	Ruth
14	1927	Citroën B14 Conduite	Elizabeth
15	1971	Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow	Terri
16	1924	Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost	Eileen
17	1972	Plymouth Barracuda	Susan
18	1970	Jaguar E-Type	Claudia
19	1959	Rolls-Royce Phantom V	Rosie
20	1970	Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow	Maria
21	1972	Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB/4	Sharon
22	1970	Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow	Kathy
23	1953	Chrysler Coupe Elegance	Alice
24	1973	Cadillac Fleetwood Station Wagon	Leona
25	1971	Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow	Kelly
26	1971	Cadillac Eldorado	Nancy
27	1973	Jensen Interceptor	Betty
28	1971	Citroën SM	Patti
29	1962	Ferrari 340 America	Judy
30	1966	Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II	Carey
31	1966	Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III	Jackie
32	1973	Cadillac Eldorado	Laurie
33	1972	Maserati Ghibli Coupe	Sandy
34	1971	Chevrolet Vega	Christy
35	1969	Chevrolet Corvette Stingray	Michelle
36	1967	Lamborghini Miura	Tracy
37	1969	De Tomaso Mangusta	Marilyn
38	1971	De Tomaso Pantera	Maxine
39	1968	Intermeccanica Italia GFX	Lorna
40	1971	Chevrolet Corvette Stingray	Jean
41	1949	Ferrari V12	Paula
42	1966	Lotus Europa S1	Renee
43	1974	Manta Mirage	Annie
44	1971	Ford "Big Oly" Bronco	Janet
45	1972	Stutz Blackhawk	Karen
46	1957	Mercedes-Benz 300SL	Dorothy
47	1973	Stutz Blackhawk	Doris
48	1973	Ford Mustang Mach 1	Eleanor

Sequel

Toby Halicki was killed while filming a stunt for the sequel, Gone in 60 Seconds 2. Production began with filming the final chase sequence with only a few lines of dialog and a few parts of the chase sequence filmed before his death.

External links

• Gone in 60 Seconds at the Internet Movie Database
• Gone in 60 Seconds at AllRovi
• Official website
• Gone in 60 Seconds: 59 second version
• Gone in 60 seconds videos
• Gone in 60 Seconds at the Internet Movie Cars Database