Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

Insurance investigator Maindrian Pace and his team lead double-lives as unstoppable car thieves. When a South American drug lord pays Pace to steal 48 cars for him, all but one, a 1973 Ford... See full summary »

Director:

H.B. Halicki

Writer:

H.B. Halicki

Stars:

H.B. Halicki, Marion Busia, Jerry Daugirda

Cast

Complete credited cast:
H.B. Halicki	...	Maindrian Pace / Vicinski
Marion Busia	...	Pumpkin Chase
Jerry Daugirda	...	Eugene Chase
James McIntyre	...	Stanley Chase
George Cole	...	Atlee Jackson
Ronald Halicki	...	Corlis Pace
Markos Kotsikos	...	Uncle Joe Chase
Butch Stockton	...	1-Baker-11 detective (driver)
Phil Woods	...	1-Baker-11 detective (passenger)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
J.C. Agajanian Jr.	...	Light Blue Unmarked Detective
Christopher J.C. Agajanian	...	Himself
Gary Bettenhausen	...	Himself
Edward Booker	...	Lowrider
Anthony Cole	...	Lowrider
Mark Cole	...	Lowrider

Storyline

Insurance investigator Maindrian Pace and his team lead double-lives as unstoppable car thieves. When a South American drug lord pays Pace to steal 48 cars for him, all but one, a 1973 Ford Mustang, are in the bag. As Pace prepares to rip-off the fastback, codenamed "Eleanor", in Long Beach, he is unaware that his boss has tipped off the police after a business dispute. Detectives are waiting and pursue Pace through five cities as he desperately tries to get away.

---

Plot Keywords:

police | ford mustang | police car | manta mirage | jensen interceptor | 

---

Taglines:

MAINDRIAN PACE...his front is insurance investigation...HIS BUSINESS IS STEALING CARS...

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

maintained by writer/director's widow

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 July 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gone in Sixty Seconds

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Harbor, San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$40,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

H.B. Halicki Mercantile

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 93 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby (DVD re-release) DTS (DVD re-release)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 2001 video release features an all-new musical score (and all-new sound effects), largely due to music agreement issues for the original soundtrack. In the original video release, the sound effects made by the cars (engines, tires, crashes, etc.) are authentic.

---

Goofs

Shortly before crashing into the light pole, the Mustang passes under a bridge on the Harbor Freeway with a sign on it saying the Torrance exit is 1 1/4 mile away. After crashing, the black detective in 1-Baker-11 looks back at the Mustang and while talking on the radio, the car passes under the same bridge, which is back before the crash scene.

---

Quotes

Maindrian Pace: Hey, Atlee, how come you don't get called up at five o'clock in the morning?
Atlee Jackson: Because I live right.
Maindrian Pace: Yeah, well I'll fix your living habits! Tomorrow morning you can get up at five o'clock and start tearing that truck apart to find out how come he hit the train.
Atlee Jackson: Okay, if Stanley helps me. I think five years in the army gave him brain damage!
Stanley Chase: Hey, hey, I'll learn the business next week, all right? I don't even know how these switch-overs work.

---

Crazy Credits

The ending credits in the 2001 DVD release features footage of H.B. Halicki's widow, Denice Shakarian Halicki, riding in "Eleanor."

---

Alternate Versions

A 35mm pre-release print of the film (shown only in slide show mode and included as an Easter egg on the 2000 DVD) includes some additional footage not found in the theatrical cut.

---

Connections

Referenced in Hell and Back (2015)

---

Soundtracks

Where Did Our Love Go
Music and Lyrics by Ronald Halicki and Philip Kachaturian
Sung by Philip Kachaturian

User Reviews

As the tag-line said: "If he wants it, its gone in 60 seconds!"

Hey guys, if you want to REALLY enjoy this flick, watch the horrific remake first. You had to be young in the mid 70's to remember the hype that went with this flick. A total B-Grader that had audiences (including me and my 19 year old wife) queued up around the block.

Considering its microscopic budget, H B Halicki delivered precisely what audiences wanted to see - truck loads of cars smashed up! No more no less! No-one handed over their (then) $5 expecting to see Sir Laurence Olivier do Hamlet, they just wanted some serious fender-bending and this they got!

Admittedly I suspect most people who own the video or DVD these days fast-forward to the actual 40 minute chase each time they load it up. I am actually watching it as I compose this critique! (Right at the sequence at the end where Harley pulls off the big swapperoo at the car wash!) Absolute stand-outs are the incredible smash on the freeway when Halicki takes out the power pole at 80 mph plus and the unimproved-upon final scene as the Mach-1 leaps several cars at the intersection. That shot, lovingly photographed from multiple slow-motion camera angles was worth the ticket price alone. The climactic scene in the 2000 version is just plain wimpy!

The plotline for the film is remarkably simple. Man steals cars for a living! For trivia fans who may NOT know. H. B. Halicki died during a stunt filming the sequel GONE IN 60 SECONDS : THE JUNKMAN which features arguably the greatest car stunt of all time. (Sorry, not telling!!)