H. B. Halicki
H. B. Halicki | |
|---|---|
 Halicki inGone in 60 Seconds,1974 | |
| Born | Henry Blight Halicki October 18, 1940 Dunkirk, New York,U.S. |
| Died | August 20, 1989(aged 48) Tonawanda, New York,U.S. |
| Other names | Hank Halicki The Car Crash King The Junkman Toby Halicki Tony Halicki Henry Bernard Halicki (per birth announcement) |
| Years active | 1972–1989 |
| Spouse | |
| Website | gonein60seconds |
Henry Blight "Toby" Halicki(October 18, 1940 – August 20, 1989) was an American director, writer,stunt driver,actor, and filmmaker. Halicki directed the 1974 filmGone in 60 Secondsas well as producing and starring in several other action films. He was killed in an accident while filmingGone in 60 Seconds 2in 1989. His widow, Denice Shakarian Halicki, produced aremake ofGone in 60 Secondsin 2000 withJerry Bruckheimer.
Biography[edit]
Halicki was born inDunkirk, New York,on October 18, 1940, the son of John Halicki and his second wife, Angeline Blazejewicz, bothPolish Americans.His middle name was listed as Bernard in his birth announcement.[1][2]His father, originally fromAustria,was anauto mechanicandautomobile salesman,and opened his ownautomobile repair shop,Halicki Garage, in 1919.[3][4]Halicki was one of thirteen children, some of whom were half-siblings from his father's first marriage to Caroline Turek; his brothers were Rudolph, Frank, Bud, Ron, Edward, Joseph, and John and his sisters were Angeline, Allegra, Helen, Caroline, and Tara.[5]
Career[edit]
Halicki moved from New York to California and worked on vehicles, eventually owning his own impound and towing business. H.B. Halicki Mercantile Co. & Junk Yard was known for its extensive antique automobile and toy collections.[6]
Gone in 60 Seconds[edit]
Halicki wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the filmGone in 60 Secondsin 1974.[7]There was no official script for the movie, apart from several pages outlining main dialog sequences. Halicki supplied most of the cars and used repeated footage of the same vehicles and shots of public incidents to increase the footage. The scene in which a train derailment is observed was not part of the original shooting script; it is in fact a real train that derailed. When the director heard about the wreck, he wanted to incorporate it into the film.[citation needed]
Halicki compacted 10vertebraeperforming the film's 128-foot-long (39 m) jump finale and walked with a limp afterwards.[8]
Marriage,Gone in 60 Seconds 2and death[edit]
Halicki met Denice Shakarian, anArmenian American,in 1983. They dated for six years, before marrying on May 11, 1989. After returning from their honeymoon, he began filming his 1989 sequel,Gone in 60 Seconds 2,in which both of them would star – Halicki as car thief Colt and Denice as computer guru / thief Alaska Wells.[9]After Halicki's death, Shakarian began dating her third cousin,Robert Kardashian,best known for representingO. J. Simpson.[10]
Halicki bought over 400 automobiles to destroy in the film, which was to feature improved car chases and storyline.
On August 20, 1989, while filming in Dunkirk andBuffalo, New York,Halicki was preparing for the most dramatic stunt sequence in the film, during which a 160-foot-tall (49 m) water tower was supposed to topple to the ground. When a cable attached to the tower snapped unexpectedly, it sheared off a telephone pole, which fell on Halicki, killing him instantly. The accident occurred in an area behind the formerJ.H. Williams Toolfactory at 400 Vulcan Street in Buffalo.[11]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Love Me Deadly | Race Driver | Actor, Associate Producer |
| 1974 | Gone in 60 Seconds | Maindrian "Vicinski" Pace | Actor, producer, writer, director, Stunt Driver |
| 1982 | The Junkman | Harlan B. Hollis / Maindrian "Vicinski" Pace | Actor, producer, writer, director, Stunt Driver |
| 1982 | The Making of the Junkman | Himself / host | Documentary |
| 1983 | Deadline Auto Theft | Maindrian "Vicinski" Pace | Actor, producer, writer, director, Stunt Driver |
| 1988 | Deadly Addiction | Rolls-Royce Driver | Actor |
| 1989 | Gone in 60 Seconds 2 | International Thief | Unfinished film; accidentally killed during filming |
| 2003 | The Life and Times of H.B. Halicki | Himself | Archive Footage, Documentary |
References[edit]
- ^23 Oct 1940, Page 8 - Dunkirk Evening Observer at Newspapers
- ^"Frank A. Halicki Obituary".Chautauqua Today.September 1, 2015.RetrievedOctober 15,2020.
- ^"Halicki Family of Dunkirk History presented at Chautauqua County Genealogical Society".observertoday.RetrievedOctober 15,2020.
- ^The Daily Telegraph Third Book of Obituaries: Entertainers,ed. Hugh Massingberd, Pan Books, 1998 (Macmillan, 1997), p. 90
- ^"Rudolph H."Chautauqua Today.RetrievedOctober 15,2020.
- ^"Mustang Monthly".Mustang Monthly. August 18, 2013.
- ^Fred Beldin (2015)."Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2015.
- ^Smith, Jonny (April 9, 2009)."1967 Ford Mustang 'Eleanor' recreation".The Times.London.RetrievedApril 9,2009.
- ^"Denice Halicki | Gone in 60 Seconds".RetrievedNovember 27,2021.
- ^"Robert Kardashian Engaged To Third Cousin Denice Halicki".RadarOnline.July 26, 2017.RetrievedOctober 15,2020.
- ^Archives, L. A. Times (August 21, 1989)."Creator of Crashes Killed on Film Set".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 5,2023.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1940 births
- 1989 deaths
- Accidental deaths in New York (state)
- American male film actors
- Film producers from California
- American stunt performers
- American people of Polish descent
- People from Dunkirk, New York
- People from Gardena, California
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- Film directors from California
- Film directors from New York (state)
- Film producers from New York (state)