H. B. Halicki

Henry Blight "Toby" Halicki (October 18, 1940 – August 20, 1989) was an American director, writer, stunt driver, actor, and filmmaker. Halicki directed the 1974 film Gone in 60 Seconds as well as producing and starring in several other action films. He was killed in an accident while filming Gone in 60 Seconds 2 in 1989. His widow, Denice Shakarian Halicki, produced a remake of Gone in 60 Seconds in 2000 with Jerry Bruckheimer.

H. B. Halicki
Halicki in Gone in 60 Seconds, 1974
Born
Henry Blight Halicki

(1940-10-18)October 18, 1940
Dunkirk, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 20, 1989(1989-08-20) (aged 48)
Tonawanda, New York, U.S.
Other namesHank Halicki
The Car Crash King
The Junkman
Toby Halicki
Tony Halicki
Henry Bernard Halicki (per birth announcement)
Years active1972–1989
Spouse
Denice Shakarian Halicki
​
​
(m. 1989)​
Websitegonein60seconds.com

Biography

Halicki was born in Dunkirk, New York, on October 18, 1940, the son of John Halicki and his second wife, Angeline Blazejewicz, both Polish Americans. His middle name was listed as Bernard in his birth announcement.[1][2] His father, originally from Austria, was an auto mechanic and automobile salesman, and opened his own automobile repair shop, Halicki Garage, in 1919, which remains both in operation and a family-run business as of October 2020.[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

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
Main article: Gone in 60 Seconds (1974 film)

Halicki wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film Gone in 60 Seconds in 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.

Halicki compacted 10 vertebrae performing the film's 128-foot-long (39 m) jump finale and walked with a limp afterwards.[8]

Marriage, Gone in 60 Seconds 2 and death

Halicki met Denice Shakarian, an Armenian 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 representing O. 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 and Buffalo, 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 former J.H. Williams Tool factory at 400 Vulcan Street in Buffalo.[11]

Filmography
YearFilmRoleNotes
1972Love Me DeadlyRace DriverActor, Associate Producer
1974Gone in 60 SecondsMaindrian "Vicinski" PaceActor, producer, writer, director, Stunt Driver
1982The JunkmanHarlan B. Hollis / Maindrian "Vicinski" PaceActor, producer, writer, director, Stunt Driver
1982The Making of the JunkmanHimself / hostDocumentary
1983Deadline Auto TheftMaindrian "Vicinski" PaceActor, producer, writer, director, Stunt Driver
1988Deadly AddictionRolls-Royce DriverActor
1989Gone in 60 Seconds 2International ThiefUnfinished film; accidentally killed during filming
2003The Life and Times of H.B. HalickiHimselfArchive Footage, Documentary

References
  1. 23 Oct 1940, Page 8 - Dunkirk Evening Observer at Newspapers.com
  2. "Frank A. Halicki Obituary". Chautauqua Today. September 1, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  3. "Halicki Family of Dunkirk History presented at Chautauqua County Genealogical Society". observertoday.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  4. The Daily Telegraph Third Book of Obituaries: Entertainers, ed. Hugh Massingberd, Pan Books, 1998 (Macmillan, 1997), p. 90
  5. "Rudolph H." Chautauqua Today. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  6. "Mustang Monthly". Mustang Monthly. August 18, 2013.
  7. Fred Beldin (2015). "Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015.
  8. Smith, Jonny (April 9, 2009). "1967 Ford Mustang 'Eleanor' recreation". The Times. London. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
  9. "Denice Halicki | Gone in 60 Seconds". Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  10. "Robert Kardashian Engaged To Third Cousin Denice Halicki". RadarOnline. July 26, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  11. Archives, L. A. Times (August 21, 1989). "Creator of Crashes Killed on Film Set". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
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