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Gone In 60 Seconds
Gone In 60 Seconds“A family insurance research business
  is the ideal cover for an illegal racket
  where cars are stolen to order in this
  exciting and fast-paced film that includes
  a totally amazing car chase — the
  original 1974 Gone In 60 Seconds...”

STARRING, WRITTEN AND DIRECTED by the late H B "Toby" Halicki, who plays clever car thief Maindrian Pace, Gone In 60 Seconds is the original film on which the 2000 smash hit movie of the same name, starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, was based.

The 1974 Gone In 60 Seconds is very cleverly executed and comes over as a semi-documentary with Maindrian and his co-workers, the reckless Eugene Chase (Jerry Daugirda), Stanley Chase (James McIntyre), Corlis Chase (Ronald Halicki) and Pumpkin Chase (Marion Busia) audaciously using the knowledge gained in the insurance research business to steal cars to order.

In their latest commission they have to steal 48 cars and deliver them to a warehouse by the end of the week. Their brief is to only take cars that are insured, to be as discreet as possible and to get the cars to the right place at the right time. And you can bet your bottom dollar that it is not going to be all plain sailing this time round…

“Gone In 60 Seconds…
a tongue-in-cheek,
highly-watchable movie
with one of the most
amazing lengthy tyre-
squealing, engine-roaring, side-swiping and
wheel-spinning car
chases ever filmed...”
With wry humour and a lot of wrecked cars on the way, Toby Halicki delivers a tongue-in-cheek, highly-watchable movie with one of the most amazing, lengthy, tyre-squealing, engine-roaring, sideswiping and wheel-spinning car chases ever filmed.

Helped by Atlee Jackson (George Cole), the men disguise themselves and track down the cars to take them back to their workshop to be face-lifted. This convoluted, ingenious, and well-organised system usually works smoothly, with the boys buying a write-off, dismantling it and stealing a twin car to be a clone of the first.

But Murphy's Law kicks in — anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. One stolen car is stuffed with bags of heroin, which presents its own problems; one is spotted by its former owner; and a Mustang turns out to be uninsured and has to be returned.

While returning the uninsured Mustang, the disguised Pace is spotted by two suspicious plainclothes police officers and the totally smashing, high-speed and dangerous chase through Long Beach, California, begins. This is not to be missed and there seems to be only one way for it all to end.

Will Pace actually manage to pull off the escape of the Century? Is this the end for Pace and for the brothers? Full marks to Toby Halicki who will be remembered by the fast and furious high-speed chase that results in the finale of cinema's greatest and longest ever (over 40 minutes) car chase with the destruction of an unbelievable 93 vehicles — and an incredible, perfectly-choreographed, 128ft jump in the Mustang.

Working from only a basic script, the actors are remarkably natural and compatible. Sharing the limelight are the cars which, along with the Mustang, include a Bronco and a rare Manta. This film is pure Seventies; a trip down memory lane. Gone In 60 Seconds races through a high-paced, plenty of action roller-coaster (literally!) ride through 1970s California.

Gone In 60 Seconds also features: Markos Kotsikos as Uncle Joe Chase; J C Agajanian as Parnelli Jones; Mayor Sak Yamamoto and the City Council of the City of Carson; and not forgetting Eleanor, the ill-fated 1973 Mustang!

Music is by Ronald Halicki and Philip Kachaturian; Cinematography by Scott Lloyd-Davies and Jack Vacek; Producers are: Denice Shakarian Halicki and Michael Leone; Written, Produced and Directed by H B Halicki.

This new issue of the 1974 film Gone In 60 Seconds is dedicated to H B "Toby" Halicki, Director, Writer, Stunt Driver, Actor and Filmmaker, known as The Crash King, who was tragically killed in an accident on the set of Gone In 60 Seconds 2 in Buffalo in 1989.

* Gone In 60 Seconds, the movie that started the engines of all great high-octane action films, will be available courtesy of Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment on 20 May 2013.

DVD Running Time: 105 Minutes | Catalogue Number: KAL8224 | RRP: £9.99. Blu-ray Running Time: 105 Minutes | Catalogue Number: KAL8225 | RRP: £15.99.

"Gone In 60 Seconds… a tongue-in-cheek, highly-watchable movie with one of the most amazing lengthy tyre-squealing, engine-roaring, sideswiping and wheel-spinning car chases ever filmed" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar