Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

Gone in 60 Seconds movie storyline. Mandarian Pace is an insurance investigator in Los Angeles who moonlights as a professional car thief with his crew, Atlee Jackson, his brother Corlis, and Stanley Chase. He also maintains a relationship with Stanley’s sister Pumpkin, whose older brother, Eugene, is Pace’s boss at the insurance agency, which the two have a very toxic relationship.

One day, he receives an offer from a South American drug lord to steal 48 cars in one week or face the consequences. He is forced to break the bad news to Eugene about canceling his honeymoon when he flies to Dunkirk, New York for his wedding. When discussing it in the church’s kitchen, Eugene relents on his loyalty and Mandarian almost decks him, but Stanley and Pumpkin arrive just in time to intervene. Mandarian then issues Eugene a strict ultimatum, get his act together or get out.

Later, the crew, with strict instructions from Mandrian, as well as Pumpkin, that no uninsured cars will be stolen and that their CB radios are to be on at all times, immediately get to work on the assignment. Stealing most of the cars is a success, only one: a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 code-named Eleanor gives the crew headaches. They steal the first Eleanor, the same one they saw earlier that day at the airport, but were foiled by the female driver, from intoxicated Harold Smith, who retaliates by giving chase in his Plymouth Satellite, only to cause an auto accident and get pulled over and arrested by police.

They manage to steal a second one, which is not insured and Mandarian and Stanley are forced to return it. However, Eugene, who is angered that Pace torched a white Cadillac El Dorado they stole containing one million dollars worth of heroin hidden throughout the car, tips off the police about the car theft ring and tells them to put a stakeout at the Long Beach International Towers where a third Eleanor is parked at owned by local disc jockey Hal McClain.

When Stanley drops Pace off at the location, he switches off his CB radio before driving off. Now on his own, Mandarian, pulling out of the parking garage notices two unmarked detectives parked across the street. Mandarian speeds off and leads police on a wild chase through five different cities, as well as causing property damage and auto accidents.

When Pace finally eludes the police, he spots another Eleanor at a nearby car wash. He pulls the now banged-up Mustang in the back of the lot. He poses as the owner and dupes the female car owner, by informing her that the car needs to be rewashed. The ruse works and Pace drives off with it, taking off his disguise in the process. However, the real car wash owner, not sure what is going on, tries to straighten things out with the woman, who faints when she sees the banged-up car coming out of the wash.

At the same time, a passing patrol car spot the owner, since he matches the description of Pace’s disguise and immediately move in to arrest him. Pace subsequently bumps into a carload of low riders, whose Cadillac he wound up destroying earlier during the pursuit. He happily bids them farewell before driving off into the sunset.

Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1974 American action film written, directed, produced by, and starring H.B. “Toby” Halicki.[2] It centers on a group of car thieves and the 48 cars they must steal in a matter of days. The film is known for having wrecked and destroyed 93 cars in a 40-minute car chase scene. A total of 127 cars were either destroyed or damaged throughout the entirety of the film. It is the basis for the 2000 remake starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie.

Gone in 60 Seconds Movie Poster (1974)

Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

Directed by: H. B. Halicki
Starring: H. B. Halicki, Eleanor, Marion Busia, Jerry Daugirda, James McIntyre, George Cole, Ronald Halicki, Markos Kotsikos, Christopher J.C. Agajanian, Gary Bettenhausen, Parnelli Jones
Screenplay by: H. B. Halicki
Production Design by: Steve Peterson
Cinematography by: Jack Vacek
Film Editing by: Warner E. Leighton
Makeup Department: Maureen Coddington
Art Direction by: Dennis Stouffer
Music by: Ronald Halicki, Philip Kachaturian
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: H.B. Halicki Junkyard and Mercantile Company
Release Date: July 28, 1974 (United States)

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