1974 • 1989 • 2000 Official Website
 

Deadline Auto Theft

 Film Synopsis

3rd in the H.B. Halicki’s Gone in 60 Seconds Trilogy DEADLINE AUTO THEFT (1983) stars H.B. ‘Toby” Halicki, Hoyt Axton, Dan Grimaldi, Judi Gibb, Lang Jeffries and Jerry Daugirda. Written, produced and directed by H.B. “Toby” Halicki, executive produced by Richard L. Muse

CUT TO THE CHASE

THE ASSIGNMENT: Thief, “Pace” (H.B. Halicki) has 40 cars he needs to boost.

THE CHALLENGE: Boost all 40 cars and don’t get caught by the Police!

CAPTAIN OF THE LAPD: Captain Gibb (Hoyt Axton) makes a personal vendetta, when a thief steals Gibb’s Daughter and her new Fiancée’s Red Bricklin right in front of his eyes. Captain Gibbs makes it all out war… and gives orders to his Police to stop this thief… at any cost.

STORY AND PRODUCTION BACKGROUND

In 1983 foreign and USA sales agents where calling Halicki, they wanted another Halicki Film.

Halicki was very successful with the hit TV series (1981-1984) “The Fall Guy” starring Lee Major (playing Colt Seavers a “stuntman”), licensing his car action/stunt footage from “The Junkman.” The Fall Guy’s producers could not shoot the dangerous car stunts with all the liability and insurance cost for what Halicki licensed his footage for. Finally, Halicki decided to take the unused footage that he shot from “The Junkman” and incorporate new scenes in a new Halicki film (that he would write and film), and include new scenes with Hoyt Axton playing Captain Gibbs. Essentially making this “film” the movie that was being produced in The Junkman by character Hollis. Halicki came up with a new great title, “Deadline Auto Theft.” He spent time writing, filming and editing. “Deadline Auto Theft” movie stands on its own as a fun full of great and hair-raising car chases and stunts… all in Halicki’s style.

Halicki starts Deadline Auto Theft movie with two Los Angeles “knuckle head” river bed flood control workers; “Merle” with the bat is played by Jack Vacek (he also is the real-life cameraman on the new scenes) and “Farley” is played by Bruce Cameron. Both Vacek and Cameron played parts as Susan Clark’s news crew in “The Junkman.” Halicki’s film crew where given the Keys to the “River Bed” that is just behind Halicki’s Junkyard and his vast car and toy collection warehouses. This allowed Halicki and his crew to shoot new scenes on the weekend when the real river bed workers weren’t around.

A Helicopter from “Wright International Airlift” lands at a tall building construction site. Pace played by H.B. “Toby” Halicki greets the Lady Pilot played by Sharon McCreedy and instructs her to go to the top of the building to see what needs to be “air lifted.” As Lady Pilot heads off, Pace and his accomplice Cowboy Hat Pilot “Orval” boost the Helicopter. They head toward the “Queen Mary” where Pace saw a Red Bricklin SV-1. Marilyn is played by Judi Gibb and her new Fiancé “Carl Degusta” played by Dan Grimaldi standing by the Red Bricklin SV-1, as Carl is trying to calm down Marilyn before they meet her dad; Captain Gibb’s of the LAPD played by Hoyt Axton, who’s on the Queen Mary. The Queen Mary Ship has been in all 3 of Halicki’s trilogy films Captain Gibbs’s Police scanner reports of a stolen Helicopter from a construction site. Soon his daughter; Marilyn and her new Fiancé Carl join Captain Gibbs, who is upset about his Daughter being a centerfold in the magazine. Halicki incorporated Judi Gibb who was the 1979 December centerfold model into his story.

Orval lands the boosted Helicopter by the Red Bricklin SV-1, Pace jumps out. Captain Gibbs is watching and reports that the Stolen Helicopter is at the Queen Mary and has dropped off his “accomplice” and is now heading off towards Long Beach. Pace jumps in and goes to work boosting the Red Bricklin SV-1. The Police are all alerted, that a code 3 is in progress and head to the Queen Mary. Carl and Captain Gibbs jump in his Jaguar and speed off towards the Red Bricklin SV-1. The Red Bricklin SV-1 chase scene starts with Captain Gibbs right on Pace’s bumper, with Police cars following.

Halicki and his film crew shoot the scenes down by the Queen Mary, the Long Beach docks and in the river bed. Halicki bought an ambulance, Black and White cop cars, and other cars playing undercover cop cars to wreck in this film.

Police cars are everywhere in response to the reported GTA “Grand Theft Auto.” A Maroon Undercover Pontiac comes out of the river bed; the “Driver” is played by Tony Ostermeier (who did the Arial stunt work in “The Junkman”) riding “Shot-Gun” is Thomas Syslo (Tony Syslo’s Brother; who worked as a camera assistant on “The Junkman”) and is also a cameraman on this film Deadline Auto Theft. An Ambulance hits the center street island and flips over in front of the Queen Mary. The traffic stops, the people run and help get the Driver out. Then they begin to try to tip the Ambulance back over on its tires. Captain Gibb is in pursuit of Carl’s stolen Red Bricklin SV-1, as Gibbs gets an ear full from Carl; who’s complaining that he just bought the car and there are only 15 like it in the United States. Gibb asks Carl for the license plate? Carl’s response… “You do know me” because “Mr Cool” was already taken. The “traffic people” get the Ambulance back on its tires and the Ambulance races off.

The Police dispatch calls out with Carl’s license plate (UDUNOME) … “Union-David- Union-Nora- Ocean-Mary- Edward” … as the Maroon Undercover Pontiac swerves around a VW bus and goes flying off the road into the Ocean’s bay. Then, a Black & White Cop slams on his brakes avoiding the VW bus and it too goes off into the bay, crashing into the tied-up boats. Captain Gibb’s and Carl are still chasing Carl’s Red Bricklin SV-1, with Pace racing through the streets. Cops are everywhere in pursuit of the Ambulance. Pace gives them one hell of a chase through out Long beach.

A Brown Undercover Cop Sedan is in pursuit of the reported GTA, sitting Shot-Gun is Sergeant Hawkins. The Blonde Rookie Detective driver “Dupree” is played by Maureen Coddington (who played a radio police dispatcher in “The Junkman”) in the scene Hawkins is a little worried about the Blonde Rookie Dupree and her driving skills. Pace spins the Red Bricklin SV-1 around a tight corner where “Lorretta’s Lunch Box” cooking truck is serving food to a sea of people. Captain Gibb and his fellow Black & White units make the corner too…

Just as Brown’s undercover cop sedan races around the tight corner, Blonde Rookie Dupree swings right to miss a Big White freightliner and crashes into “Lorretta’s Lunch Box” cooking truck and flips it over. The Brown undercover cop sedan is still running, as the Blonde Rookie Dupree puts it in reverse and steps on it and goes flying off the cliff crashing into the bay. She responds: You can drive now… Sergeant Hawkins. Oh, thank you, Dupree… he replies back.

Pace races to the Long beach docks Pier D “Berth 34 warehouse” … as Captain Gibb and the other 10 Police cars give chase. Inside the warehouse Pace uses his driving skills to maneuver around the cops. Captain Gibbs and the Police try to pin Pace in. In the Warehouse mayhem, the Ambulance Driver races inside, slamming into a Black Undercover Sedan; sitting shot-gun is Tony Syslo the Cinematographer of this film and “The Junkman.” The Ambulance’s gas petal sticks and pushes the black under cover Sedan off the warehouse docks, catapulting it into a truck. Captain Gibbs orders the warehouse docks door closed, to trap Pace in. The Officer closing the doors is played by Dennis Stouffer (who was Halicki’s Car and Toy collection warehouse security guard.) Pace is to fast and escapes before the doors are closed. As the Police dispatcher calls out… vehicle has exited warehouse and is now east bound on Harbor Way. Be advised, this is a dead-end street… use caution. The never-stopping Ambulance Driver crashes through one of the closed warehouse doors in pursuit of the stolen Red Bricklin SV-1. The crashed door opening… allows Captain Gibb and the other cops a way out.

Sergeant Hawkins, the Blonde Rookie Dupree and 2 undercover police jump into a light blue undercover car and head after the Red Bricklin SV-1. The chase continues in the River Bed with all the cop cars and Captain Gibb in pursuit. Cop Cars try short-cuts but end up in the water stalled out. Sergeant Hawkins light blue cop car blows a tire, smashes into a stalled cop car, and flips over. The river bed is playing havoc with the Ambulance and other Police cars as they crash into each other. Lieutenant Reed played by Pat Hartigan sets up a roadblock in the river bed with his Police cars and calls Gibb… I’ve got the Pacific Coast Highway into the river bed secure. He’s not going to get through this way. Pace sees the roadblock ahead and calls “Orvel” that’s flying the stolen Helicopter, to come and get him, he’s boxed in….

Pace sets the car in cruise control, ties the steering wheel… and Pace climbs up onto the Red Bricklin SV-1 roof. Halicki himself did the helicopter lift off out of the Bricklin. In fact, Halicki always did his stunts in his own movies. He wasn’t a stuntman by trade. Pace climbs inside the Helicopter, as he and Orvel fly off. Halicki actually climbed out of a flying helicopter (hundreds of feet in the air) with no tie-downs so that his character Pace climbing into the helicopter looked real.

Pace flies off with the Helicopter to escape and the Red Bricklin SV-1 races toward Lt Reed’s roadblock, the cops run for their lives. The Red Bricklin SV-1 is catapulted over 3 cop cars and smashes into the water in river bed. Captain Gibbs is steaming mad and gets up on a police car and vows to get this thief…Yea as we drive through the valley of the shadow of death. We shall catch that no good low life, slimy son of a… sea snake. I want him, and I want him now! Pace is back in California, to meet the man that orders the 40 cars. At the Police station Lt. Arthur played by Lang Jeffries tells Captain Gibbs… At the Police impound lot we have 13 wreaked Police cars, 2 Ambulances, 1 motorcycle, 2 boats, 1 tractor-trailer, catering truck, 8 civilian cars, for a total of 28. Captain Gibbs asks… What’s the word on the streets? Lt Arthur says… There’s nothing. Captain Gibbs asks… Who’s handling the case? Lt Arthur tells him… Hawkins. We got a tip from the FBI. A fellow named Vealis; he was in New Orleans and Houston last week. He’s contracting for stolen cars, could be headed for L.A.

Captain Gibbs upset… Arthur, I want this dude bad. Now, I want you to get the entire squad down at the impound lot a 3:30 this afternoon. Lt Arthur asks… All three shifts? Captain Gibbs still upset… Git ‘em out of bed if you have to, but git ‘em down there! Now, we’re gonna have to remind these boys, that our motto in this department is to serve and protect, not to destroy and terrorize. Pace and his crew plan out the 40 cars they need to boost.

At the Police Impound Lot, Captain Gibbs (Hoyt Axton) gives his speech to his people… Now, we happen to be in the business of recovering stolen cars. Not flying ‘m into boats, isn’t that right Olsen? Olsen speaks up… Yeah, yes sir. Captain Gibbs continues… Now, did anyone notice that we happen to be driving black and whites today? Maslakowski? Maslakowski says… Yes, sir. Captain Gibbs continues… Do you know why? It’s because we don’t have any more unmarked patrol cars. We were lucky the motor pool gave us the black and whites. Do you know what else I got today, Hawkins?

Sergeant Hawkins… No, sir, I don’t.

Captain Gibbs upset… Bills – fix, two boats, one tractor, semi, and Loretta’s lunch box. I’m getting an ulcer and no results. I got a pension to think about. You know what this is? (Pace’s Briefcase – Denice Halicki still has it) This is Prince Charming’s tool box. He got away, and we got a briefcase. Forensics has had this all night long and they couldn’t lift one print from it… nothing… nothing… nothing. He’s one of the best, but we’re gonna get him. I want to nail his ass to the wall! He’s driving me nuts! You’re driving me nuts! (A pause, then points to Carl’s Bricklin)

Captain Gibbs gives them the lowdown on switching cars over… do you see that Bricklin? Well if our man had gotten it yesterday, bigger than hell it would have been back on the streets in a week. It’s called a switch over. You find a wrecked car for sale. You go out and buy it legally for scrap, but the real reason you buy it is to buy the vehicle identification. Then you steal its twin… the same car, the same color and same model. You take the vehicle identification tag from the wrecked car and you put on the stolen twin car, along with door and trunk locks, exchange the engines and drive train. You buy a new set of Goodyear tires and you got yourself a brand-new car… complete with identical odometer miles and matching paper work. Remember pros can make the switch over in one night.

(A pause)

I’m gonna give you people one more chance to bring this clown in, but understand this… if you bang up one more car in the process, I’m gonna personally make sure that you get a premature retirement from the human race. Now, go out and find him. Outside the Insurance’s garage Orval’s with Pace, as he gives Eugene a piece of his mind… you need to be in court and all of the 40 cars that are on the list need to be insured. Eugene doesn’t like it.

At night, Pace is boosting a mustang on the list and the owner; Mr. Smith sees someone taking his mustang and gives chase in his dark blue Plymouth. In the chase Mr. Smith causes an accident, where a car gets flipped over. Pace escapes, but Mr. Smith gets pulled over. He tries to convince the police that he was chasing a guy that stole his mustang. The Cops go back to Mr. Smith’s house and they see his yellow mustang. Mr. Smith…“What the hell is my car doing in my garage? Captain Gibbs office, he picks up the phone and Carl is on the other end, as Carl complains that he can’t get his personal effects out of his Bricklin. Plus he needs to show the car to the insurance. Gibbs not happy, he sets a time to meet Carl at the impound lot. Outside Pace’s garage Eugene sits in a Citron and is upset with Pace about giving Mr. Smith’s mustang back.

Pace and his crew start boosting the 40 cars and everything is going smoothly. Captain Gibbs, his daughter; Marilyn and Carl are at the Police impound lot. Carl again complains… this is all I have (holding up a piece of his personal stuff)… I mean, I’m driving this (black VW bug) piece of S… My Bricklin is broken. Where is the adjuster? Pace arrives as the Insurance adjuster… I’m looking for Carl Degusta? Pace goes through the motions of standard procedures. Finally, Captain Gibbs pulls Pace aside and asks for a favor to speed up the insurance check for the Bricklin. Finally, Pace says… Mr. Degusta, I’ll have a check for your Bricklin next week.

Pace, Oval is at the insurance impound lot and is investigating the Red wrecked Corvette. Jackson walks up with Mr. Smith (the head of the insurance company). Pace says… You’re going to be happy with this one, product liability, General Motors is gonna eat it, and your company won’t have to pay for it. Mr. Smith tells Pace… we have a problem. Two days ago, we sold a wreaked Challenger to Taylor Webb, and now it’s on the front line of his used cars. It’s a switch over and I want it checked out. In the early morning, Pace drives a Tow Truck into Taylor Webb Used Car lot and hooks up the Challenger and is spotted by a Security Guard. The “chase is on”. Pace races through the city with the Challenger hooked to the Tow Truck, finally the Security Guard patrol car smashes into a truck.

Orval is already in the wrecking yard’s “crane” when Pace pulls up with the Challenger. Orval grabs the Challenger and drops it in the crusher. Pace and crew are back boosting the 40 cars. Things are going great. Captain Gibbs has a meeting in his office and wants an update with Lt Reed and Lt. Arthur on the Helicopter heist, and thirty cars that have been heisted in the last week. Lt Reed and Lt. Arthur have no good news… they have nothing. But they have more info. Vealis… he apparently, deals exclusively in expensive cars, limos and planes. Captain Gibb wants them to get out and find this guy. Back at the insurance shop garage, Orval and Jackson drives in with a 1971 White Cadillac Eldorado. Jackson, Oval and Eugene find heroine in the trunk. Eugene says… “We’re rich! There’s a million bucks here.” Pace wants them to take the car back. Then there’s a loud knock on the door, its Detective Hawkins. Jackson kicks the heroine under the car and Detective Hawkins is none the wiser. Hawkins gives Pace the lowdown on all the expensive cars stolen this week. When he leaves he turns to Pace and says… “You know there have probably been five more cars stolen in just the time I’ve been here.” Pace smiles back… “No, I don’t think so, Hawkins.” Pace burns the heroine Caddy to the ground. Eugene races into the office and gets into a physical fight with Pace over him burning up Heroine Cadillac with the heroine in the trunk. Eugene yells… “You burnt a million dollars worth of heroin?” Finally, Pace gets the upper hand and tosses Eugene onto the floor, and says… “I’m gonna give Eleanor back… because I know where there’s another… at the International Towers in Long Beach.”

Eugene is after revenge and calls Detective Hawkins and says… “You want to catch that car theft ring that’s been bothering you? Well, put a stakeout at the International Towers in Long Beach.” Pace goes back to the warehouse to get the uninsured Yellow Mustang. He drops it off, in plan site, so that the police will find it… Police Detective Driver played by Butch Stockton and Detective Passenger played by Phil Woods, are “staking out” the International Towers in Long Beach, in their unmarked 4 door Mercury. Detectives watch a 1973 Yellow Mustang exit the lower garage and stop as its alarm goes off. Detectives hear the alarm and turn on the camera in the back seat to “on” to film him. Halicki starts his famous non-stop 40-minute chase scene through five cities where the Police try to catch the thief in a 1973 Yellow Mustang…

The jump scene is the climax to the chase sequence, the yellow Mustang jump was over 30’ high and a 128' in distance, a feat rarely attempted today without CGI or a gas-driven catapult. Halicki compacted ten vertebrae performing this jump, the injury was not serious, but Halicki never walked the same again. With Police roadblocks and surveillance everywhere, Pace is looking for an exit. Then he spots another Yellow Mustang pulling into a car wash. Pace quickly drives the smashed Mustang up to the wash entrance, leaves it with the girl. She asks… “Sir, what happened to your car?” Pace smiles… “You know those parking lot attendants.” Then Pace convinces the owner that the newly washed Yellow Mustang, he’s going to rewash her car for her and asks her to go to the manager’s office. Pace jumps into the Yellow Mustang…

Pace pulls into a parking lot, quickly swaps license plates and removes his disguise. Meanwhile, the owner of the Mustang is inquiring with the manager of the car wash as to the whereabouts of her Mustang. She faints at the sight when she thinks that is her yellow mustang wrecked… as it exits the wash bay.

A Black and White Cop car spots the wrecked Mustang, quickly descends upon the scene to arrest the manager of the car wash, who matches the description of Pace. Captain Gibbs is in a Helicopter flying to the Rosecrans Car Wash. Pace is stopped, then he clears the Police roadblock…

Meanwhile the Helicopter lands at the Rosecrans Car Wash and Captain Gibbs gets out. He moves through the crowd to see the thief that has caused all this havoc. Captain Gibbs asks… Where is he? Officer… He’s in the black and white. Captian Gibbs… Got you hot shot. (Gibbs sees it’s not him and turns to his men) That’s not him. Good Job, men. Really good, great… wonderful. Turn him loose. We see Pace in his Yellow Mustang drive off…

Remember this is Grand-Theft Entertainment. So, don’t steal anyone’s car or property.

 

2024 Copyright Denice Shakarian Halicki. All rights reserved
Gone in 60 seconds® and Eleanor® are registered trademarks and the Copyrighted “Eleanor” Star Car character
and image are owned by Denice Shakarian Halicki and are Licensed under her Company.

Please beware that counterfeiting is under 18 U.S. Code 2320 criminal code, includes fines, jail time, forfeiture and destruction of the counterfeit property.