William hickman january 25, 1921 february 24, 1986 was an american professional stunt driver, stunt coordinator and actor in the u. Even after 30 years, its the car chase most remembered, admired, and. May 16, 2018 buddy stumbles into a case involving a group of men who kidnap members of the mob for ransom and pretend to be cops. Bill hickman, the stunt driver from the best car chases ever, including the legendary ones in bullitt 1968 and the french connection 1971 frank sinatra and his stunt double on the set of the. As well as being a stuntman, hickman was also a former driver for. Bill hickman costarred and served as stunt coordinator, but it was jerry summers at the wheel for the films greatest moment, when a pontiac ventura violently plows into the back of a parked semi. Hickman accidentally clips another stunt drivers car during the sequence. In a film career spanning from the 1950s through to the late 1970s, his body of work included films such as bullitt, the french connection and the sevenups.
The sevenups is a 1973 american mystery action film. Robert culp on bill hickman and the real car from the french. Stuntman, stunt driver and later, stunt coordinator bill hickman was one of those people who remained virtually anonymous during his lifetime, but is responsible for some of cinemas most iconic, and hairraising moments. The filming process for the iconic scene was actually a. Top five car movies and the stunts that made them cool. The legendary hollywood stunt doubles who make movies more. The bullitt chase scenes were shot around easter of 1968. Thats legendary stunt driver bill hickman behind the wheel of the charger, and when mcqueen wasnt driving the mustang gt 390, it was expertly handled by.
Til the famous car chase scene in the french connection was. William bill hickman january 25, 1921 february 24, 1986 was a stunt driver, actor, and stunt coordinator from the 1950s through to the late 1970s. Archived the sevenups car chase designed by legendary stunt driver bill hickman 1973. Hickman was the driver of the 68 charger rt, and he appears onscreen as the driverhit man. Jan 21, 2007 post script bill hickman was a good friend of james dean and was driving the ford station wagon that was sometimes used to tow the race car. Martin restored his car as a replica of the car driven by professional driver and actor bill hickman in the 10minute car chase initiated in the film by steve mcqueen a. Bill hickman, perhaps hollywoods finest stunt driver, was chosen to. The car chase scene showed the mustang easily tailing the charger. The greatest movie car stunts of all time, and the stories. William bill hickman 19211986 find a grave memorial. Til the famous car chase scene in the french connection was shot illegally. Bullitt, the french connection and the sevenups, all shot on.
The one that actually performed the alley stunt was a 302 car, which was lighter. Word is they filled him with tranquilizers and shoved him back in the car. Apr 16, 2017 oddly enough, i happened to meet bill hickman solo stunt driver for the black dodge charger in the early 80s just before he passed away in 1986. That should go without saying, but you never really know these days. Here are my five favorite car movies from that era. Marc myers got to drive the route with the stuntman who deserves credit for the. Youll want to watch these 5 best james bond vehicle stunts. He is considered one of the film industrys most accomplished stunt drivers. Usually, the standout car from a film is driven by the star of the movie. Bill testified he arrived at the crash about two or three minutes after it occurred. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, stuntmen such as loftin, ekins, eddie mulder, ronnie rondell jr.
Ekins was the only stuntman who mcqueen, himself an accomplished race car driver, would let double him. As well as being a stuntman, hickman was also a former driver for and friend of actor james dean, and was the. Thats legendary stunt driver bill hickman behind the wheel of the charger, and when mcqueen wasnt driving the mustang gt 390, it. Opposing them are equally ruthless criminals, setting up a plot full of suspense and deadly conflict. Bill was the first on the scene of the acident that killed james dean. The stuntman who drove for steve mcqueen in bullitt. These classes and schools teach you the tricks and skills you need to make it as a stunt driver. Hickman can be seen coordinating the chase from the street where we see a stuntman in a parked car opens his door as hickmans vehicle takes it off its hinges.
Bill hickman is best known for being the stone face hitman looking at rearview in his black 68 dodge charger from the 1968 film bullitt. The sevenups car chase designed by legendary stunt. Aug 02, 2016 staring with the first driver i became a fan of, the legendary bill hickman. Hickman played a major role in terms of development and execution of three of. Take stunt driving classes at a school like the one run by bobby ore. The dodge charger was the most talked about car from the film, and it happened to be driven by the bad guya hitman played by hollywood stuntman bill hickman. However, it was the iconic car chase alongside steve mcqueen in the classic 1968 film bullitt.
Youll want to watch these 5 best james bond vehicle. Classic carchase movie bullitt stunt driver bill hickman he drove the black 1968 dodge charger in the movie told a magazine many years after the movie that the 375hp 440 engines in both chargers used in the movie scenes were largely unmodified while the 325hp 390 engines in the two 1968 mustang gts were heavily modified as were the brakes and suspensions for the race scenes. Bill hickman was the best stunt driver in the world at that time and also could act. William friedkin had been riling up stunt driver bill hickman who had driven bullitts dodge charger for weeks. Feb 22, 2015 this fiveminute car chase is, of course, a thriller to watch, thanks in no small part to the stunt driving of bill hickman, who piloted the black dodge charger that dueled with steve mcqueen in. Hickman was the driver of the 68 charger rt, and he appears onscreen as the driver hit man. Sep 29, 2016 the skilled stunt driver careened through the streets, accidentally slamming into first one car, then a truck. Bill hickman facts, bio, family, life, info sticky facts. Bill hickman january 25, 1921 february 24, 1986, born william hickman, was a stunt driver, actor, and stunt coordinator from the 1950s through to the late 1970s.
But the director of bullitt wanted a brand new car instead of an expolice car, so i got the springs from a friend at. We know it may look so easy here, mainly thanks to the incredible driving of stunt driver bill hickman, but dont try any of this driving in real life. William bill hickman 25 january 1921 24 february 1986 was a stunt driver, actor, and stunt coordinator from the 1950s through to the late 1970s. Hickman had a long history as a stuntman in action films but gained fame as a stunt driver in possibly the three best car chases ever put on film. Cut to the chase classic scene in mcqueens bullitt. The driving stunt even steve mcqueen couldnt pull off.
A lot of you may not recognize the name but you will definitely recognize his work. The end to the car chase, where the pontiac ventura driven by roy scheiders character drives into the back of a semitrailer, was the idea of stunt driver william bill hickman. William bill hickman was a stunt driveractor from the 1950s through the late 1970s. The seven ups anatomy of a chase philip dantoni youtube. Bill hickman is a favorite of bloggers who link those three films, as i do, as phenomenal achievements in action films. While the internet has an abundant number of articles covering this car chase, it all boils down to a few key points. For his reputation earned on bullitt, hickman was hired by william friedkin for the french connection 1971. Hickman told me he had a great time in the film, wiped out a very expensive arriflex film camera because he held his oversteer correction too long, and that it took four weeks to shoot the 10minute chase scene. Bill hickman picture the actor is better known for his prowess as a stunt driver. The actor is better known for his prowess as a stunt driver. Bill hickman died of cancer in 1986 at the age of 65.
A rare personal quote from bill on his friendship with dean. Classic car chase movie bullitt stunt driver bill hickman he drove the black 1968 dodge charger in the movie told a magazine many years after the movie that the 375hp 440 engines in both chargers used in the movie scenes were largely unmodified while the 325hp 390 engines in the two 1968 mustang gts were heavily modified as were the brakes and suspensions for the race scenes. For many, it contains the definitive movie car chase, as bullitt certainly helped set the standard for realistic car chases. Also on hand was the late bill hickman, the fantastic stunt driver who would handle the menacing dodge charger in. Bill hickman would later be in the movie seven ups and french connection, and i remember him playing a uniformed guard in an episode of outer limits.
Apparently the bad guy driven the dodge charger was another stuntman, bill hickman, and there were three, not two, backup mustangs. The great unknown car chase scene bloviating zeppelin. The sevenups car chase designed by legendary stunt driver bill hickman 1973 car chases. Bill hickman was also the stunt driver of the charger in bullitt 1968. Hickman played a major role in terms of development and execution of three of the greatest movie car chase sequences of all time. Bill hickman supporting actor, lead driver jesus behind. Oddly enough, i happened to meet bill hickman solo stunt driver for the black dodge charger in the early 80s just before he passed away in 1986. Bullitt, the french connection, the sevenups ticket to ride. It is an homage to the death of jayne mansfield, peeling off its roof like a tin of sardines. Ore has been in the business for over thirty years as a professional driver and his classes are among the best available. Til the famous car chase scene in the french connection. Bills an old stunt pro and i knew we could depend on him so he drove the dodge charger in our film.
As for that legendary movie, the famous taylor street chase scene was filmed street by street, and every car including the trolleys was driven by other professional stunt actors. This could probably describe a few people but, according to those who worked with him, hickman was in a class by himself especially when it involved getting behind a steering wheel. A suspensepacked thriller that introduced a new kind of action films. Robert culp on bill hickman and the real car from the. Buddy stumbles into a case involving a group of men who kidnap members of the mob for ransom and pretend to be cops. The stuntman who drove for steve mcqueen in bullitt street.
His work in bullitt 1968 is legendary where he drove the black dodge charger 440 magnum that was pursued by steve mcqueen in his ford mustang 390 gt. One of my favorite movies of all time, and one of the first disney films i saw as a kid, is the love bug 1968, which hickman also drove in. This fiveminute car chase is, of course, a thriller to watch, thanks in no small part to the stunt driving of bill hickman, who piloted the black dodge charger that dueled with steve mcqueen in. Oct 26, 2003 cut to the chase classic scene in mcqueens bullitt unreal as ever. Stunt driver, actor, stunt coordinator, involved in three of the greatest movie car chases of all time, the french connection.
The stunt was performed by bill hickman, who also drove the dodge charger in bullitt and worked on the french. Mar, 2015 stuntman, stunt driver and later, stunt coordinator bill hickman was one of those people who remained virtually anonymous during his lifetime, but is responsible for some of cinemas most iconic, and hairraising moments. The skilled stunt driver careened through the streets, accidentally slamming into first one car, then a truck. His legacy is some unforgettable films with some of the best examples of car control ever to be seen on screen. Also of interest, famed stunt driver, bill hickman, played a key role in the stellar car chases of not only the seven ups, but also bullitt and the french connection, which is perhaps why these car chases are so memorable. Bullitt, the french connection and the sevenups, all shot on actual city streets. This could probably describe a few people but, according to those who worked with him, hickman was in a class by himself especially when it involved getting behind a. The dodge charger which featured in bullitt steve employed stunt driver bill hickman to race this car through the streets of san francisco at speeds of up to 110 mph. When they bungle a kidnapping and accidentally kill another sevenup, buddy. Apr 10, 2020 we know it may look so easy here, mainly thanks to the incredible driving of stunt driver bill hickman, but dont try any of this driving in real life. The love bug is one of the most underrated carenthusiast films of all time considering that they have more car jargon dialog than all the fast and furious movies combined.
Writer william nolan quotes steves comments on his choice for the charger driver. For all the attention steve mcqueen has received for the famous chase in bullitt, he only drove 10% of the scene. Bullitt, the french connection and the sevenups, all shot on actual city s. Aug 03, 2018 m eanwhile, at the wheel of the charger, was famous hollywood stuntman bill hickman. Stuntman, stunt driver and later, stunt coordinator bill. Hickman tries to elude roy scheider famed stunt driver jerry.
Youll also learn things that you cant learn on your. The filming process for the iconic scene was actually a lot more challenging that you might think. James dean survived fatal car crash national enquirer. Cut to the chase classic scene in mcqueens bullitt unreal as ever. Bullitt, the french connection and the sevenups, all. Robert culp on bill hickman and the real car from the french connection duration. The pontiac chase in the sevenups is real as it gets. The mob blame nypd, but the real perpetrators are moon and bo richard lynch and stunt driver bill hickman of bullitt fame, with vito as the mastermind. Mar 12, 2016 bill hickman vs steve mcqeen charger rt. In those final days, racing was what he cared about most.
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