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Hickman, who coordinated possibly the 3 greatest car chases in the history of cinema, was born on Jan. 25th, 1921. He died of cancer on Feb. 24th, 1986. He was 65.
Hickman was also behind the wheel in all 3 of those chases: He was the hitman Phil, driving the 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440 being chased by Steve McQueen in his 1968 Ford Mustang GT in BULLITT, he doubled for Gene Popeye Doyle Hackman in THE FRENCH CONNECTION, driving the 1971 Pontiac LeMans Hardtop Sedan, which Doyle commandeers to chase an elevated train carrying the French hitman Nicoli (Marcel Bozzuffi) and he was at the wheel of the 1973 Pontiac Grand Ville being pursued by Roy Scheider's 1973 Pontiac Ventura in THE SEVEN-UPS.
Hickman handling the Dodge Charger in BULLITT
The fiery climax of the BULLITT chase
Hickman just missing the 'lady with the baby carriage' in THE FRENCH CONNECTION
This crash was a mistake but FRENCH director William Friedkin kept it the final cut
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Hickman tries to elude Roy Scheider (famed stunt driver Jerry Summers doubled for Roy some) in THE SEVEN-UPS
Hickman came up with the finale of THE SEVEN-UPS chase, with Scheider's car hitting the back of an 18 wheeler and having it's top peeled back like a can of sardines
Genge and Hickman in BULLITT
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With the real life Popeye Doyle, Eddie Egan, in THE FRENCH CONNECTION
With villain extraordinaire Richard BAD DREAMS Lynch in THE SEVEN-UPS
Some of Hickman's other notable film & TV credits as actor, stuntman and/or stunt driver includes: VANISHING POINT, HICKEY & BOGGS, PATTON (as George C. Scott's driver), THE LOVE BUG, POINT BLANK, JAILHOUSE ROCK (as the guard who whips Elvis), THE HINDENBURG, WHAT'S UP DOC?, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, THE WRECKING CREW, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., THE FLIM-FLAM MAN, THE GREAT RACE, THE THIEF WHO CAME TO DINNER, CODE TWO, THE LAWLESS YEARS, HOME FROM THE HILL, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode Ring-a-Ding Girl, HONEY WEST, BRANDED, BONANZA, BATMAN (as a Henchman of The Penguin), COLUMBO, THE F.B.I., TO PLEASE A LADY, THE FAR HORIZONS, THE FUGITIVE, THE OUTER LIMITS episode The Mice, A FINE MADNESS and REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE with real life pal James Dean.
With William ''Willy'' the Conqueror in PATTON
THE OUTER LIMITS
COLUMBO
Hickman whipping The King in JAILHOUSE ROCK
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HICKEY & BOGGS
Nice stunt in THE LOVE BUG
Besides BULLITT, THE FRENCH CONNECTION & THE SEVEN-UPS, Hickman was also the stunt coordinator on such other films as CAPRICORN ONE, CHARLEY AND THE ANGEL and RAGE, as well as the second unit director on the motorcycle cult classic ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE, which he also did stunts on.
CAPRICORN ONE features a great 'car with no brakes going off a bridge' sequence which Hickman staged. The film's spectacular aerial sequences were staged by famed stunt pilot David Jones
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ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE featured some exciting chase scenes as well
Hickman at work:
The last 3 mins. of the BULLITT chase
Behind the scenes on THE FRENCH CONNECTION chase Rated R!
The full car chase in THE SEVEN-UPS
ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE chopper chase
Trailer for the action & stunt packed Peter Hyams conspiracy thriller classic
CAPRICORN ONE
Driving scene from THE LOVE BUG
THE SEVEN-UPS see Hickman act at the 19 min. and 30 second spot
The first half of the WHAT'S UP DOC? car chase
Hickman is the henchman on the right who fights BATMAN (and Robin & Batgirl)
Hickman is somewhere in the melee in THE GREAT RACE bar room brawl
The bird is the word for MGM's Lew Smith, Barbara Stanwyck, Clark Gable and Hickman on the set of the 1950 race car romance drama TO PLEASE A LADY--
This photo was sent to professional racer and 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner Johnnie Parsons, who played a driver in the film, after Parsons had flipped the bird to his chief mechanic as a reaction to the constant signals the mechanic kept giving Parsons during the race. Smith and Gable had been observers in the pit during the race.
Did you know...?
Hickman was injured while working on THE WILD ONE with Marlon Brando and was unable to continue on the project.
There's Hickman on the far right
Hickman was good friends with James Dean.
Hickman on Dean:
"In those final days, racing was what he cared about most. I had been teaching him things like how to put a car in a four-wheel drift, but he had plenty of skill of his own. If he had lived he might have become a champion driver. We had a running joke, I'd call him Little Bastard and he'd call me Big Bastard. I never stop thinking of those memories."
Dean on the left and Hickman on the right
In the middle, J.D.'s 'Little Bastard' Porsche
Hickman was driving the Ford station wagon towing the trailer for Dean's 550 Porsche Spyder on September 30th, 1955.
He was the first on the scene of the accident.
Dean died in Hickman's arms.
Hickman on the accident:
"We were about two or three minutes behind him. I pulled him out of the car, and he was in my arms when he died, his head fell over. I heard the air coming out of his lungs the last time. Didn’t sleep for five or six nights after that, just the sound of the air coming out of his lungs."
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