William Hickman (January 25, 1921 â€" February 24, 1986) was an
American professional stunt driver, stunt coordinator and actor in the
U.S. Film industry. He is considered one of the film industry's most
accomplished stunt drivers. 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 Seven-Ups.Bill Hickman was
already an established stuntman by the time The Wild One was being
filmed and his expertise on motorcycles landed him work on the Stanley
Kramer production. At some point during the project Hickman was
injured and was unable to continue. It is never clear whether he was
hurt while filming a stunt for the movie, although one account (by the
late Clyde Earl) had him taking a spill in a motorcycle race not
connected with the film. However, Hickman is clearly shown in several
of the publicity stills from The Wild One.Hickman spent some of these
earlier days as driver and friend to James Dean, driving Dean's Ford
station wagon towing Dean's famed 550 Spyder nicknamed “Little
Bastard†, and often helping and advising him with his driving
technique. He was driving the Ford station wagon and trailer following
Dean on the day of his fatal accident and was the first person on the
scene.Hickman was an extra in Dean's 1951 feature movie debut, Fixed
Bayonets!. A rare personal quote from Bill on his friendship with
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."
American professional stunt driver, stunt coordinator and actor in the
U.S. Film industry. He is considered one of the film industry's most
accomplished stunt drivers. 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 Seven-Ups.Bill Hickman was
already an established stuntman by the time The Wild One was being
filmed and his expertise on motorcycles landed him work on the Stanley
Kramer production. At some point during the project Hickman was
injured and was unable to continue. It is never clear whether he was
hurt while filming a stunt for the movie, although one account (by the
late Clyde Earl) had him taking a spill in a motorcycle race not
connected with the film. However, Hickman is clearly shown in several
of the publicity stills from The Wild One.Hickman spent some of these
earlier days as driver and friend to James Dean, driving Dean's Ford
station wagon towing Dean's famed 550 Spyder nicknamed “Little
Bastard†, and often helping and advising him with his driving
technique. He was driving the Ford station wagon and trailer following
Dean on the day of his fatal accident and was the first person on the
scene.Hickman was an extra in Dean's 1951 feature movie debut, Fixed
Bayonets!. A rare personal quote from Bill on his friendship with
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."
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