The Born Losers (1967)

Director:

Tom Laughlin

Writer:

Elizabeth James (writer)

Release Date:

18 August 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

CORNERED! A HOT SUMMER NIGHT...A PACK OF STRAY 'CHOPPER JOCKEYS'...

Plot:

Billy Jack battles outlaw motorcycle gang in a small California beach town.

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Motorcycle | Motorcycle Gang | Rape | Beating

Cast

Tom Laughlin	...	Billy Jack
Elizabeth James	...	Vicky Barrington
Jeremy Slate	...	Daniel 'Danny' Carmody
William Wellman Jr.	...	Child
Jack Starrett	...	Deputy Fred
Paul Bruce	...	District Attorney George Davis
Robert Cleaves	...	Mr. Crawford
Paul Prokop	...	Speechless
Robert Tessier	...	Cueball (as Robert W. Tessier)
Jeff Cooper	...	Gangrene
Stuart Lancaster	...	Sheriff Harvey (as Stewart Lancaster)
Anne Bellamy	...	Mrs. Prang
Gordon Hoban	...	Jerry Carmody
Susan Foster	...	Linda Prang
Janice Miller	...	Jodell Shorn

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:(Banned) | Hungary:16 | Sweden:(Banned) | UK:18 (video rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Huntington Shores Motel - 21002 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, California, USA

Company:

American International Productions

Trivia:

Tom Laughlin used the pseudonym T.C. Frank for his director's credit. The name stands for his two children, Frank, and Teresa Christina.

Goofs:

Continuity: The brake lever on the right handle bar of Vicki's Yamaha sticks up at an angle at the beginning of the movie, and 30 minutes into the movie, it disappears. Later, it reappears and disappears again several times.

Movie Connections:

References Red River (1948)

Sixties artifact with the debut of Billy Jack!

While most people are familiar with Tom Laughlin's half Native American/half Anglo cult figure Billy Jack through THE LEGEND OF BILLY JACK, many don't know that the character originally appeared in this flick, an off-kilter biker flick about a group of psycho cyclists who terrorize a small California town over Spring Break and zero in on a young college co-ed whom they raped and don't want to testify against them. No, the film isn't as good(or political)as the two sequels, but it does say something about the isolation of the individual in a society that won't stand up and protect that individual from harm. There's a profound sense of solitude in the cinematography of beaches and seaside highways and the sparse, often inarticulate dialog. And, looking closely at the motorcycle gang, you can see some none-too-subtle homosexual overtones. Of course, all the quick cuts and zoom shots earmark the film as a product of late sixties moviemaking. Still, if you want to catch a glimpse of Billy Jack's debut or like to study sixties film styles, take a look at this one