Hells Angels on Wheels (1967)

Director:

Richard Rush

Writer:

R. Wright Campbell (screenplay)

Release Date:

June 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The shattering true story of the Hells Angels of Northern California

Plot:

At first gas station attendant Poet is happy when the rockers gang "Hell's Angels" finally accepts him...

Plot Keywords:

Motel | Gas Station Attendant | Gas Station | Drugs | Police

Cast

Adam Roarke	...	Buddy
Jack Nicholson	...	Poet
Sabrina Scharf	...	Shill
Jana Taylor	...	Abigale
Richard Anders	...	Bull
John Garwood	...	Jocko
I.J. Jefferson	...	Pearl
James Oliver	...	Darrell 'Gypsy' Whitman
Jack Starrett	...	Sgt. Bingham
Bruno VeSota	...	Episcopal Priest
Bob Kelljan	...	Artist (as Robert Kelljan)
Kathryn Harrow	...	Lori
John 'Bud' Cardos		(as Bud Cardos)
Tex Hall
Gary Littlejohn	...	Moley

Runtime:

90 min | Argentina:95 min | Australia:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) | UK:R (1967-1977) | UK:15 (DVD rating) | USA:X (re-rating) (1977) | USA:Approved | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:R | Finland:(Banned) (1968) | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fanfare Films

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Camera operator shadow visible when Poet tosses a Madcap into the toilet in the girl's bathroom during the bar fight.

Quotes:

Poet: [to Buddy] I don't need you! I don't need your jacket! I'm not part of your private army!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sinister Saga of Making 'The Stunt Man' (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Study In Motion #1

Above average b-grade biker exploitation.

'Hells Angels on Wheels' is a surprisingly tough and entertaining b-grade 60s biker movie. Jack Nicholson plays a gas attendant named Poet who becomes involved with some Hells Angels. Their leader Buddy (Adam Roarke) takes a shine to Poet, and Poet is attracted to Buddy's old lady Shill (Sabrina Scharf). Nicholson went on to movie superstardom, Roarke to cult status and an untimely death, and Scharf a bit part in 'Easy Rider' and then a career in politics. Most people will probably watch this to get some cheap laughs out of early Nicholson. He is actually pretty good here, better than the material deserves, but the real star performance in the movie is from the seriously underrated Roarke. Roarke was often the best thing about the sometimes awful movies he had to appear in (see 'Dirty Mary Crazy Larry' for example), and he exudes charisma and intelligence here. Director Richard Rush obviously valued him, as he reteamed him with Nicholson in the hilarious 'Psych-Out' and even gave him a small role in his masterpiece 'The Stunt Man'. 'Hells Angels on Wheels' obviously isn't anywhere near as good as the latter, but it is much better than you'd expect and definitely worth tracking down.