The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)

Director:

Tom Laughlin

Writers:

Tom Laughlin (writer)
Delores Taylor (writer)

Release Date:

13 November 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Music | Thriller

Tagline:

It takes up where Billy Jack left off

Plot:

After Billy Jack in sentenced to four years in prison for the "involuntary manslaughter" of the first film...

Plot Keywords:

School | Student | Prison | Freedom | Governor

Cast

Tom Laughlin	...	Billy Jack
Delores Taylor	...	Jean Roberts
Victor Izay	...	Doc
Teresa Kelly	...	Carol (as Teresa Laughlin)
Russell Lane	...	Russell
Geo Anne Sosa	...	Joanne
Lynn Baker	...	Lynn
Riley Hill	...	Posner
Sparky Watt	...	Sheriff Cole
Gus Greymountain	...	Blue Elk
Sacheen Littlefeather	...	Patsy Littlejohn
Michael Bolland	...	Danny
Jack Stanley	...	Grandfather
Bong Soo Han	...	Master Han
Rolling Thunder	...	Thunder Mountain
William Wellman Jr.	...	National Guardsman
Michelle Wilson	...	Michelle
Jason Clark	...	Cowboy #1
Sandra Ego	...	Indian Maiden
Johnny West	...	Turning Water
Trinidad Hopkins	...	Vision Maiden
Buffalo Horse	...	Little Bear
Teda Bracci	...	Teda
Dennis O'Flaherty	...	Defense attorney
Jean Newburn	...	Militant Indian Lawyer
George Aguilar	...	Elk's Shadow
Marianne Hall	...	Alicia
Pepper Rogers	...	Third Trooper
Debbie Hill	...	Debbie
Michael J. Shigezane	...	Karate Expert
Diane Webber	...	Belly-Dance instructor
Ken Tealor	...	Ken
Oshannah Fastwolf	...	Oshannah
Evans Thornton	...	Prosecuting Attorney
Kathy Cronkite	...	Kristen
Jack White	...	Bugger
DeLaura Henry	...	Liz
Ron Nix	...	Cowboy #2
Susan Sosa	...	Sunshine
Hosea Barnett
Patricia McCulloch	...	Girl
David Scott Clark	...	Town Boy
Alexandra Nicholson	...	Abby

Directed by
Tom Laughlin		(as Frank Laughlin)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tom Laughlin		writer (as Frank Christina)
Delores Taylor		writer (as Teresa Christina)

Produced by
Joe Cramer	....	producer
Robert E. Schultz	....	associate producer
Beverly Walker	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Jack A. Marta

Film Editing by
Michael Economou
George Grenville
Michael Kahn
Michael Karr
Jules Nayfack
Tom Rolf
Toni Rolf

Casting by
Lee Schaff Guardino
John Longenecker

Art Direction by
George Troast

Costume Design by
Moss Mabry

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Connors	....	assistant director (as Thomas J. Connors III)
Jack N. Reddish	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Richard Burton	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration

Stunts
Phil Adams	....	stunts
Ron Nix	....	stunts
Regina Parton	....	stunts
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Wynn Hammer	....	still photographer
Sherman Kunkel	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Frank Kennedy	....	extras casting: locations (uncredited)

Music Department
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Other crew
Michael Kennedy	....	production assistant (uncredited)
John Naulin	....	consultant: Indian ceremonies (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Taylor-Laughlin Productions

Distributors

• Taylor-Laughlin (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)

Other Companies

• Phoenix Film Office  special thanks

Runtime:

170 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:PG | South Africa:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Bandelier National Monument - 15 Entrance Road, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Taylor-Laughlin Productions

Trivia:

The Indian Rights symposium in the film was unscripted. The testimonials delivered were written by the actual speakers/actors.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: There is a scene in which the Freedom School kids are watching a Freedom School TV interview with Posner on a television atop a tower of equipment. The interview footage had been grafted onto the larger image. In one shot, when the camera pans, the grafted interview footage moves completely off of the TV set and into another part of the shot, then back onto the (originally white-noised) TV screen.

Quotes:

Jean Roberts: Y'know, I really feel sorry for your children.
Prosecuting attorney: You feel sorry for *my* children?
Jean Roberts: Yes, and for you too. You know me... and you know I don't lie. It must be terrible to make it seem that way just to earn your money.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Theme from 'The Trial of Billy Jack'

Fetid and overblown tripe

Omaha, Nebraska, had the dubious honour of being the city Tom Laughlin chose to have the world premiere for "Trial of Billy Jack". I wish he'd given the honour to any other city but mine. I can't think of a film that was harder to sit through than this one; it seemed to never end. I had seen "Born Losers" and like it immensely. I'd seen the first Billy Jack, and it was okay. These are the only reasons I went to "Trial", and at 17 I guess you don't need any others; I was there on opening night in 1974.

The memory of the unending torment I endured while watching this film still sits in my brain, like a compost heap that never fully decomposes. Words can't express the boredom and agony of seeing this movie; 45 hours of labor with my first child was not as difficult. I should have walked out of the theater, and in fact, while the girl in the wheelchair was giving testimony, I did, leaving my fiance there to suffer by himself. I spent as much time as I could in the restroom, but knew I had to go back and face the rest of the film, if only for his sake. Run, don't walk, away from this piece of torture, if you're ever in the vicinity of a Billy Jack Retrospective, or find it while channel surfing. Your memory center will be glad you did.