RUN ANGEL RUN 1969

 "He Squealed On His Gang...And The Word Was Out...WASTE HIM!"

 RUN ANGEL RUN from 1969 is notable for having several "firsts" attached to it. It was the first biker film that William Smith (THE LOSERS 1970) appeared in and in which would be a genre that he in the coming decade he would become synonymous with. It also marked the acting debut of blog favorite Margaret Markov (BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA 1973)

and most importantly was the directorial debut of the great Jack Starrett (RACE WITH THE DEVIL 1975) who would go on to helm a string of drive-in classics along with being a vastly underrated actor (check him out as the evil deputy in FIRST BLOOD).

Produced by Joe Solomon (WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS & ANGELS FROM HELL and who specialized in these) and Paul Rapp SCREAM FREE & THE STUDENT NURSES) it was released during the pivotal year of 1969 for biker films that also included the classics THE CYCLE SAVAGES, FIVE THE HARD WAY, HELL'S BELLES, HELL'S ANGELS '69, NAKED ANGELS, SATAN'S SADISTS, and of course EASY RIDER. All of which would lead to an explosion of choppers, iron crosses, and sleaziness which burst on the screen the following year. Although an exploitation genre film at its core (including a couple of brutal offscreen rapes) there is a surprisingly rather tender love story in RUN ANGEL RUN that makes this film a bit of an outlier.   

Angel (William Smith) has incurred the wrath of his fellow outlaw cycle gang members as he has sold a tell-all story about the biker lifestyle to a major weekly news magazine (titled "Like") for the sum of $10,000.  Unfortunately, Big Bill Smith did not seem to think this one through too carefully as not only does he have to wait two weeks to collect his payment but in addition, he must drive from his home base of L.A. up to San Francisco to retrieve it. Adding to his problems he is thrown in jail and upon having bail posted by his girlfriend, Laurie (Jack Starrett's daughter Valerie Starrett) he learns surprisingly (to him at least -somewhat oddly it would seem) that he is the subject of a massive manhunt by the biker community. All of whom are angrily clutching the magazine while snarling vengeance.

Heading off on his chopper with Laurie he is immediately sent upon by a gang of bikers who pursue him to a railroad yard where Starrett stages an excellent chase sequence involving a moving train that climaxes with Laurie jumping into an open boxcar (probably courtesy of stunt woman Randee Lynn Jensen) and Angel jumping his bike on a flatcar which is helped by some quick editing and changeover from a chopper to a motocross bike for the jump. The sequence also has some multi-screen editing and is a precursor to what a great director Starrett was and his feel for staging terrific action sequences. 

After tangling with some hobo-rapists Angel and Laurie take to the backroads and finding themselves in a small, isolated town they set up home in an abandoned house and attempt a kind of domestic tranquility (which is shaky at best) as Angel gets a job with local sheep rancher Dan Felton (Don Kemp THE GIRLS FROM THUNDER STRIP) where he initially seems eager to settle down. He bonds with Felton after repairing the rancher's antique motorcycle and begins to learn the intricacies of sheep farming including "sheep dipping"(??). Things turn dark when Angel's old gang tracks him down and begin their brutal revenge which tragically involves Felton's teenage daughter Meg (Margaret Markov).

Made for under $100,000 and shot in 13 days it went on to gross 13 million at the box office putting it directly behind A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN and just ahead of THE WILD BUNCH making it one of the most successful films of the outlaw biker drive-in genre. Starrett gets the most out of the film's meager budget and it does get bogged down for short periods of time with some of the mundane plot elements there's slow-building tension as Angel's old gang tracks him down. Although the scenario of the biker wanting to quit and go straight would be used later (such as 1970's ANGEL UNCHAINED), RUN ANGEL RUN is deservedly considered one of the best among the golden period of biker films. 

Thanks to an engaging script and the presence of William Smith who even in this early big screen appearance has a gravitas that comes bursting through. Although seeming eager to settle down with Laurie ("the straight life") he slowly begins to get frustrated only coming to life slowly with the restoration of Felton's antique motorcycle and later during the film's violent climax.

Markov who although in a small early role here shows the beginnings of her later cult status as an actress in the coming decade who is not only a beautiful face on the screen (she is one of those actresses that the camera seems to love) but bringing a wonderful presence to her film roles. After her marriage to actor and later producer Mark Damon she would drop out of sight but in the past several years has turned up in several DVD extras and documentaries. 

The screenplay was written by Jerome Wish (his other two credits are THE GAY DECEIVERS and ANGELS FROM HELL) and a V.A. Furlong. As this is the pseudonym-sounding V.A.'s only screen credit I'm wondering if it could actually be Jack Starrett? The busy Stu Phillips (BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, THE CURIOUS FEMALE, FOLLOW ME, and a truckload of other credits) supplies the score with the catchy & melodic (and a bit out of place) title theme by country superstar Tammy Wynette with some additional songs by The Windows.   

The full-frame DVD from Media Blasters is taken from a VHS master and features a Joe Bob Briggs commentary.

THE LOSERS 1970

aka NAM'S ANGELS

Ultimate Bad-Ass William Smith & His Biker Gang 
Channel Some Dirty Dozen Style Action in Vietnam !!

"THE ARMY HANDED THEM GUNS... AND A LICENSE TO KILL !"

      During the Vietnam war, the U.S. Army is faced with a risky mission in forbidden Cambodia and unable to send regular U.S forces they do the next logical thing and recruit a biker gang to carry out the mission. Combining plot elements of THE DIRTY DOZEN mixed with the biker movie genre and adding in tough guy William Smith along with cycle flick regular Adam Roarke, the weaslley Paul Kolso (in a rare semi- sympathetic role) and direction by the great Jack Starrett which when all combined together would seem to create instant drive-in alchemy.
     Although any biker movie with William Smith is pretty much an automatic thumbs up the problem with THE LOSERS is that it doesn't seem to have much of an idea with what to do with itself before the climactic attack sequence. Filmed entirely in the Philippines it probably would have benefited from some more recruitment and back story plot workings (ala' THE DIRTY DOZEN) but most likely because of budget and the ease and economics of using Filipino filming exclusively for the entire film this was not to be.

      Opening with a bang and a roar, we're shown a U.S. Army truck convoy being ambushed as they travel along a jungle road and then upon arriving in camp, gang leader "Link" (William Smith) and his cohorts (who are all fitted out in full biker regalia) chamber off the back of the trucks. The gang which includes "Duke (Adam Roarke DIRTY MARY AND CRAZY LARRY), "Dirty Denny" (Houston Savage),"Speed" (Eugene Cornelius RUN ANGEL RUN) and "Limpy" (Paul Koslo MR. MAJESTYK) have been recruited by an Army major (who happens to be Link's brother) for a secret mission. A diplomat/CIA agent has been captured and is being held in Viet Cong prison located just over the Cambodian border. Seeing how American forces aren't allowed to cross the border, the U.S. Army hires a gang of bikers (!) to complete the rescue as there's obviously no problem with a group of denim and leather-clad bikers from the U.S.A. tearing into the war and blowing up tons of stuff.

     Several of the gang members are ex-military and upon arriving in camp they find themselves under the leadership of ramrod straight Capt. Jackson (Bernie Hamilton from STARSKY AND HUTCH), along with his right-hand man Sgt. Winston (John Garwood HELL'S ANGELS ON WHEELS). Immediately they jump into things bikers from biker movies do best - including the requisite fighting, drinking and messing around with women, all of which leads to a lengthy wait until the film's climax. In the meantime, they do get to hang out at a bar complete with a rock band and a woman in her underwear go-go dancing.
     To the film's credit, it does attempt to give a bit of depth to the characters as Roarke's "Duke" hooks up with his old girlfriend from his service days and Limpy falls in love (in the space of about two minutes) with a young Vietnamese widow, developing a bond with her and her young child. Luckily Dirty Denny is around to keep the biker credo alive by jumping into his old business of running a bar/whorehouse and engaging in orgies with his girls.

You can't have a sweaty Filipino drive-in flick without Vic Diaz !!

     It's here that the proceedings get s a bit bogged down as there's not a whole lot of action to move the plot along, but the film in the place of this does try for some character development that differs from most biker films (plus, there's a nifty sequence involving the gang customizing their cycles's into combat mode complete with armor plating and rocket launchers !). As with most biker films there lots of footage of motorcycles rolling down the road (although down a jungle road here) and the sequences with Roarke and Koslo's romantic interludes while giving the depth of the character does slow things down a bit. As mentioned Koslo's transformation from grungy biker to caring family man seems to happen literally from one scene transition to the next.

    The cast helps with this immensely as with lesser actors in these roles the lengthy middle sequences would suffer even more. Although he often played tough roles Roarke always lent a bit of pathos to his characters and was always undervalued as an actor. Paul Koslo has spent his career playing weaselly spineless characters so it's a bit of a change here to see him playing a more honorable guy (albeit a biker) and is one of those actors that seems to quietly steal whatever movies he appears in.

     And then there's William Smith as "Link". Without a doubt, blessed with one of the greatest on-screen presence in the history of movies he seems to engulf the entire film just by standing there and when he's not around you can almost hear the air deflating from the plot.  Here playing an ex-serviceman returning to Vietnam, he quietly convoys a man who once believed in the cause but now is disgusted to see what its becomes and becomes increasingly suspicious of their mission's murky reality. In reality, Smith has an actual life biography that's even more impressive than his IMDB page!

      Director Starrett was one of the true icons of 70's drive-in movies. Although best known to most people as the sadistic deputy in 1982's FIRST BLOOD he directed such classics as RACE WITH THE DEVIL (1975), CLEOPATRA JONES (1973) and A SMALL TOWN IN TEXAS (1976). He sadly passed away in 1979 at the age of only 52 before his career could be fully appreciated.
      The film ends with a suitably rousing finale with lots of explosions with bodies & motorcycles flying about and those typical Filipino stunts that make you wonder what the real-life casualty rate was during the film's production. The climax also features a cameo by Jack Starrett as the raving paranoia-fueled CIA agent whose object of the rescue.  

  

Hicksploitation Movie Night # 8 - THE LAST AMERICAN HERO 1973

 

     It’s probably not all together fair to tag THE LAST AMERICAN HERO with the ”hicksploitation” label as although it contains moonshining and car chases in the course of the plot (and was marketed as such by Fox), it’s an excellent character driven drama that features wonderful work by its leads (and a veritable “who’s who” cast of 70’s character actors lurking about). Based upon on an article written by Tom Wolfe in March 1965 issue of Esquire titled The Last American Hero is Junior Johnson ( later re-printed in his book THE KANDY KOLORED TANGERINE FLAKE STREAMLINE BABY), in which Wolfe traveled to North Wilkesboro Speedway in N.C. and profiled stock racer/ ex-moonshiner (and future racing icon & team owner) Junior Johnson.

   Johnson served as technical advisor on the movie and although highly fictionalized (with Johnson’s characters name changed to Jackson and the story brought forth to contemporary times), the movie is helped immensely by actual North Carolina locations and an audience friendly script that contains a hugely “Americana” story with the notion that celebrates individualism and going one’s own way. In many ways its also a fascinating time capsule of rapidly disappearing piece of America & the lower rung roots of modern day racing in the form of the hundreds local dirt tracks that once dotted the south.

   Released at a time when stock car racing (except for the occasionally showing on THE WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS) was essentially a south of the Mason-Dixon line pastime, it had a rather checkered initial release (surprisingly doing better business in northern theatres). Re-released several times (at one point re-tilted HARD DRIVER) it later gained a cult following thru T.V. showings and a growing audience from the “gear head” fan base – such as what happened with John Frankenheimer’s GRAND PRIX from 1966.
   Jeff Bridges was an Oscar nominee for THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) and had just come off John Houston’s excellent FAT CITY (1972) and the now sadly forgotten western BAD COMPANY (1972). Here he plays backwoods North Carolinian Elroy “Junior” Jackson Jr. who as result of running a police blockade in his 1968 Mustang fastback compels the local sheriff to throw his moonshining father (Art Lund) in jail. Although Junior is basically a hothead and showoff (ultimately which is what caused his father to land in jail), like most of the characters Bridges had played over the years he brings a real down to earth personality to the role (along with a slight goofiness – and plus there’s that grin) which makes it impossible to not to root for him from the opening minutes. In addition William Roberts script plays up the “small guy vs. corporate big guys” aspect well in the form of big time racing team owner Burton Colt (70’s slimy/evil guy Ed Lauter).

    Initially seeing racing as a means to help his family out financially (including brother Gary Busey & mother Geraldine Fitzgerald) he enters a demolition derby at the local track run by promoter Hackel (Ned Beatty), but soon begins clawing his way up the racing ladder (“Stars cost money Hackel !”). Entering a race at Hickory N.C. he meets up with promoter Cleve Morley (Clint Eastwood regular and PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE’s Gregory Willcott) and wry veteran driver Kyle Kingman (the great William Smith- here billed as William Smith II), who’s wonderful here as the current top of the heap driver with one eye cast warily over his shoulder at the up & coming youngster. An almost achingly pretty Valerie Perrine plays Marge a racing groupie with a heart of gold who while always aligning herself with the current hot driver takes an immediate liking to Junior, perhaps seeing in him a future champion and someone and although initially attracted to her (and later hurt) she is another one of life’s lessons for Bridge’s character.

    Although at its core THE LAST AMERICAN HERO is a basic one dimensional script (Who will win the big race at the end?!), it is blessed with wonderfully drawn three dimensional characters with only actress Geraldine Fitzgerald somewhat oddly cast as the mother. Although she’s fine here (and looks the part) her Irish accent comes thru rather strongly at some points. As with a lot of movies from this period (and as mentioned before) the supporting cast is filled with familiar faces including Erica Hagen who would have a memorable bit part later in THUDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT and additionally appear in about every TV detective/cop show during the 70's. Director Lamont Johnson shows up as an oily hotel desk clerk.
   Bridges is superb in the title role such as the scene where he makes a recorded letter to his family in one of those do-it-yourself record booths and later the closing shot where he waves a greeting to his friends while brandishing the first class trophy before disappearing into the winners press conference as he says good-bye to his past. Although the DVD is OOP this is rumored to be a future blu-ray release from Twilight Time.