The Choppers (1961)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Leigh Jason

Writer:

Arch Hall Sr. (writer)

Release Date:

30 November 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A gang of teenage delinquents terrorize a small community by stealing cars and stripping them for parts, then selling the parts to a crooked junkyard owner. The police and an insurance company investigator set out to break up the gang. |

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Juvenile Delinquent | Hot Rod | Independent Film

Cast

Arch Hall Jr.	...	Jack 'Cruiser' Bryan
Marianne Gaba	...	Liz
Robert Paget	...	Torch Lester (as Robert Padget)
Tom Brown	...	Tom Hart
Burr Middleton	...	Tony 'The Snooper' Panilli (as Mickey Hoyle)
Rex Holman	...	Flip Johnson (as Roye Baker)
Chuck Barnes	...	Ben Shore
William Shaw	...	Police Lt. Frank Fleming (as Bill Shaw)
Bruno VeSota	...	Moose McGill
Britt Wood	...	Cowboy Boggs
Dee Gee Green	...	Gypsy
Richard Cowl	...	Mr. Lester (as Richard S. Cowl)
Pat Hawley	...	Officer Jenks

Runtime:

USA:66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Rushmore Productions

Trivia:

Film debut of Arch Hall Jr.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the gang is terrorizing Norman and his girlfriend in their car at the drive-in, Snooper remarks that Moon hubcaps - a lightweight hubcap that covers the entire face of the rim - dent easily, and a close-up shows someone's foot kicking several dents in a Moon cap. However, when Norman's car finally backs up a few seconds later and leaves the drive-in, there are no Moon hubcaps on it, only small round caps that cover just the hub of the wheel.

Quotes:

Mr. Lester: [drunkenly, into microphone] I wanna tell the whole world something. Those cops, they ain't gonna take my boy Torch. There ain't enough cops in the whole world to take my boy Torch. You hear me? They ain't gonna take my boy Torch!
Jim Bradford: [taking away microphone] Ladies and gentlemen, when you pick up your morning newspaper and read about some youngster getting into trouble and wonder why... I think you've heard one good answer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wild Guitar (1962)

Soundtrack:

Konga Joe

Cool T-Bucket!

This movie contains a cool t-bucket. It is the star of the movie in my opinion. (Sorry Arch!) The shifter was about neck-high. It had six carburetors. The slicks were all of 6 inches wide! I wonder where I could find some of those today. It was interesting to see the huge walkie-talkie "technology". Although the music was horrible and boring(includes monkey sounds!!!), it was a fun movie and worth the time to watch. I've enjoyed it 3 times. The '50's slang was fun to try to decipher. I don't think the junk yard dog nor any chickens were injured in the production of this movie, although a minimum of two feathers were plucked. They may have been the same feather, filmed at different angles.