The Born Losers (1967)

Director:

Tom Laughlin

Writer:

Elizabeth James

Release Date:

12 July 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 Gang | Motorcycle | Beach | Rape

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
Julie Cahn	...	LuAnn Crawford (as Julie Cohn)
Jane Russell	...	Mrs. Shorn
Ruth Warshawsky
Bill Carey
Paul Napier
Art Eisner
Michael Ivey
Edwin Cook	...	Crabs
Timothy Hall
Robert Coutu
Susan Baumann
Susan Winfield
Robin Corum
Tom Middleton
Wayne Cappasso
James Smith
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Apollo	...	Dr. (uncredited)
Clegg Hoyt	...	Mr. Carmody (uncredited)
Randee Lynne Jensen	...	Extra (uncredited)
Teresa Kelly	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Mike LeSage	...	Pedistrian (uncredited)
Delores Taylor	...	Pedestrian with Children / Opening Off Screen Narrator (uncredited)

Directed by
Tom Laughlin		(as T.C. Frank)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Elizabeth James		(as E. James Lloyd)

Produced by
Tom Laughlin	....	producer (as Donald Henderson)
Jay Loughrin	....	associate producer
Delores Taylor	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mike Curb
Davie Allan		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Gregory Sandor

Film Editing by
John Winfield

Production Design by
Richard Beck-Meyer

Makeup Department
Louis Lane	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Paul Lewis	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonathan Hayes	....	assistant director

Art Department
Mike Ezzes	....	property master

Sound Department
Le Roy Robbins	....	sound
James Nelson	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gary Kent	....	special effects: AIP

Stunts
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tex Hall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Robles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Tessier	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Pecchi	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Katharine Free	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Mike Curb	....	conductor
Al Simms	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	presenter
Barbara Bouvet	....	production assistant
Alan Chase	....	production coordinator
T.J. Healy II	....	production assistant
Joyce King	....	script supervisor
James H. Nicholson	....	presenter

Production Companies

• American International Productions
• Fanfare Films
• Otis Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• Gloria Filmverleih AG (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1974) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Fanfare Films
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (video)

Other Companies

• Armie Associates  casting
• Edit-Rite  sound effects
• Switched-On  special costuming
• Westheimer Company  optical effects

Also Known As:

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

American International Productions

Trivia:

When Billy Jack and Vicky Barrington meet the astrologer in the restaurant, he asks Billy when his birthday is. Billy replies "August 10th." This is the birthday of Tom Laughlin, who plays Billy Jack.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Vicki tries to escape after the biker shuts off the fuel valve, her motorcycle slows to a halt after the carburetors run empty. The sound of the motor slowing down to a stop is that of a 4 cycle engine. This bike had a 2 cycle motor, as did all Yamaha bikes in the '60s.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 42nd Street Forever, Volume 2: The Deuce (2006) (V)

Classic Hero

Loner Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin), just returned from Viet Nam, pits himself against a vicious motorcycle gang who are terrorizing a California town, protecting a rape victim and standing alone when even the police are reluctant to act.

This is one of the best of its kind. Made on a shoestring budget the tight storyline allows for few frills but plenty of classic hero and villain tension. In-your-face violence for its time, only a little martial-arts action (compared to the later BJ films) but all the ingredients are on hand for a character who is destined to become an American screen icon.

The nattering nabobs can kavetch about bad acting until their faces turn blue---Billy Jack is what he is, and Laughlin plays him to perfection. Particular credit goes to veteran actor Jeremy Slate as the complicated, arrogant gang leader, and again to Laughlin, for writing the part. Laughlin's villains have an element of sympathy. They may be monsters, but they have reasons for the way they behave and this makes them more human.

Look for an early walk-on by Laughlin's wife and later screen partner Delores Taylor (also his executive producer and co-writer)and their son and daughter (she would have a substantial role in following BJ flicks).

Also on hand is one of our favorite heavies, Robert Tessier as CueBall, sporting thick dark hair before he adopted his well-known shaved-head look. Tessier, a military vet and stunt man, was also the stunt adviser for the film.

Classic hero defending his girl against despicable bad guys makes for ONE TERRIFIC MOVIE. If you like this one check out BILLY JACK and DEFIANCE (Jan-Michael Vincent).