The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)

After Billy Jack in sentenced to four years in prison for the "involuntary manslaughter" of the first film, the Freedom School expands and flourishes under the guidance of Jean Roberts. The... See full summary »

Director:

Tom Laughlin

Writers:

Tom Laughlin (screenplay), Delores Taylor (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Victor Izay

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Laughlin	...	Billy Jack
Delores Taylor	...	Jean Roberts
Victor Izay	...	Doc
Teresa Kelly	...	Carol (as Teresa Laughlin)
Sara Lane	...	Russell (as Russell Lane)
Sara 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

Storyline

After Billy Jack in sentenced to four years in prison for the "involuntary manslaughter" of the first film, the Freedom School expands and flourishes under the guidance of Jean Roberts. The utopian existence of the school is characterized by everything ranging from "yoga sports" to muckracking journalism. The diverse student population airs scathing political exposes on their privately owned television station. The narrow-minded townspeople have different ideas about their brand of liberalism. Billy Jack is released and things heat up for the school. Students are threatened and abused and the Native Americans in the neighboring village are taunted and mistreated. After Billy Jack undergoes a vision quest, the governor and the police plot to permanently put an end to their liberal shenanigans, leaving it up to Billy Jack to save the day.

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Plot Keywords:

school | student | yoga | governor | native american | 

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Taglines:

It takes up where Billy Jack left off

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Music | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

The Official Billy Jack Website

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

I diki tou Billy Jack

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Taylor-Laughlin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

170 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the films included in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)" by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.

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Goofs

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.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

Prior to the opening credits being shown, statistics about American campus shootings are displayed onscreen set to shots of the canyons of the Southwest.

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Connections

Follows Billy Jack (1971)

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Soundtracks

"How I Need You"
Theme From The Trial of Billy Jack
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Lyrics by Delores Taylor
Sung by Michelle Wilson

User Reviews

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.