The Born Losers (1967)

Billy Jack battles outlaw motorcycle gang in a small California beach town.

Director:

Tom Laughlin (as T.C. Frank)

Writer:

Elizabeth James (as James Lloyd)

Stars:

Tom Laughlin, Elizabeth James, Jeremy Slate

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A malicious motorcycle gang harasses the residents of a small California town, intimidating most residents to not report them to the police. Among the gang's crimes is the rape of four young women. As the gang attempts to threaten the women into not testifying at the indictment hearing, one of the women, Vicki, comes under the protection of Billy Jack, who has also had several altercations with the gang. The gang escalates their pressure on both Vicki and Billy Jack to keep her out of the courtroom.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | motorcycle gang | motorcycle | beach | rape | 

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Taglines:

CORNERED! A HOT SUMMER NIGHT...A PACK OF STRAY 'CHOPPER JOCKEYS'...

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 July 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nacidos para perder

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$360,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$26,535,973

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fanfare Films,Otis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

A self-financed film, Tom Laughlin ran out of money during post-production. He showed a working print to his contacts at American International Pictures (a company noted for its exploitation fare) and they agreed to give him the $300,000 he needed to complete the film.

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Goofs

In the scene where sheriff, DA, et al. are sitting in the living room (not too far from the end of the film), the telescope in the background changes angle over and over.

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Quotes

Daniel 'Danny' Carmody: I'm gonna cut your bowels out.

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Connections

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 1 (1996)

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Soundtracks

The Losers Bar
Written and Produced by Mike Curb, Co-produced by Al Simms
Performed by Davie Allan And The Arrows (as The Sidewalk Sounds)

User Reviews

''Out For Kicks And In For Trouble!''

Contrary to one reviewer's information, "Born Losers" was a smash at the box office the FIRST time it was released in '67. And it's easy to see why. It's the most entertaining of the "biker movie" genre, because it has a story and vivid characters. Elizabeth James is Vicky Barrington, a vacationing college student who comes up against a nasty motorcycle gang in a California mountain town. Naturally, the gang, headed by a weathered Jeremy Slate, take off after Vicky (who is on a motorcycle wearing white boots and a matching bikini) and two of them eventually catch and rape her. She's not the only victim. Three incredibly foolish local girls visit the gang's "clubhouse" and meet a similar fate. But they don't have a champion like Tom Laughlin (in his first appearance as Billy Jack) who manages to get Vicky out of danger (at least for a while) and subsequently falls in love with her. "Born Losers" has a great score by "Wild Angels" composer (and future Lieutenant Governor of California) Mike Curb, good acting by a large cast, and a fine cameo appearance by Jane Russell as the trashy mother of one of the victimized girls. Add some beautiful locations and some slick motorcycle stunts, and you have a "Born Winner!" Incidentally, beautiful Ms. James turned up as a police dispatcher in the seventies cult classic, "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry". She also wrote the screenplay for "Born Losers" (under the pen name 'E. James Lloyd').