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:

reference to arizona | navajo indian | navajo | gang | motorcycle gang | 

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Taglines:

An innocent girl is first prize in the dirtiest game ever played!

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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

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Laughlin used the pseudonym T.C. Frank for his director's credit. The name stands for his three children, Frank, Teresa, and Christina

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Goofs

When Vicki is getting out of the ocean and her jacket blows off her bike, it lands a few feet from the dead seal. In the very next shot, it's just inches from the seal.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street (2015)

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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

Sixties artifact with the debut of Billy Jack!

While most people are familiar with Tom Laughlin's half Native American/half Anglo cult figure Billy Jack through THE LEGEND OF BILLY JACK, many don't know that the character originally appeared in this flick, an off-kilter biker flick about a group of psycho cyclists who terrorize a small California town over Spring Break and zero in on a young college co-ed whom they raped and don't want to testify against them. No, the film isn't as good(or political)as the two sequels, but it does say something about the isolation of the individual in a society that won't stand up and protect that individual from harm. There's a profound sense of solitude in the cinematography of beaches and seaside highways and the sparse, often inarticulate dialog. And, looking closely at the motorcycle gang, you can see some none-too-subtle homosexual overtones. Of course, all the quick cuts and zoom shots earmark the film as a product of late sixties moviemaking. Still, if you want to catch a glimpse of Billy Jack's debut or like to study sixties film styles, take a look at this one