The Vintagent Selects: My Bike: 1971 Yamaha At1 125
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX7_R70NC7o
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
MY BIKE: 1971 YAMAHA AT1 125 (2013)
Run Time: 1:14
A Film By: James Jones
Music By: James Jones
Key Cast: Corinna Mantlo
FILM MAKERS
James Jones is a NYC based filmmaker. 1971 Yamaha AT1 125 is the first film in the six part 'My Bike' series. Followed by: 2014 Thruxton, 1973 Triumph Daytona T100R, Aaron, 1969 Triumph Tiger, 2013 Sportster Iron,
SUMMARY
Corinna Mantlo talks about her motorcycle: a 1971 yamaha at1 125. Corinna is Curator Of Film here at The Vintagent as well as the Founder of Via Meccanica, The Miss-Fires, Cine Meccanica, and The Motorcycle Film Festival.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Classics: The Pace That Thrills
https://vimeo.com/485718903
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
THE PACE THAT THRILLS (1952)
Run Time: 1:03:00
Producer: RKO
Director: Leon Barsha
Writer: Robert Lee Johnson, DeVallon Scott
Key Cast: Bill Williams, Carla Balenda, Robert Armstrong
FILM MAKERS
The Pace That Thrills is a 1952 American action film directed by Leon Barsha and written by Robert Lee Johnson and DeVallon Scott. The film stars Bill Williams, Carla Balenda, Robert Armstrong, Frank McHugh and Michael St. Angel.
SUMMARY
Los Angeles newspaper reporter Eve Drake is assigned to cover a motorcycle race. There she sees Dusty Weston win a race using questionable tactics. She is asked to present the winner's trophy afterward, but when Dusty plants a kiss on her, she slaps his face.
Eve's critical article irks Dusty and his employer, J.C. Barton, who owns a motorcycle factory. At a home belonging to his mechanic pal Rocket Anderson, they discuss Eve with rival cyclist Chris Rhodes, another friend. Chris suggests softening her up and invites Eve to pay another visit. She enjoys a cycle ride until Chris and Dusty try to elude two motorcycle police officers and crash into a ditch.
Chris then suffers a leg injury in a race after Dusty's dangerous maneuver. Dusty is fired, after which Chris is given a new hydraulic bike to race that Barton needs to be a success if he is going to be able to keep his factory up and running. Chris protests that Dusty is the better rider and could win the big race on the new bike. Barton refuses to budge, and while Dusty takes a job as a trick rider for a carnival (see link below to watch the daredevil scene).
Chris falls in love with Eve, but she's romantically attracted to Dusty and unsure what to do. Chris punches him when Dusty says they intend to marry. Dusty then surprisingly enters the big race, competing against Chris and the new Barton bike. At the last minute, when Chris takes a spill, Dusty deliberately does the same, giving Chris a chance to get back up and be victorious. A grateful Chris congratulates his friend and Eve on their engagement.
RELATED MEDIA
Watch the Wall of Death / Hell Driver carnival scene at Cine Meccanica
The Vintagent Selects: 1500
https://vimeo.com/492481412
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
1500 (2020)
Run Time: 14:46
A film by: Will Carr
FILM MAKERS
Wolli Films is the creative friendship between Will Carr and Oliver Knoop. Brought together through a passion of motorbikes that quickly developed into an artistic collaboration. With a shared passion for the beauty in the details of life that often go unnoticed and an eye for the cinematic, they bring out the soul of each project no matter the scale or purpose.
SUMMARY
1500 - A Short Film About A Long Adventure
‘1500’ is a short documentary about the longest motorcycle rally in Europe - The Great Malle Rally. Shot and edited in 2020 by the filmmaker Will Carr, as he rode the 1500+ route from the southern to the northern tip of mainland Britain, capturing the adventure with the rally teams.
RELATED MEDIA
About the Rally: WWW.MALLELONDON.COM/RALLY
Wolli Films: WWW.WOLLIFILMS.COM
The Vintagent Selects: Stacie B. London: In A Straight Line
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB6t4WkNygM&feature=youtu.be
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
Stacie B. London: In A Straight Line (2020)
Run Time: 28:19
Producer: Nadia Fugazza
Director: Tiziano Niero
Key Cast: Stacie B. London
FILM MAKERS
Originally produced for Petrolicious, shared exclusively with The Vintagent.
SUMMARY
When it comes to riding motorcycles, Stacie London isn’t the type to shy away from a challenge. Her goals see her chasing and breaking speed records, but while it takes a lot of determination and focus to do so, there’s no tunnel vision in this story. For Stacie, being involved in the whole process is essential to why she rides at all.
In this film, we dive into that process, to all the months of preparation that manifest in more than just long hours spent in the shop, from setting up and tuning her vintage single-cylinder Harley-Davidson, to the less tangible, more philosophical elements that culminate in the act itself: getting out onto the salt flats and going as fast as possible.
Stacie’s mentor and helping hand throughout many of her years of land speed riding, Ralph Hudson, has been a source of inspiration and wisdom for her record attempts, and although he tragically passed away this year doing what he loved (Hudson, one of the most known and loved figures in the community, broke the land speed record for “sit-on” motorcycles at the age of 67 on his turbocharged Suzuki in 2017), the guidance he shared is as important as ever, and the memories eternally cherished.
Stacie continues to set new records, and subsequently new goals, because sometimes the end game is not to finally reach the proverbial carrot, but to keep going after it, faster and faster.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Selects: Ray Thauscher
https://vimeo.com/459080305
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
RAY TAUSCHER (2020)
Run Time: 16:53
A film by: Ned & Mike Thanhouser
FILM MAKERS
Ned is an award winning documentary filmmaker. He is also an avid member of the local motorcycle community and has produced several short films about the Alley Sweeper and the Black Dog Dual Sport events, as well as the 2016 feature documentary film The Monkey & Her Driver, which follows America’s only all women sidecar road racing team for 2015.
SUMMARY
Raymond F. Tauscher (Tauser in international press), born in Portland in 1905, began riding motorcycles in 1920 inspired by racing at the Gresham Speed Bowl. His competitive racing career began in 1923 where he won the regional championship. His titleholder status took him around the globe five times where in 1931 he won international championship titles in the UK, Europe and Australia. Ray returned to America in 1934 where he was a leading proponent of motorcycle racing on the east and west coasts of the United States eventually retiring in Portland.
In 2020 Ned Thanhouser and son Michael Thanhouser researched Ray’s racing career, located surviving family members and collected Ray’s scrapbooks, photo albums, and racing memorabilia. This 17-minute documentary film tells the story of Ray’s racing career, his world-wide travels, and his loves.
This film premiered at the South Jersey Moto Film Festival on December 4, 2020.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Classics: Cycles South
https://vimeo.com/487792187
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
CYCLES SOUTH (1971)
Run Time: 1:28:00
Producer: DAL Arts
Director: Don Marshall
Writer: Bill Adkins, Don Marshall
Key Cast: Don Marshall, Vaughan Everly, Bobby Garcia
FILM MAKERS
Three young men decide to break the monotony in their lives by climbing on their BSA 441 Victor Specials, pointing them south and heading wherever fate takes them.
SUMMARY
Probably the most politically-incorrect road movie you will ever see. Tired of their everyday life of drinking and women-chasing, three guys jump on their BSAs with $300 apiece and ride from Colorado to Panama to indulge in some, er, drinking and women-chasing. This wild documentary shows our heroes living it up on the road, while exhorting the viewer to do likewise before becoming tied down with work and family.
These guys squeeze action and adventure out of every moment — diving for their dinner, surfing, dirt-biking, even a spot of bull-fighting! But to make it absolutely clear that this isn’t some kind of introspective soul-searching trip, they also spend a lot of time pursuing every bit of skirt going,including a stop-off at a very groovy commune, where they smoke a load of dope and get frisky with the hippie chicks before indulging in some impromptu nude motocross racing!
If you have ever dreamed of hitting the road with a bunch of mates and behaving extremely badly (and who hasn’t?) this film may finally kick you into action! - review courtesy of The Adventure Travel Film Festival
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Classics: The Hard Ride
https://youtu.be/eq0xrQjRVdY
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
THE HARD RIDE (1971)
Run Time: 1:33:00
A Bilm By: Burt Topper
Key Cast: Robert Fuller, Sherry Bain, Tony Russel
FILM MAKERS
He came home for love and peace and found another kind of war.
The Hard Ride came out at the tail end of the Biker Flick deluge, and is unique in it's tone. A dark but sentimental tale of a fallen Vietnam soldier returned home to be laid to rest by his old biker gang. The film was written, directed, and produced by Burt Topper, a name well known in vehicular cult cinema for producing Fireball 500 (1966), Thunder Alley (1967), Devil’s Angels (1967), and The Devil’s 8 (1969). Burt (credited as Burton Topper) also wrote The Wild Ride (1960) a juvenile delinquent hot rod film starring a young Jack Nicholson.
SUMMARY
Maybe you’ll fall in love with Baby and take up with Big Red and the guys. That’d be Groovy.
A gang rides through the desert. Swing Low Sweet Chariot plays as they roll slow towards the titles. Lenny, riding two-up on his buddy’s chopper seems wistful and far away. A moment later, at an air force base, it seems that Lenny was indeed being transported by his buddy Phil (Robert Fuller), but not on a joy ride, as in the flashback, but instead in a coffin, back from Vietnam.
Phil’s post Vietnam mission is to find Lenny’s girl Sheryl (Sherry Bain), his old gang, and Baby. Big Tom, the preacher who raised Lenny at the orphanage tells him where to find Sheryl and takes him to Baby…a long rake, springer front, triple head light knucklehead chopper. Phil hasn’t been on the anything bigger than a dirt bike in years but luckily Rev. Big Tom who’d been taking Baby out for a spin every Sunday since Lenny’s been gone sets him up. “First gear is down, the rest are up” and sends him on his way.
Phil finds Sheryl working at a roadside dive. She sees a bit of Lenny in Phil and she did always love that bike, so they hit the road together to find Big Red & Co, Lenny’s old gang who he wanted at his funeral, but not before being hassled by a bunch of bikers who recognize Lenny’s old bike…and his old lady. Out in the desert, they find Grady and his gang, who want the chopper and don’t plan on taking no for an answer. Of course, they also didn’t plan on a tough as nails marine, and Phil and Sheryl escape.
Sheryl sees a bit of Lenny in Phil and takes him to all the places they used to go, and they start to fall for each other. Of course along the way, they get hassled by the coppers, kids looking for grass, and Lenny’s old gang who wants the chopper and the chick back. The gang is after them, but they track Red to his whorehouse first, where they fight. Vietnam sounds flash during the scuffle.
No broad on Earth is worth all this trouble.
Beat up bad, Red gives in and says he can keep Sheryl. Lenny didn’t know Sheryl had been turned out while he was away, but a promise is a promise and his last wishes were that Red and the gang be at the funeral, so Phil gives Red Baby’s pink slip as a bribe to get him to come to the funeral where he promises to deliver the bike and then split town for good. A few fights, sprawling highway rides and make out scenes later, the best friend, old lady, gang, preacher, and chopper are all convened in the graveyard for the funeral, just as Lenny asked. Swing Low Sweet Chariot plays over the credits.
RELATED MEDIA
Read more at Cine Meccanica
Listen to the Soundtrack on Juke Box Meccanica
The Vintagent Classics: The Wild One
https://vimeo.com/304260214
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
THE WILD ONE (1953)
Run Time: 1:19:00
Director: Laslo Benedek
Writer: Tom Paxton (script), Frank Rooney (based on a story by)
Key Cast: Marlon Brando, Mary Murphy, Lee Marvin,
FILM MAKERS
Marlon Brando! Driven Too Far By His Own Hot Blood!
Almost a decade after veterans returned from war with a new found passion for bikes (and specifically slimmed down, bob jobs like they’d grown used to riding in the field) and also just a few years after the riots at Hollister, Hollywood introduces the first film with motorcycles as a central character. Released in 1953, it was based on a short story, The Cyclists’ Raid, by Frank Rooney, published in the January 1951 issue of Harper’s Magazine.
SUMMARY
The Wild One featured the newest threat to society, the biker, replacing the Cagneys of the 30s gangster films, and instilled the allure of a new misunderstood anti-hero. The film’s plot revolves around a motorcycle club split in two over an unexplained riff, and it’s the motorcycles that most clearly illustrates the split of the gang. Marlon Brando epitomized a new cool in his perfectly rebellious uniform of black leather, cuffed jeans, t-shirt, engineer boots and riding a stock 1950 Triumph Thunderbird T6 as leader of the BRMC. But, it was Lee Marvin in his bold stripes, aviator goggles, chewing on stogie while draped over a ’49 flathead/’50 panhead? Bobber as the leader of The Beatles, who made us fall in love with the bad boy. The disenfranchised, yet relatively harmless youth ride stock and polished modern motorcycles as BRMC, while the more rough and tumble
bad boys of The Beatles ride post WWII minimalist bobbers. This is the first film where we see the customization of motorcycles and if the bobber is the origin of the chopper, this is the first celluloid step to the chopper film. - Paul d'Orleans, The Chopper: The Real Story
RELATED MEDIA
Watch the FULL FILM
The Vintagent Classics: Psychomania
https://youtu.be/KyuDS8J-g38
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
PSYCHOMANIA aka THE DEATH WHEELERS (1972)
Run Time: 1:30:36
Director: Don Sharp
Writer: Arnaud d'Usseau, Julian Zimet (as Julian Halevy)
Cast: Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Ann Michelle
FILM MAKERS
"The only teenage zombie biker frog voodoo hippy musical that Beryl Reed ever made."
During a BBC interview star Nicky Henson said that he has always thought the film was terrible and only decided to be in it because he thought no one would ever see the film. He was surprised to find himself being interviewed about Psychomania forty years later.
SUMMARY
"Everybody dies don’t they… But some come back."
A gang of young people call themselves the Living Dead. They terrorize the population from their small town. After an agreement with the devil, if they kill themselves firmly believing in it, they will survive and gain eternal life. Following their leader, they commit suicide one after the other, but things don't necessarily turn out as expected...
RELATED MEDIA
Rent the FULL FILM
Read more at Cine Meccanica
More spooky biker classics, curated for Jalopnik
The Vintagent Original: Silver Shotgun
https://vimeo.com/465913160
The Vintagent Original: Stories We Need to Tell.
SILVER SHOTGUN (2020)
Run Time: 4:54
A Film By: David Martinez
Edited By: Anais Bernard
Key Cast: Paul d'orleans
FILM MAKER
For David Martinez, photography is both a calculated science and a free verse art form. The controllable variables – the light, the shutter speed, the aperture – are all simply tools to allow the authenticity of a real moment to occur. David captures the beauty and sincerity of these scenes in the pictures he makes. Always at the forefront of technology (but still with a roll of medium format film in his camera bag), David has been shooting high definition video since DSLR technology made it more available. David is always ready for an adventure – with his surf bag packed and camera in hand.
SUMMARY
Silver Shotgun explores the sexy Seventies of Italian motorcycle design, when Italian motorcycles were the fastest, best-handling, and most beautiful in the world. Silver Shotgun explores the roots of this explosion of creativity and mechanical excellence that made the decade so special. Silver Shotgun is the third exhibition curated at the Petersen Automotive Museum by Paul d'Orléans, and produced by the Motorcycle Arts Foundation. Silver Shotgun was also produced by Sasha Tcherevkoff and the Stuart Parr Collection.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Original: Baja Scrambler
https://vimeo.com/468994952
The Vintagent Originals: Stories We Need to Tell.
BAJA SCRAMBLER (2020)
Run Time: 6:42
Producer: Motor/Cycle Arts Foundation
Director: David Martinez
Editor: Anais Bernard
Key Cast: Paul d'Orleans
FILM MAKER
David Martinez is a professional photographer and filmmaker, for whom photography is both a calculated science and a free verse art form. The controllable variables – the light, the shutter speed, the aperture – are all simply tools to allow the authenticity of a real moment to occur. David captures the beauty and sincerity of these scenes in the pictures he makes. Always at the forefront of technology (but still with a roll of medium format film in his camera bag), David has been shooting high definition video since DSLR technology made it more available. David is always ready for an adventure – with his surf bag packed and camera in hand.
SUMMARY
The original Baja bike? Paul d'Orléans thinks it's the Honda CL72, the bike that set off a wave of Baja races after Dave Ekins set a record from Tijuana to La Paz in just shy of 40hours. After Dave, the deluge, and the Baja 1000 was created. Filmmaker David Martinez follows Paul around the desert roads of Los Cabos as he rides his 1964 CL72 Scrambler, and talks about the original Baja Scrambler.
RELATED MEDIA
https://thevintagent.com/2017/10/29/the-vintagent-original-wheel-and-waves/
https://thevintagent.com/2017/08/13/the-vintagent-original-model-x/
https://thevintagent.com/2017/06/10/the-vintagent-original-the-ended-summer/
https://thevintagent.com/2019/09/06/david-martinez-bonneville-2019/
The Vintagent Selects: Riders: The Illestrator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxlf-yNT-JY&feature=youtu.be
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
RIDERS: THE ILLESTRATOR (2020)
Run Time: 4:31
A film By: Cam Elkins & Erik Jutras
Photography & Interview: Ryan Handt
Cast: The Illestrator
FILM MAKERS
RIDERS is a short-form, experimental series which came about from a conversation between Cam Elkins from Stories of Bike (based in Sydney, Australia) and Erik Jutras aka Mr. Pixelhead (based in San Francisco, USA). We both really enjoyed each others' work and came up with the idea to combine Erik's iconic black and white photography with Stories of Bike-style story-telling.
The RIDERS series is aiming to be a little experimental. By combining a unique photographic style from a variety of photographers around the world, immersive sound design and minimalist synthesizer by Andrew Jones we hope to create a different kind of moto photo essay.
SUMMARY
This episode follows The Illustrator, a NYC based motovloger as he builds, rides, and works to change peoples perceptions.
Read an interview with The Illestrator on NYC Motorcyclist.
RELATED MEDIA
Motovlog: The Illestrator
Instagram: @StoriesOfBike
Instagram: @Ryan_Handt
The Vintagent Trailers: Ray Tauscher
https://vimeo.com/384797296
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
Run Time: 00:17:00 Ned is an award winning documentary filmmaker. He is also an avid member of the local motorcycle community and has produced several short films about the Alley Sweeper and the Black Dog Dual Sport events, as well as the 2016 feature documentary film The Monkey & Her Driver, which follows America’s only all women sidecar road racing team for 2015. Born in Portland in 1905, Raymond F. Tauscher (Tauser in international press) began riding motorcycles in 1920 inspired by racing at the Gresham Speed Bowl in Oregon. His competitive racing career began in 1923 when he won northwest regional championships on flat tracks and hill climbs. His US titleholder status took him around the globe five times where in 1931 he held four international championship titles in Australia, England, and France. Ray returned to America in 1934 where he was a leading proponent of motorcycle racing on the east and west coasts of the United States eventually retiring in Portland where he died in 1981 from a brain tumor. This 17-minute documentary tells Ray’s life story imagined as if he is recounting his life and racing career. Ray’s family provide his scrapbooks and photo albums making this film possible. This film will be released to general public in January 2021. Stay Tuned!RAY TAUSCHER (coming coon)
A film by: Ned & Mike ThanhouserFILM MAKERS
SUMMARY
RELATED MEDIA
The VIntagent Trailers: When The Road Ends
https://vimeo.com/459153208
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
WHEN THE ROAD ENDS: Lost In The Pacific (2020)
Run Time: 1:93:00
Producer: Dylan Wickrama
Director: Dylan Wickrama
Writor: Dylan Wickrama
Key Cast: Dylan Wickrama
FILM MAKERS
Based on the book 'When the road ends; the tale of an incredible journey' This story may be the most unusual and incredible motorcycle journey you will ever get to read about! It is Inspirational, funny and moving and has the quality to take you on an adventure.
As a young child, Dylan often daydreamed of adventure and yearned to travel the world. However, growing up in Sri Lanka, facing extreme poverty and many hardships, his dreams often seemed as impossible to reach as the stars in the night sky. Yet despite all the odds and many years later, Dylan literally rides around the world on a motorcycle which he affectionately names Bruce. After 130,000 miles, four continents and two and a half years later, Dylan finds himself in Panama where all roads suddenly end...
SUMMARY
Growing up in poverty as a child, Dylan dreamt of traveling the world on a motorcycle. Many years later he broke the shackles of a normal life and took to the road. After journeying 200,000 km across four continents, the road from Panama to Colombia comes to an end at the Darién Gap, swallowed up by an impenetrable jungle. Dylan has no choice but to take to the sea, building a raft powered by his motorcycle in the hope of reaching Colombia's road network 700 km away. He must brave strong ocean currents and storms in his journey from Central to South America.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Trailers: Somewhere Else Together
https://vimeo.com/459484223
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
SOMEWHERE ELSE TOGETHER (2019)
Run Time: 120:01:00
Director: Daniel Rintz
Writer: Daniel Rintz
Key Cast: Daniel Rintz, Josephine Flohr
FILM MAKERS
Filmmaker Daniel Rintz's 2019 sequel to Somewhere Else Tomorrow. The film was funded through an IndiGoGo campaign which The Vintagent was proud to support.
SUMMARY
Chased by wild elephants. Caught in the cross-fire of a police-smuggler gunfight. Stranded by engine trouble in a civil war zone. How much is this adventurous couple willing to go through for their quest of finding the perfect way of life? Traveling around the globe for three years they meet people from all walks of life, their attitude towards the world is challenged and their ultimate destination unexpected.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Classics: Darktown Strutters
https://vimeo.com/451142046
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
DARKTOWN STRUTTERS (1975)
Run Time: 1:23:53
Director: William Witney
Writor: George Armitage
Key Cast: Trina Parks, Edna Richardson, Bettye Sweet
FILM MAKERS
Singin' Dancin' Struttin'
Darktown Strutters is a 1975 blaxploitation musical comedy film from New World Pictures. Despite having mixed reviews at the time it has gained cult status over the years with praise from film director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino called it "a ridiculous satire."
SUMMARY
This movie will fry your eggs!
"The very least you can say for "Darktown Strutters" is that it's the first black motorcycle gang rock scifi musical, which would seem to be saying a lot. But the movie bites off about two more genres than it can chew, and never quite works as anything. That's not to say it doesn't try: We get a bewildering mixture of characters, plots, actions, songs, dances and even a guest appearance by the Dramatics, who sing "What You See is What You Get" after they're rescued from the subterranean dungeons of a white chicken 'n' ribs tycoon..." - Roger Ebert (read the few 1975 review HERE)
RELATED MEDIA
Watch the full film on CINE MECCANICA
The Vintagent Classics: Burning Up
https://vimeo.com/445389331
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
BURNING UP (1930)
Run Time: 56:35
Producer: Paramount Pictures
Director: A. Edward Sutherland
Writer: Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt
Key Cast: Richard Arlen, Mary Brian, Francis McDonald
FILM MAKERS
Burning Up is a 1930 American Pre-Code action film starring Richard Arlen as a racing driver and Mary Brian as his love interest, the daughter of a fellow driver. An early talkie, the film also features motorcycle stunts, and also stars Francis McDonald, Sam Hardy, Charles Sellon, and Tully Marshall. The film was released on February 1, 1930, by Paramount Pictures.
The film was made in an effort by Paramount's Jesse L. Lasky to emulate the success of earlier racing films made by the late Wallace Reid, "emulating Wally's films almost exactly", and with director Allen Sigler having "filmed the racing scenes exactly as Wally's had been done". One review described it as "the old racing-car scenario brought up to date with sound and talk".
SUMMARY
"Sweethearts again. The man you can't help loving. The girl you can't forget..in a hurry-up, merry-up, thrill romance that's a wow"
Racecar-driver Lou Larrigan gets mixed up with a crooked gang of racetrack promoters, and is in love with Ruth Morgan, whose father is marked as a victim by the gang.
Well worth the watch, especially for the opening Wall of Death Motordrome sequence where two riders compete for a date with the girl. Check the ladder and gangplank. Wild!
RELATED MEDIA
Watch the full film for FREE on Cine Meccanica Youtube channel
The Vintagent Classics: Motorcycle Gang
https://vimeo.com/446552892
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
MOTORCYCLE GANG (1957)
Run Time: 1:18:00
Producer: American International Pictures
Director: Edward L. Cahn
Writer: Lou Rusoff
Key Cast: Anne Neyland, Steven Terrell, John Ashley
FILM MAKERS
WILD AND WICKED...living with no tomorrow! Motorcycle Gang is a 1957 film which is a semi-remake of Dragstrip Girl. It was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with Sorority Girl.
The film was remade as part of the anthology series Rebel Highway. A short-lived revival of American International Pictures created and produced by Lou Arkoff, the son of Samuel Z. Arkoff and Debra Hill for the Showtime channel in 1994. The concept was 10-week series of 1950s “drive-in classic” B-movies remade “with a ’90s edge”. The impetus for the series, according to Arkoff was, “what it would be like if you made Rebel Without a Cause today?".
SUMMARY
"commendably free of unhealthy sensationalism... tells its unpretentious little moral simply enough." - The Los Angeles Times, 1957
A troublemaker returns to town only to find his old tearaway pals have joined a supervised motorcycle club. Friction erupts between him and the new leader about this goody-goody setup, and about the charms of gang moll Terry.
One overlooked aspect of this film is that the gang calls no particular attention to the fact that it's co-ed. It's often easy to forget that there was a time before the Biker flicks of the 1960's and this is what it looked like, on screen and off. From the hot rod racing ladies of the juvenile delinquent films created by the American Hot Rod Association as PSAs to get 1950's kids off the streets and onto the track...to the fully patched female members of the 1% clubs...there's a whole lot of history waiting to be told.
RELATED MEDIA
Read more at Cine Meccanica
Watch the Full film on Cine Meccanica Youtube channel
