Born Losers, The (1967)

Born Losers, The (1967)

“If we allowed citizens to take the law into their own hands, our streets would become jungles — armed jungles.”

Synopsis:
A Green Beret veteran (Tom Laughlin) joins forces with a young rider (Elizabeth James) in fighting against a vicious motorcycle gang.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Gangs
  • Jane Russell Films
  • Motorcyclists
  • Tom Laughlin Films
  • Veterans
  • Vigilantes

Review:
Shot over a period of three weeks, this mostly self-financed film was Tom Laughlin’s cinematic debut for the character of Billy Jack, who he would resurrect in four more films: Billy Jack (1971), The Trial of Billy Jack (1974), Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977) and The Return of Billy Jack (1986) (not listed in GFTFF). The screenplay — “based on a real incident in 1964 when members of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang were arrested for raping five girls in Monterey, California” — was written by co-star Elizabeth James, and made specifically to capitalize on the motorcycle gang movie trend.

However, the film also very much wants to be a western of sorts, as evidenced by a variety of iconic settings (open landscapes, bars, town centers); villains versus Laughlin’s good-guy (a “sheriff”); Laughlin’s cowboy hat and laconic nature (until he’s pushed to action); and motorcycles serving in place of horses. (I got specific vibes of Peckinpah’s Ride the High Country [1962] due to James’s pixie haircut a la Mariette Hartley.)

But the most direct cinematic reference is the strategic poster of rebellious James Dean, which provides the backdrop for later exploitative confrontation scenes.

James is super cute and sexy in her white bikini, glasses, boots, and head scarf — though the female rider in me (when I rode, I wore a full-on armored suit) was screaming at her internally for not wearing more protective gear of all kinds on the open road…

There’s not much else to say about this film other than to be fully prepared for vile characters committing gross acts of violence and intimidation, repeatedly.

However, with Billy Jack on the horizon, rest assured justice of some kind will be served. Watch for Jane Russell in a cameo role as the mother of an impacted girl; apparently she got upset enough at Laughlin that she channeled this into her scene of anger at authority figures, and it shows.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine location shooting across California

Must See?
No, though you’ll likely enjoy it if this is your cup of tea.

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