Television/Radio - Magazines/Books - Documentaries
1970s
My Comments on films are in blue.
Biker Movies of 1970s
“… quiet, lyrical, sometimes comic, sometimes dramatic stories about a young man traveling through America in search of personal meaning” IMDB.com I know I watched this as a kid but don’t remember much. I wonder how much this series affected others and me into riding. Supposed to be available on DVD but order never arrived Then Came Bronson site
1970 wild, free and hungry by Harry Novak 1969 IMDb.com " a homeless hippie wandering aimlessly along a deserted beach, so hungry she actually contemplates eating a dead fish which has washed up on the shore. Hitchhiking, she is soon picked up by the motorbike riding Dave, and the pair embark on a cross-country ride. These opening sequences are all shot without any dialogue whatsoever, and it takes a good twenty minutes before either of the characters talk. When they finally do, it’s while sharing a joint by a campfire, before the night ends with Cynthia crawling into Dave’s sleeping bag." somethingweird.com More boat racing than motorcycle movie, basic drive-in soft porn with many sex scenes.
Jan 1970 Hell’s Bloody Devils aka Operation M.; Smashing the Crime Syndicate (UK): Swastika Savages; The Fakers (USA) (TV title)“A government agent tries to break a Neo-Fascist group in California” IMDb. Ok, I felt I needed a score card for this Al Adamson film. The bike gang is working for Neo-Nazis selling counterfeit money to the Syndicate. There are Federal agents (Broderick Crawford), Israeli agents, double agents and even Colonel Sanders! It finally made sense, after reading in the Big Book of Biker Flicks, that the half hour footage of bikers was added to previous film so could be marketed as a biker film.
1970 Apr The Rebel Rousers Cameron Mitchell, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, Jack Nicholson, Harry Dean Stanton “In a small, US costal town with many Spanish speakers, a motorcycle gang arrives on holiday. Also in town to try to reconnect with his pregnant girlfriend, Karen, is businessman Paul Collier. Paul and a leader of the cyclists, J.J., knew each other years before, so when the gang comes upon the couple and, led by the menacing Bunny, beats up Paul and begins a sexual assault of Karen, J.J. tries to intervene: he suggests they hold cycle-riding contests, with the winner claiming Karen” IMDb, Just another so-so biker gang going a bit wild – interesting because of the cast, all headed to better things.
May 1970 Hell’s Belles aka Girl in the Leather Suit Jeremy Slate, Adam Roarke, Jocelyn Lane, Angelique Pettyjohn “When hot-headed Dan (Jeremy Slate) out-drives the thoroughly vicious Tony (Michael Walker) in a motorcycle race and wins a brand new bike, he sets in motion a chain of events that includes one blazing gas station and a disastrous rock slide.” IMDb. Interesting movie with a plot that is familiar to westerns. Acting is weak but girls are great to look at.
July 1970 Angels Die Hard aka Rough Boys Tom Baker, William Smith
“Gang of bikers try to save people in a mining disaster.” Internet Movie Database.
Actually it was just a boy who fell into a well, standard bikers versus fearful town’s people. Another case of what was the reviewer watching? I was lucky to find it (VHS) at old video store I once worked at.
1970 Aug The Losers aka Nam’s Angels William Smith, Adam Roarke, Jack Starrett
“Some bikers are hired by the CIA during the Vietnam War to rescue a captured agent from the clutches of the Red Chinese army. After a round of drinking, fighting, and whoring around, the cycle gang, led by Big Bill Smith, fix up their Yamahas with machine guns, grenades and armor plating, and storm the enemy camp” IMDb. Bikers go to war. Of course they have to terrorize a town, but mild. This even shows a tender side to these bikers. But according to the formula all the bikers die.
1970 Oct C.C. and Company Joe Namath, Ann-Margret, William Smith
“Motorcycle mechanic C.C. Ryder joins "The Heads," an outlaw biker gang. The bikers disrupt a motorcross event tied in with a fashion shoot, but C.C. enters the competition under Ann's admiring eye. His win puts him at odds with Moon, leader of "The Heads." When C.C. leaves with his cut of the purse, the bikers kidnap Ann, and C.C. races Moon to win her freedom.” IMDb Actually one of the best of the biker films. Almost the quality of a major motion picture. Has biker film staple William Smith, a hot Ann-Margret and Joe Namath after his Super Bowl victory who actually gives a performance above the genre standards.
1970 Oct The Black Angels aka Black Bikers from Hell
“Racially-oriented motorcycle gangs battle it out in this violent film when a black biker spy infiltrates the white gang. The real-life Choppers were hired for this feature.” Allmovie.com IMDb I actually think is one of the more realistic biker films. Great line about racial – why is it when a white and black fight it is racial – in this case more territorial than racial.
Oct 1970 Little Fauss and Big Halsy Robert Redford, Micheal J.Pollard
“A story of two motorcycle racers, the inept, unsuspecting Little Faus (Pollard) and the opportunistic, womanizing Halsey Knox (Redford)” IMDb
1970 Outlaw Bikers – The Gang Wars
“In this exploitation outing, rival gangs of bikers have a big battle.” Allmovie.com
1970 Devil Rider (AKA: Master's Revenge)
“A young rebellious girl hooks up with a biker gang. Her mother hires a private detective to find her and bring her back. The detective goes undercover as a biker to search for her.”imdb.com Motorbiker.org
1970 The Lickerish Quartet Master of sophisticated sexploitation Radley Metzger directed this elegant and thoughtful erotic drama. A wealthy and jaded couple ...watching pornographic films with their adult son. the family visits a carnival where they see a stuntwoman performing tricks on a motorcycle. When she removes her helmet, they're surprised to discover that the stunt rider appears to be one of the "stars" of the film they watched earlier, They invite her back to the villa, only to find out that the images in the film seem to have changed, and the face of the woman onscreen is no longer recognizable. Eventually, the strange woman begins to interact sexually with the mother, father, and son as they walk a fine line between reality and illusion.” Allmovie.com
“Angel is the biker who joins a commune of hippies near a small town. When the town rednecks attack them, Angel calls up some of his bad biker buddies to exact revenge.” IMDb. I’ve read often that the biker movie is the modern western. This film seems fits that, plot seems like seen in a few westerns. Compared to the townsfolk, these bikers are stand up citizens. I loved the scene with the club president and the local sheriff.
March 1971 The Vanishing Point Kowalski takes delivery of a 1970 Dodge Challenger to 
take from Colorado to Frisco, California. Shortly after pickup, he takes a bet to get the car there in less than 15 hours. After a few run-ins with motorcycle cops and highway patrol they start a chase to bring him into custody. Along the way, Kowalski is guided by Supersoul - a blind DJ with a police radio scanner. Throw in lots of chase scenes, gay hitchhikers, a naked woman riding a motorbike, lots of Mopar and you've got a great cult hit from the early 70's. IMDb.com A lot of bikes in this film.
1971 The Windsplitter “A nice young man leaves his conservative hometown of Houston to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars. All of Houston is proud of the youth's great success and so invite him home to crown the homecoming queen. Unfortunately, he roars into town astride an enormous motorcycle. With his grungy clothing and suspicious long-hair he becomes an embarassment to the upstanding citizens who are outraged at how he allowed the glitter of Tinseltown to corrupt him. They are so angry that they boot the obnoxious actor right out of town.” Allmovie.com - IMDb
A look at the prejudice bikers face, even if considered “hippie”. I noticed never heard the term bike nor motorcycle, just was called a machine or a windsplitter which was explained as a Texas term.
1971 Sept Evel Knievel George Hamilton, Sue Lyon
“Biography of the famed motorcycle daredevil, much of which was filmed in his home town of Butte, Montana...” IMDb
First of several movies about the famous daredevil, produced by and starring Hamilton. Easy to find, especially in collections or the dollar bin. Watch and fly the flag.
1971 Sept Angels Hard as They Come aka "Angels, Hell on Harleys" Scott Glenn, Gary Busey
“A drug deal is foiled, when the cops show up. They agree to meet in a few days out in the desert and complete the deal. The Angels head for the meeting place. On the way they meet up with the Dragons and are invited to come party with some hippies in an old ghost town. The General, leader of the Dragons is a psychotic dwarf and his henchman Axe isn't to stable either. The trouble start when one of the hippie girls is murdered and the Dragons decide that one of the Angels did it” IMDb.com. Hippies and two bike gangs makes an interesting triangle and story.
“Sex and ingenious violence abounds in this exploitation drama that chronicles the fate of two soulless, brutal bikers who burst into a mansion occupied by two luscious young socialites. The poor women are immediately and painfully violated until one of their husbands, a cellist, comes home and uses his instrument to permanently stop the beasts.” Allmovie.com - IMDb Gets into the psychology of the bikers and the victims. It is worth watching regardless of the low budget
1971 UK Jan ’74 US Psychomania aka The Death Wheelers, The Frog, The Living Dead “A Gang of young people call themselves the Living Dead. They terrorise the population from their small town. …, if they kill themselves firmly believing in it, they will survive and gain eternal life. Following their leader, they commit suicide …” Internet Movie Database. I guess the British do not have the Western to copy so this motorcycle gang gets into the occult – a better film than I expected.
1971 The Tormentors aka Terminators Chris Noel
“A wild gang of bikers who shamelessly idolize the Nazis, brutalizes anyone or anything that stands in their way. Dealing in illegal weapons, assassinations, power and violence, they seem invincible until they push one man too far... When his girlfriend is savagely murdered, he declares a personal war...but to destroy them, he has to join them!” IMDb.com Starts with bunch of brown shirts on cycles (only one Harley, a bagger) robbing bank, taking female teller raping and kill her. Not your usual biker gang. Even has a love-in with preaching Messiah the Nazi biker try to break up. This gets some regular bikers, the “Satans”, to fight them in that one scene.
1971 Apr The Hard Ride Robert Fuller, William Bonner
“While in Vietnam, a GI promises his dying buddy that he'll take care of his motorcycle, "Baby", when he gets back home. After his discharge, he meets up with his dead friend's girlfriend, gets the bike, and then runs into trouble from some other bikers who don't like the idea of his having the motorcycle or the girl.” IMDb
1971 Aug The Jesus Trip aka Under Hot Leather
“When the police discover that their motorcycles are concealing heroin, Waco (Robert Porter) and his motorcycle gang hides out in a desert convent. A highway patrolman (Billy 'Green' Bush) hunts down the gang after they kidnap a nun, Sister Anna (Tippy Walker) and flee the convent. Soon Waco and the young nun fall in love and she is forced to decide whether or not to leave the church for him” IMDb.com Question is who put the heroin there? Seems the bikers are framed.
1971 Sept. Canada The Proud Rider
“Members of a real biker gang provide a touch of realism in this drama that examines their way of life by telling the story of a formerly upright citizen's descent into their dark, anarchistic world.” Allmovie.com
Oct 1971 The Peace Killers
“Siblings Kristy and Jeffrey are buying supplies at a remote desert gas station when some members of a biker gang come cruising in. The bikers recognize Kristy, who used to be the main squeeze of the gang's leader before she ran away. The pair get away, but the bikers find out that they're living in a nearby commune, and start making their battle plans to bring Kristy back.” Internet Movie Database
Oct 1971 Chrome and Hot Leather American International Pictures
William Smith, Marvin Gaye. “A Green Beret returns home from the Vietnam war to find that a gang of murderous bikers has killed his fiancee. He calls on several of his Green Beret buddies to come and help him take revenge on the gang.”IMDb.
Now this is a true biker film – gang rides real bikes and it has William Smith. It is just the soldiers that are hard to believe on their dirt bikes.
“A biker gang visits a monastery where they encounter black-robed monks engaged in worshipping Satan. When the monks try to persuade one of the female bikers, Helen, to become a satanic sacrifice the bikers smash up the monastery and leave. The monks have the last laugh, though, as Helen, as a result of the satanic rituals, is now possessed and at night changes into a werewolf, with dire results for the biker gang.” IMDb With this title you know it was made for the drive-in. But actually not a bad film even with some strange edits and story blanks.
1971 The Pink Angels Dan Haggerty
“In this colorful outing, a band of transvestites hop on their Harleys and head for Los Angeles.” Internet Movie Database - Brains On Film
1971-72 Second TV season Partridge Family
Has an episode where Laurie dates a biker….
“The cycle-flick market was drying up when Outlaw Riders appeared in 1972. Nonetheless, all the standard cliches are in attendance, …. The major concessions to the let-it-all-hang-out 1970s are the film's liberal doses of sex and violence. ...” Allmovie.com - IMDb Low budget and bad acting - so cheap police car has hand painted sign on door still on paper.
1972 Feb Bury Me an Angel
“Tautly directed biker film, told from the woman's point of view. The heroine sets out on the road to avenge her brother's murder, toting a shotgun and meaning business”IMDb. No gangs, just lots of footage on this woman’s road to revenge with a twist ending. GirlsWithGuns - Brains On Film
J.C.
(aka) Iron Horsemen
1972 Apr J.C. aka Iron Horsemen directed by its star, William McGaha;
“Anyone who adopts the initials "J.C." as a nickname probably has a Messianic complex. In Iron Horseman, the hero, the head of a motorcycle gang, wigs out on LSD. While day-tripping, he has a prophetic religious vision. This leads him back to his home town, where he challenges the local church leaders-even unto knocking down chairs and tables in righteous anger, just like....you know. Originally titled J.C., this cinematic epiphany was the better-known cast members include Joanna Moore and Slim Pickens.” Allmovie.com - IMDb
Apr 1972 The Loners Dean Stockwell
“On his motorcycle Stein, a half-blood Indian, tries to stay out of the hands of the police, who are chasing him for accidentally killing a cop. Together with his friend Alan and a beautiful but desperate girl Stein will get involved in a robbery and more death. The police intensify the search, but the three won't give up that easily” IMDb Poster from motorbiker.org
1972 Angel’s Wild Women aka Rough Riders aka Screaming Eagles Ross Hagan, William Bonner Directed by Al Adamson “While waiting for their men to return, the girls take to the road on their own motorcycles and look for action. After avenging a fellow sister's rape and sexually assaulting a reluctant farm boy, the ladies evade the law and hide out at the Spahn Movie Ranch. The ranch is inhabited by a sinister hippie cult led by the charismatic King, who preaches peace and love but is involved in some illegal activities that he's willing to kill for.” Allmovie.com - IMDb This film follows a typical biker plot but the females take the lead. Was the hippie cult at Spahn Movie Ranch to be the Manson family who also were at Spahn Ranch in the late 60s?
1972 Blood Freak “A biker comes upon a girl with a flat tire and offers her a ride home. He winds up at a drug party with the girl's sister, then follows her to a turkey farm owned by her father, a mad scientist. The father turns the biker into a giant turkey monster who goes after drug dealers.” IMDb.com On Something Wild Video, need I say more? Bad acting, bad writing, bad camera work, bad editing, the music, pretty ladies, make this a fine example of low budget film making. Made in Florida so fun trying to figure where and flashbacks to the 70s. Allmovie.com says it all with “This mind-numbingly odd product from the Gator State has so many moments of absolute mania it practically exists in a genre of its own: the Sunday-School-Horror-Rock-N-Roll-Biker-Anti-Drug-Message flick.” Far out man. Brains On Film.
July 1972 The Thing with Two Heads (also Beast or Man in place of Thing)
Ray Milland, Roosevelt Grier “A rich but racist man is dying and hatches an elaborate scheme for transplanting his head onto another man's body…. a black man from death row.” “big police-car/motorcycle chase” Internet Movie Database. “Although it wasn’t technically a biker film, … produced by Wes Bishop and directed by Lee Frost – two bike-flick vets – and featured a small but memorable from motorcycle-movie superstar William Smith” The Big Book of Biker Flicks which also has the beast on a bike in movie poster.
Nov 1972 The Dirt Gang
“A film crew shooting in the desert is terrorized by a vicious outlaw motorcycle gang (on dirt bikes, no less) who are after the women in the company.” IMDb
"A film shoot in the desert turns deadly when a gang of rowdy bikers rolls into the picture" motorbiker.org
1973 Aug Electra Glide in Blue Robert Blake
“A short Arizona motorcycle cop gets his wish and is promoted to Homicide following the mysterious murder of a hermit.” IMDB.com
I remember this one from the 1970s. Almost a reverse Easy Rider as Blake wants more of life that being a bike cop in the desert. Great scenery and soundtrack – I even had the album but it was very hard to find the movie until finally out on DVD,
1973 Hex aka the Shrieking Dan Haggerty, Keith Carradine, Scott Glenn, Gary Busey “In this bizarre biker movie, set in 1919, a wandering group of bikers encounter two weird sisters from Nebraska. The siblings are hereditary witches, taught by their father. One of them uses her powers to kill many of the gang members. She spares the one she is attracted to. He begins staying upon her farm while her sister and another biker take off to California. On video, it is titled The Shrieking.” Motorbiker.org IMDb.com
1973 Savage Abduction aka Cycle Psycho aka The Abduction of Sarah Ridelander
“A businessman hires a hitman who is a serial killer to murder his wife. After he accomplishes the deed, the killer blackmails the husband into finding young girls for the murderer to torture and kill. The man makes a deal with a motorcycle gang to kidnap two young girls for that purpose.” IMDb
1973 Road of Death Carol Connors, Joe Banana, Jack Birch, Lea Vivot
“Two couples on a picnic are attacked by a gang of vicious bikers, who beat up the men and rape the women. One of the men finds out who the bikers are, arms himself and goes after them.” IMDb
Filmed in Florida has bikers sharing woman
May 1974 Lords of Flatbush Perry King, Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler
. IMDb.com More of a 50s greaser gang than a biker film. Only one does ride a Harley but that’s it. So not really a motorcycle movie
1974 Aug The Black Six Carl Eller
“A black high school student is caught dating a white girl by the girl's brother. He and his biker gang beat the boy to death. The boy's brother, who is a member of a black biker gang, hears about it and comes to town to avenge his brother's death.” IMDb .
1974 TV pilot Evel Knievel
“Pilot for an adventure/comedy series starring Sam Elliott as the title character. In the film, Evel Knievel must compete against a female motorcycle daredevil.” IMDb.com
1974-1984 Happy Days " Richie Cunningham and his friend Potsie face life at Jefferson High in Milwaukee Wisconsin in the 1950s. Originally fifth-billed Fonzie moved up steadily, finally into first billing in 1980, as the thumbs-up, "Heyyy!" biker increased his own and show's popularity. Lots of changes over time as kids come and go, new series spin off, Richie and pals go to college then the army. Even marriage." IMDb TV comedy series took us back to the ‘50s and introduced the super cool biker Fonzie (Henry Winkler).
March 1975 Trip with the Teacher aka Deadly Fieldtrip
“A teacher and her class of female students take a class trip to the desert. Their bus breaks down, and they find themselves terrorized by a gang of psycho bikers” IMDb
"The chief biker, Al (Zalman King, before his sexploitation glory) chews up the scenery, kills folks, and rips off the teacher's clothes before raping her. The poor schoolgirls are also in for their share of abuse." motorbiker.org
Oct 1975 Sidecar Racers Ben Murphy, Wendy Hughes, Peter Graves
“In this lively sports drama, Jeff Rayburn has no direction in his life since he competed in the Olympic games as a swimmer. The American had been simply bumming around Australia until he teamed up with biker Dave Ferguson and began sidecar racing. When not involved in racing, the two tussle for the love of the wealthy heiress Lynn Carson.” allmovie.com. - IMDb
1976 Hollywood Man aka Stoker William Smith “Hollywood action film star Rafe Stoker has sunk $130,000 of his own money into his own production, but can't find legitimate financing to complete the film. His mob-connected investor demands an exorbitant amount of collateral and a guarantee that Rafe hand over a commercially acceptable film in 4 weeks, then hires a gang of psycho bikers to sabotage the picture to ensure he collects Stoker's collateral….” IMDb -
1976 Dixie Dynamite Warren Oates, Christopher George
“A moonshiner has been given protection by the local sheriff. When the sheriff is bought off by a crooked local businessman, the moonshiner gets busted. He tries to flee, but he is shot by a sheriff's deputy. The moonshiner's adult daughters try to make ends meet on the family farm, but the bank (incidentally, also controlled by the same local businessman) forecloses on the property" IMDb - Brains On Film
March 1976 Northville Cemetery Massacre
“Mayhem starts when a gang of bikers is accused of a sadistic rape in a small town.” IMDb. Good biker, bad cops, none come out alive. Can’t agree with them that it is the ultimate biker film but better than most as bikers are the victims – seems more like the real world than most movies.
http://northvillecemeterymassacre.com/
Oct 1976 Fighting Mad Peter Fonda "An Arkansas farmer stages a one-man war against corrupt land developers who want to evit him and his neighbors from their farms for real estate developments." IMDb
motorbiker.org
A couple of scenes on bikes but more of a Rambo/Charles Bronson revenge film
1976 One Away Elke Sommer, Dean Stockwell
“This action-adventure tells the story of a breathtaking motorcycle manhunt across the African wilderness.” Motorbiker.org - IMDb - allmovie.com
June 1977 Viva Knievel! Evel Knievel in his first dramatic movie role
“As the legendary stuntman travels to Mexico to prepare for one of his greatest stunts yet, he takes time out of his schedule to meet his fans, help out lonely orphans, and try to get his alcoholic mechanic to reconcile with his son. While all of this is going on, Evel's main rival is plotting to have Evel killed and then get rich by using the Team Evel 18-wheeler to smuggle cocaine into America.” IMDb.com - Brains On Film
“The adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers.” IMDb.com
Motorcycles return to Television continued into the 1980s.
Apr 1978 Deathsport
“David Carradine romps around in a loin-cloth as Kaz Oshay, a good-guy biker who hops on his destructocycle to participate in a sport to the death, in Roger Corman's futuristic gladiator motorcycle film.” Allmovie.com - IMDb
Dec 1978 Every Which Way But Loose Clint Eastwood, Sandra Locke
“Philo Beddoe is an easy-going trucker and a great fist-fighter. With two friends - Orville, who promotes prize-fights for him and Clyde, the orangutan he won on a bet...” Internet Movie Database The Black Widows MC are bikers chasing him so bumbling bikers part of plot.
July 1978 The Young Cycle Girls aka Cycle Vixens 1979
“Three Colorado girls decide to hop on their motorcycles and head to California. On the way they get mixed up in drugs, rape and stolen motorcycles.” IMDb - allmovie.com
Apr 1979 Mad Max Mel Gibson
“In a dystopic future Australia, a vicious biker gang murder a cop's family and make his fight with them personal.” Internet Movie Database
I think I’d have to say this is more of a biker movie that SciFi. This doesn’t seem so futuristic today, but has the standard revenge against the biker gang theme.
May 1979 Fast Charlie…the Moonbeam Rider David Carradine, Brenda Vaccaro
“A World War I deserter competes in the first long-distance motorcycle race.” “Lot's of vintage motorcycles...Way cool old Harley's” plot and user comment IMDb
A con man hooks up a woman and her son on the way to Frisco. Well done comedy action period film.
Nov 1979 Quadrophenia
“London, 1965: …. Only when he's together with his friends, a 'Mod' clique, cruises London on his motor-scooter and hears 'The Who' and 'The High Numbers', he feels free and accepted. However it's a flight into an illusionary world.” IMDb
1970s
