Thanks to TCM I was on a bit of a Billy Jack kick this weekend. Billy Jack was a movie which came out in 1971 starring Tom Laughlin who played an ex-military, Native American pacifist who used his feet (he was a martial artist) to right the wrongs imposed by the status quo. I knew there were some sequels but what I didn't know was a prequel was made where his character was shoehorned into a 'bikers laying siege on a town' saga. Playing as a curio of the times (this came out in 1967, a year before Easy Rider) the anti-establishment was still finding its footing & having a peace loving, ass kicking Indian as a nominal spokesman would be something of a head scratcher to be sure. Being his first outing as star, co-writer (his wife also did writing duties) & director, some things had to give & Billy Jack as a character seemed out of place or would just pop in out of nowhere ran contrary to the forward movement of the biker gang's onslaught & mayhem. Jack would fare better in the follow-ups (I'll get to them shortly) but here he stuck out like a sore thumb or is that a smashed kneecap?
Review of The Born Losers
