A Biker Double Feature! THE WILD ANGELS & HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS
Two films that sparked a new genre, the biker film! Plus a former mob boss explains the Hells Angels & has a sitdown with George Christie, former Hells Angels head!
First up, an explanation of THE HELLS ANGELS. In today's episode, we delve into a group that's often being associated with the Mafia Cosa Nostra. Many wonder if other groups possess the same level of organization, formality, and intricate systems. One such group that stands out is bikers organization Hells Angels. During my time behind bars, I had the opportunity to get to know one of their members intimately, Chuck Zito. Join me as we explore the inner workings of the Hells Angels and shed light on their unique code of conduct. To gain deeper insights, we'll delve into an eye-opening article titled "Living By The Code: Rules That All Hells Angels Have To Follow" while I provide my own perspective on how its similarities and differences with the Mafia. Michael Franzese
In this riveting sit-down, Michael dives deep into his past, reminiscing about the terminal Island days with George Christie, the former head of the Hells Angels chapter in California. The conversation takes an unexpected turn as they explore the parallels between the Hells Angels and Michael's former life in the Mafia. From legal battles to surprising alliances, witness the intriguing stories that shaped their lives. Don't miss the jaw-dropping revelations and unexpected connections in this must-watch episode! Michael Franzese
The Wild Angels is a 1966 American independent outlaw biker film produced and directed by Roger Corman. Made on location in Southern California, The Wild Angels was the first film to associate actor Peter Fonda with Harley-Davidson motorcycles and 1960s counterculture. It inspired the biker film genre that continued into the early 1970s.
The Wild Angels, released by American International Pictures (AIP), stars Fonda as the fictitious Hells Angels San Pedro, California chapter president "Heavenly Blues" (or "Blues"), Nancy Sinatra as his girlfriend "Mike", Bruce Dern as doomed fellow outlaw "the Loser", and Dern's then real-life wife Diane Ladd as the Loser's on-screen wife, "Gaysh".
Small supporting roles are played by Michael J. Pollard and Gayle Hunnicutt and, according to literature promoting the film, members of the Hells Angels from Venice, California. To research the movie, Corman sponsored parties for the Hells Angels and attended the parties along with Griffith to take notes, according to Corman: “We went through a whole series of Hells Angels parties. We would buy them marijuana and beer — their essentials. They didn’t take any drugs other than marijuana then, and they didn’t seem to drink whiskey. Beer and marijuana was their trip. And they would tell us these stories of sexual action, fights, raids with other gangs."
The movie's success established Fonda as "a counter culture film star". During the film's run in theaters, Fonda was charged with possession of marijuana, and later recalled:
Simultaneously, I was in the front pages of newspapers being arrested for possession. It was a very strange chain of events. Roger put me on the screen as a cult hero. AIP then marketed posters of me worldwide showing me on my cycle taking a toke. And the Los Angeles police put me in the headlines, causing all the disenfranchised youth of the country, who were all popping their zits at that time, to notice me.
Nancy Sinatra, who was cast as "Mike", recalled:
When I was doing Wild Angels, Peter Fonda was talking about LSD and said, "Come on, Nancy, you should try it, it's great - I just woke up on the shelf of the linen closet." And I said, "What? Are you crazy? No thanks." I was the square peg in the round hole, I guess.
WATCH THE MOVIE HERE:
Hells Angels on Wheels is a 1967 American biker film directed by Richard Rush, and starring Adam Roarke, Jack Nicholson, and Sabrina Scharf. The film tells the story of a gas-station attendant with a bad attitude who finds life more exciting after he is allowed to hang out with a chapter of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle club.
Adam Roarke, who plays the Angels club president Buddy, starred in several other motorcycle films of the era. Ralph 'Sonny' Barger, the president of the Oakland, California chapter of the Hells Angels, is seen in an early scene but has no spoken lines in the film. He was also credited as a consultant. Sabrina Scharf later played the role of Sara in the film Easy Rider (1969), one of the two girls met in the commune. WATCH THE MOVIE HERE:
Behind the paywall: THE LOSERS.
A glimpse of the movie appears in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, which Fabienne was watching, then had said "A motorcycle movie; I'm not sure the name. John Milius said this film was a "big inspiration for Apocalypse Now."
On November 19, 1965, Sonny Barger the "Maximum Leader" of the Hells Angels motorcycle club sent a telegram to President Johnson offering the Angels as "gorilla fighters" (sic) in the Vietnam War. Though the President turned them down, the idea became a Vietnam War movie made in the Philippines.
Well folks I have great news. Our podcast is now ready to start shooting and one of the things it will be promoting is my new book! That’s right, a book about a pop culture icon. I can’t reveal a lot about it now, we are still about 6 months from its release but I am already working on a marketing plan to rock the world - even though I am writing it now. That’s the way I roll. Get a paid subscription now for a discounted rate for the book, a free chapter and plenty of surprises. Not to mention our behind the paywall posts in most of our postings here on Substack.
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