The film “Hell's Angels on Wheels” (1967) starred Adam Roarke, Jack Nicholson and Sabrina Scharf. Roger Ebert wrote: “This isn't actually that bad of a movie. Sure, it's an exploitation film, made on a low budget to cash in on the current rise of motorcycle gangs. Sure, it has all the obligatory clichés, like an orgy, a couple of fights, a lot of beer, marijuana, and animal behavior. What did you expect?” What he did praise was the realism, since the cast included the bicycle clubs of Oakland, Sacramento and San Francisco, and the president of the Hells Angels himself, Sonny Barker. However, he has no lines, although he also served as a consultant. I agree with your review as the film is grittier and by using so many more riders the group is much more impressive although Scharf's female role was that of a bimbo as She changed her mind constantly. I'm not sure if it was because of the drug use or if that was just her nature. The other women were portrayed in the same way, dressed scantily, laughing and appearing to have a good time.
Watching these 1960s biker movies was really nostalgic for me, as it brought back memories of an interview with Peter Fonda in 2010 in a Chicago suburb after a screening of his motorcycle movie “Easy Rider” (1969) during an event for fans. What caught my attention was that some of the people who came to ask me to sign their helmets, bikes and other cycling paraphernalia could have been or were at the Chicago Outlaws Club, which is now the second largest bike club in the world . I have great memories of hosting audience Q&As with him. What caught my attention were his stories about filming with director and actor Dennis Hopper. Yes, he confirmed that there was a real budget for the marijuana consumed in the film, which he laughed at, as did the packed crowd. He also talked about the high handlebars on bicycles from the 1960s, as they were very high and caused constant pain in his arms. He also mentioned that the bikes weighed over a thousand pounds.
Roger Ebert gave “Easy Rider” four stars and wrote: “And someday it was inevitable that a great movie would come along, using the motorcycle genre, in the same way that the great Westerns suddenly made everyone realize that they were a legitimate American art form. “Easy Rider” is the image.”
When mentioning the fan event with Fonda to Nichols, I told him what Fonda had said about her arm hurting from the high handlebars. Nichols later said the bikes they used were from the '50s, '60s and even one from the '40s. They presented many challenges as they all operated differently. He also told me that there was one night when Austin Butler, at very slow speed, was turning at the end of the street. He hit a patch of wet leaves and his bike just spun beneath him, but the accelerator was still on. Then, all they saw was a lighthouse that simply rotated. Fortunately, Austin got out of the way, but it was very, very challenging to use vintage motorcycles.
