Hells Angels on Wheels (1967) is a cheap exploitation flick directed by Richard Rush. Starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Roarke, it contains everything the trashy genre demands, which is why I consider it a guilty pleasure. But this one is not without its special rewards. Photographed by Laszlo Kovacs during his pre-ASC days, it reminds us that from small things, big things can one day come.
Kovacs’ breakout film was 1969’s Easy Rider (directed by Dennis Hopper, and ironically, another biker film). Up to that point, he had been toiling on the lower rungs of the industry, yet the snippet from the review below indicates people were starting to notice what he was doing.
In an effort to appear more American, the young Hungarian-native went by the first name Leslie rather than Laszlo. Though the critic may have spelled it wrong, it didn’t matter. By the time Kovacs was receiving screen credit in his Christian name, it had become trendy to be thought of as European.
I believe Dennis Hopper directed Easy Rider. Vilmos Zsigmond was known as “Bill” in his early career. Which biker flick contains the famous line, “I just wanna be free, to get high and ride my machine and not be hassled by the man”? Who said it?
You are correct, Russ…I should fire myself and get a better fact checker!
Laszlo often recalled that when offered Easy Rider, his first reaction was, “Oh no, not anither biker film!”