Billy Jack

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This article is about the 1971 film Billy Jack. For the professional wrestler of a similar name see Billy Jack Haynes.

Billy Jack
Theatrical release poster.
Directed by	T. C. Frank
Produced by	Mary Rose Solti
Written by	Frank Christina Theresa Christina
Starring	Tom Laughlin Delores Taylor Clark Howat Julie Webb David Roya Kenneth Tobey Howard Hesseman Bert Freed
Music by	Mundell Lowe
Cinematography	Fred Koenekamp John Stephens
Editing by	Larry Heath Marion Rothman
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	May 1, 1971
Running time	114 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$800,000 (estimated)
Preceded by	The Born Losers
Followed by	The Trial of Billy Jack
Official website
IMDb profile

Billy Jack is the second, and highest grossing, in a series of motion pictures centering on a fictional character of the same name, played by Tom Laughlin. Filming began in Prescott, Arizona, in fall 1969, but the movie was not completed until 1971. American International Pictures pulled out of the production, halting filming. Twentieth Century Fox came in and filming eventually resumed, but when that studio refused to distribute the film, Warner Bros. took over.

The film lacked distribution, so Laughlin took it to theaters himself in 1971. The film died at the box office in its initial run but took in more than $40 million in its 1973 rerelease, which was supervised by Laughlin.

1 Plot
2 Films in the series
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Plot

Billy Jack is a "half-breed" Native American Green Beret Vietnam War veteran, hapkido master, and gunslinger. The character made his début in The Born Losers (1967), a so-called "biker film" about a motorcycle gang terrorizing a California town; Billy Jack rises to the occasion to defeat the gang by defending from their wrath a college student who has evidence against them for gang rapes. The first film was considered the typical drive-in theater fare of the period, described by Entertainment Insiders reviewer Rusty White as "pure exploitation, but with something extra."^[1]

This changes with the second film, Billy Jack, in which the hero must defend the hippie-themed Freedom School and its students from townspeople who do not understand or like the counterculture students. The school is organized by Jean Roberts, played by Laughlin's wife, Delores Taylor, who also appears in each subsequent film.

The film focuses on the plight of Native Americans during the civil rights movement. It attained a cult following, due in part to the popular theme song "One Tin Soldier." The film found a potent formula with this message in 1971, and went on to become one of the highest grossing of its time, and remains among the top 100 when the list is adjusted for inflation.

Billy Jack helped raised the level of awareness regarding the plight and discrimination against Native Americans at that time. Billy Jack, the character, attempts to protect the individuals living on a reservation. The discrimination is exemplified when some of the children go into town for ice cream and are driven out by their white neighbors. Later, Jean (Taylor), Billy's girlfriend and teacher at the Freedom School, is raped by Bernard (David Roya), the corrupt son of the county's most successful (and ruthless) businessman (Bert Freed). Unable to protect his people or girlfriend, Billy turns himself into the authorities for killing Bernard and is arrested. The less successful sequel is titled "The Trial of Billy Jack"

Billy Jack's wardrobe (black T-shirt, blue denim jacket, blue jeans, and a black hat with a beadwork band) would become nearly as iconic as the character. The film's theme song, "One Tin Soldier" by Coven, became a Top 40 hit in 1971, and featured the chorus:

Go ahead and hate your neighbor; go ahead and cheat a friend.

Do it in the name of heaven; you can justify it in the end.

There won't be any trumpets blowin' come the judgment day

On the bloody morning after, one tin soldier rides away

[edit] Films in the series

Billy Jack was the first movie to be marketed with the "BlockBuster" technique^{[citation needed]}: To release a movie at a great many theaters on the same day in the same market. Before Billy Jack, movies would test the market at a few theaters and blossom to more if the reaction proved positive. BlockBusters would get a much stronger reaction and result in a more popular acceptance. This marketing got Billy Jack its top grossing credit. Today, virtually all major releases open in thousands of theaters at the same time.

Laughlin's website mentions plans to make another sequel, entitled Billy Jack's Moral Revolution which, according to the film's synopsis, hopes to "lead a nationwide protest march to force Bush and Cheney to give up Iraq as an oil colony and stop the endless flow of blood by getting the hated Americans out of Iraq immediately." In Billy Jack’s Moral Revolution, Billy Jack and Jean are recruited by mainstream Americans, Moderate Republicans, Democrats and Independents who hate both Parties and believe Congress has become so systemically corrupt it can’t possibly represent the people any more, to form a new mainstream – not fringe – 3rd Party, with exciting reforms to give real power back to the people (see 3rd Party enclosure). Throughout the film Billy Jack and Jean are under a horrendous siege in their struggle to try to save the heart and soul of America–and Its Constitution--before it’s too late. The movie was originally set to be released sometime in 2007."^[2]

[edit] References

^ einsiders.com. Film & Disc Review, Billy Jack: Ultimate Collection. Retrieved on 26 March 2006.
^ billyjack.com. New Movie—Billy Jack's Crusade. Retrieved on 26 March 2006.