| Billy Jack | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tom Laughlin (as T.C. Frank) |
| Written by | Tom Laughlin (as Frank Christina) Delores Taylor (as Theresa Christina) |
| Produced by | Tom Laughlin (as Mary Rose Solti) |
| Starring | Tom Laughlin Delores Taylor |
| Cinematography | Fred J. Koenekamp John M. Stephens |
| Edited by | Larry Heath Marion Rothman |
| Music by | Mundell Lowe Dennis Lambert Brian Potter |
Production company | National Student Film Corporation |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $800,000 |
| Box office | $32.5 million (rentals)[1] |
Billy Jack is a 1971 American action drama independent film, the second of four films centering on a character of the same name which began with the movie The Born Losers (1967), played by Tom Laughlin, who directed and co-wrote the script. Filming began in Prescott, Arizona, in the fall of 1969, but the movie was not completed until 1971. American International Pictures pulled out, halting filming. 20th Century Fox came forward and filming eventually resumed but when that studio refused to distribute the film, Warner Bros. stepped forward.
Still, the film lacked distribution, so Laughlin booked it into theaters himself in 1971.[1] The film grossed $10 million in its initial run, but eventually added close to $50 million in its re-release,[2] with distribution supervised by Laughlin.
- ^ a b Waxman, Sharon (June 20, 2005). "Billy Jack Is Ready to Fight the Good Fight Again". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
- ^ Klady, Leonard (November 11, 1996). "Revival of the fittest a Hollywood tradition". Variety. p. 75.