King of the Mountain (film)

King of the Mountain
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Noel Nosseck
Written by	Leigh Chapman H.R. Christian
Produced by	Jack Frost Sanders
Starring	Harry Hamlin Joseph Bottoms Deborah Van Valkenburgh Richard Cox Seymour Cassel Dennis Hopper
Edited by	William Steinkamp
Music by	Michael Melvoin
Production company	PolyGram Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	May 1, 1981 (1981-05-01)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2 million [1]
Box office	$2.1 million[2][3]

King of the Mountain is a 1981 American action drama film starring Harry Hamlin, Joseph Bottoms, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Richard Cox, Seymour Cassel and Dennis Hopper about a group that race their cars up and down Mulholland Drive for both money and prestige.

The film's primary focus is Steve (Harry Hamlin), who has found himself generally content with his uncomplicated life of working and racing. This creates some amount of tension between him and his friends, who have been losing their interest in racing and have been attempting to make serious inroads in the music industry. Steve's blossoming relationship with singer Tina (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) causes him to re-think his mantra, as he realizes that a truly fulfilling life involves more than just work and play.

The film was poorly regarded critically and did not perform well in the box office, although it was significant in being among the first films about street racing and communities of street racers, as well as because it was inspired by the activities of real people who raced in the Los Angeles area. It also marked somewhat of a return for Dennis Hopper, who had spent several months secluded away from Los Angeles prior to making his appearance.