| Born Losers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | T. C. Frank |
| Written by | Elizabeth James |
| Produced by | Delores Taylor Don Henderson Tom Laughlin |
| Starring | Tom Laughlin Elizabeth James Jeremy Slate |
| Cinematography | Gregory Sandor |
| Edited by | John Winfield |
| Music by | Mike Curb |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $400,000[1] |
| Box office | $36 million[2] |
The Born Losers is a 1967 American outlaw biker film.[3] The film introduced Tom Laughlin as the half-Indigenous American Green Beret Vietnam veteran Billy Jack. Since 1954, Laughlin had been trying to produce his Billy Jack script about discrimination toward Indigenous Americans. In the 1960s, he decided to introduce the character of Billy Jack in a quickly written script designed to capitalize on the then-popular trend in motorcycle gang movies. The story was based on a real incident from 1964 where members of the Hells Angels were arrested for raping two teenage girls in Monterey, California.[4][5][6][7] The movie was followed by Billy Jack (1971), which saw AIP pull out of production midway through before others stepped in.
- ^ Clifford, Terry. (Aug 20, 1967). "Hollywood's Only Woman Producer a Born Winner". Chicago Tribune. p. g13.
- ^ "Born Losers, Box Office Information". The Numbers. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
- ^ Gary A. Smith, The American International Pictures Video Guide, McFarland 2009 p 32
- ^ "Motorcycle Gangs: Losers and Outsiders". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Joseph, Channing (3 October 2016). "Yesterday's Crimes: Hunter S. Thompson Gets Beaten". SFWeekly. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Hunter S. (May 17, 1965). "The Motorcycle Gangs". thenation.com. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Born Losers (1967): Tom Laughlin's Exploitative Biker Movie, Introducing the Billy Jack Character". emanuellevy.com. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2023.