I love biker flicks!! I sat through just about everyone of them in their late 60s/early 70s heyday during double (sometimes triple) features at the local movie palaces….which may explain my warped worldview. THE GLORY STOMPERS was a favorite, and TCM ran it late last night. Naturally, I had to DVR it and give it another look. THE GLORY STOMPERS is a simple chase/revenge movie, with Glory Stomper Daryl (Jody McCrae) jumped by rival gang the Black Souls. Thinking they’ve “wasted” Daryl, head Soul Chino (Dennis Hopper) abducts Daryl’s girl Chris (Chris Noel), with a plan to sell her to white slavers in Mexico. But Daryl’s not dead, and he hunts down the gang, joined on the road by ex-Stomper Smiley (Jock Mahoney). The chase is on, with plenty of (PG) sex and violence along the way.
Much like a B-Western, the story doesn’t stray too far from the formula. What makes THE GLORY STOMPERS stand out is Hopper’s pre-EASY RIDER turn as Chino. He’s maniacal as the Black Soul’s leader, a psychopath with no regard for anyone, except little brother Clean Cut (Jim Reader), who plays a major role in the conclusion. Hopper is a blast to watch, and a drinking game could probably be made out of how many times he says “man” in the film.
Some of the cast and crew’s backstories are more interesting than the movie!! First, there’s Jody McCrea as Daryl. He’ll forever be immortalized as Deadhead (sometimes known as Bonehead) in AIP’s “Beach Party” movies. The son of 30s/40s stars Joel McCrea and Frances Dee, Jody made a handful of films after THE GLORY STOMPERS, then retired to a quiet life as a rancher. Chris Noel was the All-American 60s blonde who once starred with Elvis (GIRL HAPPY) and in a couple Beach Party knockoffs (BEACH BALL, WILD WILD WINTER) before devoting her time with the USO during the Vietnam War. Suffering from PTSD, Miss Noel left Hollywood and devoted her life to helping veterans.
Jock Mahoney (Smiley) was Hollywood all the way. Beginning as a stuntman, he started acting in Three Stooges shorts, became a minor Western star in movies (SHOWDOWN AT ABILENE, SLIM CARTER) and television (THE RANGE RIDER, YANCY DERRINGER). Jock also played Tarzan twice (TARZAN GOES TO INDIA, TARZAN’S THREE CHALLENGES), but may be better known today as the stepfather of Sally Field. Robert Tessier (Magoo) was a legitimate tough guy, having won the Purple Heart and Silver Star during the Korean War. A veteran of biker flicks (BORN LOSERS, RUN ANGEL RUN, THE HARD RIDE), Tessier also appears in Walter Hill’s HARD TIMES, and was once TV commercial icon Mr. Clean!! Other cast members include Casey Kasem (yes, THAT Casey Kasem), Lindsay (son of Bing) Crosby, and Sandra Gayle (ANGELS FROM HELL).
Behind the scenes, director Anthony M. Lanza got his start as an editor of Arch Hall epics like WILD GUITAR and THE SADIST. He also directed the cult classic THE INCREDIBLE TWO-HEADED TRANSPLANT, with the incredible Bruce Dern! Those beautiful shots of Harleys rolling down scenic highways were by cinematographer Mario Tosi, who later did CARRIE and THE STUNT MAN. The music score, full of fuzz-tone psychedelic guitars, is credited to “Sidewalk Productions”, but was really Davie Allen (of Davie Allen and the Arrows) and music impresario Mike Curb, who did a ton of these low-budget biker movies, and later became Lt. Governor of California! THE GLORY STOMPERS is a time capsule look at the rebellious, sometimes dangerous, side of the 60s counterculture. No peace’n’love here, but plenty of action for lovers of the biker genre. Just watch it, man, you’ll dig it!
cracked rear viewer 
Reblogged this on Through the Shattered Lens.
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