Billy Jack

Billy Jack is the second, and highest grossing, in a series of motion pictures centered around a fictional character of the same name, invariably played by Tom Laughlin. The film was released in 1971.

Related Topics:
Motion picture - Fictional character - Tom Laughlin - 1971

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Billy Jack is a Native American Green Beret veteran, hapkido master, and gunslinger. The character made his début in The Born Losers, a 1967 biker movie about motorcycle gangs terrorizing a California town; Billy Jack rises to the occasion to defeat the gang by defending a college student with evidence against them from their wrath. The first film was typical drive-in theater fare with a little more pretension to relevance than was typical for the period.

Related Topics:
Native American - Green Beret - Veteran - Hapkido - Gunslinger - 1967 - Biker - Drive-in theater - Relevance

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This changes with the second film, Billy Jack, in which the hero must defend a hippie school or commune that calls itself the "Freedom School" and its students from the machinations of despicable racists. The school is organized by Jean Roberts, played by Laughlin's wife Delores Taylor, who also appears in each subsequent film. Billy Jack usually dresses in a black T-shirt, denim jacket and blue jeans, and wears his trademark black hat with a beadwork band. The movies go to some length to explain how the anti-establishment pacifist philosophy of the Freedom School can be reconciled with the martial arts and gunplay which feature prominently in the plots of the films. Billy Jack hit on a potent formula with this message in 1972, and the film 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.

Related Topics:
Hero - Hippie - Commune - Racists - Delores Taylor - Denim - Blue jeans - Pacifist - Martial arts - Inflation

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Later films in the series tended to emphasize message over martial arts, featured increasingly implausible plots, and the message was less and less welcome as the 1970s wore on; the franchise eventually faded into obscurity after two more sequels. The theme song of the films, One Tin Soldier by the band Coven, became a Top 40 hit in 1971:

Related Topics:
1970s - One Tin Soldier - Coven - Top 40 - 1971

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:Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend.

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

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:There won't be any trumpets blowin' come the judgement day.

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:On the bloody morning after — one tin soldier rides away.

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