In 1969, that was a big deal and people came out to see the movie just to see people get stoned (both on the screen and in the theaters).Įasy Rider was also the first film to really use popular rock music as music videos within the film. At the time Easy Rider debuted across the country, the hype about the movie centered around the fact that Fonda and Hopper, along with some of the other stars in the film, had actually smoked real pot in the scenes in which they’re seen toking up. Fonda acted as the film's producer while Hopper directed. Interestingly, Fonda came up with the ending of the film first and worked backwards from there to craft a screenplay with the help of writer Terry Southern. More than one teenager sewed an American flag onto his jacket and went out and bought a bike that summer in search of freedom. Despite the deeper meaning Fonda meant to capture in his film, American youth saw something else, they saw two free-spirits on wild Harley choppers bein' gunned down by ignorant Southern rednecks. However, the lesson in this film is that America had sold out and so did the Captain and Billy. As the advertising slogan for the film read, “A man went looking for America and couldn't find it anywhere.” And what he did find, freaked him the hell out. They are America incarnate as they roll across this country looking for themselves and a bit of the long lost American Dream. Dennis Hopper’s character of Billy (as in Billy the Kid) on his flame-painted chopper, is the ugly American, the frontiersman with his pushy ways and rebellious spirit. Captain America, as played by Peter Fonda, with his red, white, and blue stars and stripes panhead chopper is the quiet reminder of what this country stands for. In the film, two drug-selling bikers become icons of the Woodstock generation. In 1969 America’s youth was a stick of dynamite and Peter Fonda lit the fuse. That led him to make the film Easy Rider.
Peter Fonda has said that the ’60’s generation had their own music and style but didn’t have a definitive movie that captured their vibe. Into this time of chaos and confusion, two rebellious film makers offered up their take on the state of America, when convention was tossed out the window and the American Dream was losing its luster. The Oakland chapter even offered President Lyndon Johnson that they would go to Vietnam and fight as a “crack group of fighting guerillas.” Johnson declined that invitation. While there was a brief time when hippies and acid-heads invited Hells Angels to parties in Haight-Ashbury, this came to sudden end when a group of H.A.s disrupted a peace march in 1965. Those of us who remember the ’60’s lived through Vietnam, Kent State, Watergate, hippies, yippies, and Woodstock.īad biker movies were a big hit at drive-in’s in those long-haired days of yore and certain notorious motorcycle clubs continued to show up in the press, and never for doing something nice.
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It was a time of war and chaos mixed with free love and flower power. Of course I gave him my time, that’s what it’s all about.” Peter was the real deal and his movie forever changed the idea of a biker film.įifty years ago, the 1960’s was drawing to a psychedelic close. Peter smiled and said, “Dig man, he has been waiting for decades to tell me that. I told Peter that I thought he was extraordinarily kind to give the biker, a complete stranger, so much time. At the end of their time together they exchanged hugs like old friends, such is the power of the biker brotherhood. They talked about bikes they had owned, runs that they love to go on and their favorite places to ride. Peter stood and talked to that biker for over half an hour. I was with him a few years ago when a grizzled biker walked up, shook his hand and said, “You changed my life, man. In fact, his fans would often stop Fonda wherever he went and confide that because of him, they learned to live and love the biker lifestyle. They say you can’t meet your heroes, but Peter never let his fans down. Being with Peter was like running off to join the circus. Peter was a dear friend and he lived every day to the fullest. This year also marked the 50th Anniversary of his film, Easy Rider (it debuted in America on July 14th, 1969). Peter Fonda died on Friday, August 16th at 11:45am of lung cancer. The man who defined a generation and was the spiritual father of many bikers the world over has ridden on ahead.
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