The Savage Seven ** (1968, Robert Walker Jr, Joanna Frank, Adam Roarke, Larry Bishop, John Garwood) – Classic Movie Review 9397

Director Richard Rush’s 1968 cult outlaw biker exploitation movie The Savage Seven stars Robert Walker Jr, Joanna Frank and Adam Roarke. The screenplay is by Michael Fisher, based on a story by Rosalind Ross.

Adam Roarke plays motorcycle gang leader Kisum, who is in love with waitress Marcia Little Hawk (Joanna Frank) against the wishes of her brother Johnnie Little Hawk (Robert Walker Jr), the leader of a group of Native Americans.

The conflicting groups eventually join forces, but crooked businessman Mr Fillmore (Mel Berger) schemes to set them against each other again. The bikers enjoy fighting, but in the end have to choose between Fat Jack (Eddy Donno) and his henchmen or the American Indians.

Robert Walker Jr plays Johnnie Little Hawk.

Rush said he agreed with producer Dick Clark to do the film as a follow-up to his 1967 Hells Angels on Wheels (which also starred Adam Roarke) in exchange for being able to make the 1968 counterculture-era psychedelic film Psych-Out.

The film marks the screen acting debut of Penny Marshall. Big (1988), her second film as director, became the first film directed by a woman to gross more than $100 million at the US box office.

It is made by Dick Clark Productions and distributed by American International Pictures.

The cast are Robert Walker Jr as Johnnie, Joanna Frank as Marcia, John Garwood as Stud, Larry Bishop as Joint, Adam Roarke as Kisum, Max Julien as Grey Wolf, Richard Anders as Bull, Duane Eddy as Eddie, Billy Green Bush as Seely, Charles Bail as Taggert, Mel Berger as Fillmore, John ‘Bud’ Cardos as Running Buck and Penny Marshall as Tina.

The theme song ‘Anyone for Tennis’ is by Cream. The Iron Butterfly are heard playing their classic ‘Iron Butterfly Theme’.

American guitarist Duane Eddy appeared in a handful of films: Because They’re Young (1960), A Thunder of Drums (1961), The Wild Westerners (1962), The Savage Seven (1968) and Kona Coast (1968). Eddy returned to the UK on an 80th birthday tour in 2018 in concerts with Liverpudlian singer-songwriter Robert Vincent.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9397

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