How come this film never had a theatrical run? Was there some kind of legal or copyright issue involved?
shareSame Question ... I didn't even know that This Film existed ... I saw the Billy Jack "Trilogy" (including "the Born Losers") as "New" Films at Drive-In Theaters.
shareThe Laughlins claim that the government suppressed it. Having seen it, I think it just wasn't good enough that anyone wanted to put money behind it, even trading on the Billy Jack name which was quite popular in that time.
Total BS! I saw this disaster in a test market run in Denver or Boulder. Almost no one liked it. Laughlins fundamental core beliefs or views were far ahead of the times, so this film would probably do better in todays post Bush 9/11 era. Keep in mind that the film was a liberal anti-government, anti big business, anti industrial war machine conspiracy theory rant and Jimmy Carter was president.
shareFor those of you who are interested in the true answer as to why this film never got released, it's because Hollywood (what they call it in Hollywood) "blackballed" Mr. Laughlin for going out on his own. The same as Clint Eastwood did but they didn't "blackball" him. I know this for a fact because I was his personel driver while he was in Washington, DC during this stage of filming and he told me this (in more detail)as we were riding around one day. They were in DC February, March and just into April of 1976. I had my first meeting him at the front door of the Watergate Hotel, where the Transportation Cordinator, Gary Paulsen had me wait while he went up stairs to get Mr. Laughlin. I have pictures! I hope this has took the wonder out of why! Arthur F. Todd
shareI certainly don't doubt that you were his driver and that he talked to you. I just don't buy his claim that the film didn't get released because of sabotage. It wasn't a very good film. Worth seeing if you're a fan of the others, but it can't measure up to them and it could never stand on its own.
shareAccording to the "Golden Turkey Awards " He ran out of money and had to borrow more . He spent $750,000 to build a replica of the Senate.
The movie cost 7 million and his creditors wanted their money back .
Lawsuits and counter lawsuits later the film was not shown .
It was on Flex today finally saw it.
A rip off of "Mr. Smith goes to Washington"
Fix the error reports on this site
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My viewpoint is that even though the BJ movie franchise and The Master Gunfighter were "poorly" made, back in the day I liked the messages and imo what the movies were trying do. The time in which the movies were made, the country needed movies like this.
Scandals and corruption such as Watergate, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Wilbur Mills and the stripper and so on. Not to mention the Native American issue at that time.
I'm not saying the government is corruption free and that Native American, or any minority in the US are completely equal to the white heterosexual male population, but imo it's better than 40 + years ago when the Tom Laughlin's movies were made.
Lastly thanks to Robert Redford and others, since the BJ movies, independent movies have risen significantly. Perhaps Laughlin's movies contributed to the independent movie revolution. Will we ever know how they also helped to make the country more equal for all? I don't think so.
As I watched BJGTW today, the same feelings sturred me as it did several decades ago when I watched it for the first time.
In closing and to get back to the topic, I think the majority of the people -including myself - grew tired of Tom Laughlin's movies and the times changed so the movies weren't effective. The movies sturred up the peoples by hitting some nerves and they planted seeds in people such as myself. The government agencies did and still do some crazy, illegal and unbelievable stuff so it is plausible the movie was shut down. Currently we have laws that prevent discrimination but there's always ways to do the same thing that is legal. "I want that movie shut down" "Sir, we can tie it up in courts because of the copyright! And I know people in the judical system who can help us!"
How come? Because it sucks. That’s how come. At that point in time people were finally fed up with Laughlin’s leftist propaganda too.
shareThere had been several movies about alleged government conspiracies (The Parallax View and All the President's Men among others) released before BJGTW. THEY weren't suppressed. But the legend of THIS movie being suppressed persists. There is no evidence such an action took place. I think by the time this movie was made, many of the people who liked Billly Jack in the early 1970s had grown up and moderated their politics. They were no longer interested in fighting "The Man".