Hells Angels '69

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                 Hell's Angels '69 (1969)

Tagline: Let the fuzz take you ALIVE... the Angels aren't that particular!

Two brothers have a plan on how to rob the Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas. They join a motorcycle gang and while the others are drinking and partying outside of town, they change their clothes and head off to rob the casino. Of course, the police do not look for two well dressed criminals among the Hell's Angels.

Run Time: 97 minutes
Actors: Sonny Barger, Tom Stern,Danielle Corn, Bud Ekins, Bobby Hall, Bob Harris, The Oakland Hell's Angels
Director: Lee Madden

Made in 1969 , this movie exemplifies all that was good and bad about biker culture of that era. In Hell's Angels '69, two thrill seekers join the Hell's Angels with the plan to use them as cover for a daring robbery of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. The portrayal of the bikers is similar to other filmsof the era. They are hard-drinking people who love to get into fights, are loyal to each other, and hate cops/military police. Oh, and they're white supremacists. Like 'the Losers' this movie contains bikers wearing Nazi swastikas, and both movies have some racist banter used as throwaway lines. Despite that, the film is worth recommending as good examples of genre biker film. Hell's Angels '69 has some fascinating shots of Las Vegas before the Strip was fully engulfed in neon. This movie is obviously influenced by Easy Rider, particularly with the ending, and captures a time in America when things were obviously not going right.
This rather lame tale of two thrill seeking rich boys out to prove they can rob a Las Vegas Casino, and use Hells Angels to do it, would barely merit mention were it not for the fact that the real Oakland Angels are stars in the film.
Sonny Barger, President, Terry the Tramp, Magoo and Cisco, all of the Oakland chapter, and familiar to anyone who has read any of the books about the history of the Angels, are featured heavily here with dialogue and close ups and everything. Terry being the stand out.
The motorcycles range from rather stock late sixties Harleys to a custom built chopper reportedly built by Sonny specially for the film. But these bikes are only featured in the first two thirds of the picture- the final chase scene through the desert has almost the entire cast riding dirt bikes.
Overall an interesting if not great film, just to see the famous Angels, the basis for so many of the genres offerings, in the flesh so to speak.