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Electra Glide in Blue (1973)

‘Electra Glide’ is the name of a full-dress Harley Davidson motorcycle that was manufactured in the United States. A few years back, all motorcycle cops over there used to ride Harleys, but in the 1970s, the Harley Davidson MC Corporation fell upon hard times, and now most American cops ride Japanese bikes, which they call 'rice burners’. No matter – this is a fairy story about the last honest motorcycle cop in Monument Valley. Monument Valley is on the Navaho Indian Reservation in northern Arizona – a sacred place. John Ford discovered it and shot his westerns there; nowadays, they use it to shoot car commercials. Electra Glide in Blue was directed by an American, James William Guercio, formerly the manager of the mellow rock band Chicago. It stars Robert Blake, who is the same height as Alan Ladd to the quarter inch. It was filmed by Conrad Hall who also shot Fat City. Today Conrad Hall shoots bank commercials in Monument Valley. The film is an interesting one. It’s sort of the cops’ response to Easy Rider, particularly at the end. It was also very influenced by a gay film, Scorpio Rising, directed by Kenneth Anger. Guercio never made another film after Electra Glide In Blue; he retired to a ranch in Colorado and was not seen again. A pity, because this is a good film, especially if you like motorcycles.

English
  • Originally Aired May 15, 1988
  • Network BBC Two
  • Created May 17, 2020 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified May 17, 2020 by
    Administrator admin