Electra Glide in Blue

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Cast & Crew

Robert Blake
John Wintergreen

Billy Green Bush
John Wintergreen

Mitch Ryan
Harve Poole

Jeannine Riley
Jolene

Elisha Cook Jr.
Willie

Royal Dano
Coroner

David Wolinski
VW Bus Driver

Peter Cetera
Bob Zemko

Terry Kath
Killer

Lee Loughnane
Pig Man

James William Guercio
Director

James William Guercio
Producer

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Critic Reviews for Electra Glide in Blue

Audience Reviews for Electra Glide in Blue

• Mar 20, 2011

  Electra Glide In Blue is a character study of an earnest and honest man doing America's second most unpopular job. Fans of early 1970s drive-in cinema, edgy action flicks will dig this picture. Some scenes are unforgettable, while others come off as amateurish, including the dialogue. In terms of structure and plot, there are plenty of similarities to "Easy Rider." Instead of a pair of hippies, it's John Wintergreen (Robert Blake) and his bike-riding cop partner "Zipper" Davis (Billy Green Bush on the edge of irritating), who happens to be a bit more sadistic and corrupt. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view&current=electraglide.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/electraglide.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
  El Hombre I Super Reviewer
• Mar 01, 2010

  1970's classic film as little motorcycle cop with big simple heart dreams of being a homicide detective in a land where prejudice, cynicism, and just-looking-out-for-number-one-ism rules. A great character study, and unlike FORREST GUMP, it doesn't go for an easy happy-by-numbers ending.
  Lesley N Super Reviewer
• Jan 20, 2010

  <div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/electra-glide-in-blue-13959894"><img src="http://content8.flixster.com/photo/13/95/98/13959894_ori.jpg" border="0" /></a><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"href="http://www.flixster.com"></a></div></div><br/><br/><b><i>ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE</i> (1973)</b><br/>WRITTEN BY: Robert Boris<br/>DIRECTED BY: James William Guercio<br/>FEATURING: Robert Blake, Billy Green Bush Mitch Ryan, Cook Jr., Royal Dano, and Hawk Wolinski <br/>GENRE: Black Comedy-Action<br/>TAGS: drama, mystery, shocking violence<br/><br/>PLOT: A highway patrolman weaves his way through a tangled path of police stupidity, corruption and downright insane fellow officers to solve a murder.<br/><br/>COMMENTS: Appalling violence punctuates this poetic ballad of an Arizona motorcycle cop working a murder case. Released during a '70's biker movie trend, the thoughtful <i>Electra Glide in Blue</i> keeps good company with other pensive, cycle-centric character studies such as <i>Little Faus and Big Halsey</i> and <i>Easy Rider</i>. Like the latter two, <i>Electra Glide in Blue</i> features strong characterization and an offbeat story. <br/><br/>John Wintergreen (Blake) has an uneasy alliance with his off--kilter, corrupt partner "Zipper" (Bush) as small-league highway cops. The pair have a relatively easy professional lifestyle, lounging in the desert, reading, picking up girls at lunch stands, and killing boredom. Their routine is periodically broken by traffic stops, high speed chases, and shake-downs of hippies in VW buses, the latter often involving planted evidence. <br/><br/>The pair find the job comfortable enough and it's all for decent pay, but Wintergreen longs for more. He ambitiously yearns to make detective and to be paid to think rather than to write tickets. Wintergreen gets his chance when he and Zipper encounter an hysterical prospector (Cook) who reports his friend's suicide. <br/><br/>Suspecting more than suicide upon examining the body, Wintergreen is assigned to tag along with the shady detective Poole (Ryan) who is in charge of the investigation. Poole takes Wintergreen under his wing as a protégé, and starts showing him the ropes of how to become an investigator. <br/><br/>Problem is, Poole has some awfully funny ideas about law enforcement that go beyond the merely unorthodox. Wintergreen must listen to his inner voice to separate the wheat from the chaff. Poole isn't the only loose cannon on the force. Local law enforcement en masse plays fast and loose with the law, often making up their own rules as they go along. <br/><br/>One condition more than any other characterizes Wintergreen's colleagues on the force: for them the throttle is wide open. Worse, left to his own devices, WIntergreen's partner Zipper takes full advantage of the permissive status quo, and running freely, quickly comes unglued. Without WIntergreen around to keep an eye on him, Zipper psychologically deteriorates and is soon ready for the rubber gun squad. <br/><br/>Wintergreen meanwhile continues his sleuth endeavors on the murder investigation. Encountering a parade of eccentric characters and oddball situations along the way, unexpected, extremely violent encounters punctuate Green's detective apprenticeship. Wintergreen is hell-bent on being a conscientious, honest cop, but will he be able to stay true to this goal while being pressured by the savage and corrupt officers surrounding him?<br/><br/>Biking enthusiasts will appreciate the chase sequences, jarring action, and impressive stunts, but <i>Electra Glide in Blue</i> is not intended to be a motorcycle film per se. It's a character study, grim and gritty, at times darkly funny, but always unpredictable. Strong performances and good character development distinguish this unusual picture, made all the more atypical for being a cop-perspective film directed by rock band Chicago's manager during the anti-establishment early '70's. <br/><br/><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/electra-glide-in-blue-13959871"><img src="http://content9.flixster.com/photo/13/95/98/13959871_ori.jpg" border="0" /></a><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"href="http://www.flixster.com"></a> </div></div><br/><div></div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"href="http://www.flixster.com/videos?videoId=11135827"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XyB_igTHMaw/0.jpg" border="0" /></a><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"href="http://www.flixster.com"><i>Electra Glide in Blue</i></a> - chase sequence</div><br/><br/><div></div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"href="http://www.flixster.com/videos?videoId=11135826"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7Q-hSSks9fU/0.jpg" border="0" /></a><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"href="http://www.flixster.com"><i>Electra Glide in Blue</i></a> - trailer</div>
  Pamela D Super Reviewer
• May 05, 2007

  Electra Glide in Blue was a bad title, but everything else about it is pretty stellar. Performances are top knotch all round, the script taught and tight, and the cinematography... Did I mention it's shot by Conrad Hall?
  Ken S Super Reviewer

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