THE CHOPPERS!

THE CHOPPERS! (1961)

Star: Arch Hall, Jr.
Dir. by Leigh Jason
Written by Arch Hall, Sr.

The Choppers was filmed in 1961 and was the first film of actor/singer/songwriter/airline pilot, Arch Hall. It’s generally regarded as a crime-themed “throw-away,” having neither the cult/camp status of “Eegah” (with Richard “Jaws” Keil as the caveman trying to crash Las Vegas teen society) nor the serious psychological—almost Bergman-esque—overtones of the highly regarded “The Sadist.” That’s an unfair assessment of what is actually Hall’s best film. Let’s set the record straight.

First, the technical details: Arch Hall, Jr. was born in 1943 and is the son of Arch Hall Sr., an infamous, charming and lovable promoter and hustler and Army buddy of Hollywood scriptwriter, William Bowers. Bowers had written several popular films, such as “She Couldn’t Say No” (starring Robert Mitchum) and “30” (starring Jack Webb).

During W W II, both Bowers and “Archie” Hall were stationed at a stateside base where they, as pilots too old to actually serve in combat, were given military training in case their services became necessary (the program was later cancelled due to the war winding down). Bowers later wrote a screenplay about Hall’s adventures and Jack Webb directed. The film was called “The Last Time I Saw Archie,” and was released in 1961. The movie is actually quite funny as far as “service comedies” go. Robert Mitchum portrays

Archie Hall. Jack Webb plays Bowers. Hall Sr. later sued, claiming Invasion of Privacy, and won, but didn’t receive much in damages as the movie was a huge money-loser.

Arch Hall, Sr., appears in The Choppers as the liberal national news reporter who cynically comments on The Choppers’ shenanigans; makes fun of one of The Choppers’ drunken father; and eventually blames all juvenile delinquency on the parents. Uhhh…..yeah.

OK, back to Arch Hall, Jr. He was a gifted guitar player and songwriter in the “Ricky Nelson” mode. Rumor has it that a major label was interested in Jr. and made offers, but Arch Sr., nixed them preferring Jr. to record for his Fairways Records label. Apparently, having a major film made about himself and later suing the writer of said film, gave Arch, Sr. the “movie bug,” so he produced and wrote “The Choppers,” and hired veteran director Leigh Jason, mainly known for directing such classics as “Knife of the Party” (starring Shemp Howard and his Three Stooges).

The Choppers is basically one more re-write of “Rebel Without A Cause,” with Arch Jr. in the James Dean role, but with a difference—James Dean was confused and sullen, Arch Jr. is mad, mean, and he never stops talking! With his blonde Elvis “pompadour” haircut, he’s always barking out orders to his gang of low end losers through his cool walkie-talkie while cruising in his $5,000 Hot Rod (make that $40,000 in today’s money). Arch and The Choppers have graduated from stealing hubcaps to stripping cars, thanks to some coaching by sleazy junk yard owner, Bruno VeSota.

The Choppers hang out at gas stations and siphon gas out of tourists’ cars when they’re not looking. Then they wait for them to run out of gas on a lonely stretch of road and, as soon, as the rubes walk off for help, The Choppers zoom up in their “chicken truck” full of live chickens. Of course they’ve got the middle of the truck full of “chopping gear” (they keep their tools in a guitar case). They then jump out of the back (hopefully not covered with chicken poop) and strip the car in 5 minutes flat, leaving it a wasted, worthless hulk. They then “fence” the car parts to sleazy VeSota and his sidekick, “Cowboy” a grumpy,dyspeptic, old curmudgeon with bad breath and a lot of issues, for 10 cents on the dollar.

There’s a new theory about the “Angry American,” which holds that Americans are angrier now than ever before in our history. “Cowboy” was angry way back in 1961. What’s he angry about? He’s obviously got a problem, since he dresses and speaks like a cowboy, yet he plays delta blues on his guitar. He wants to express himself, yet junk yard owner Bruno VeSota just tells him to “shut up!” Maybe medication would have helped or maybe Cowboy needed a professional “listener,” since he was obviously a talker. Oh, well, back to our plot.

Arch Jr. doesn’t strip cars for the money, since he’s already rich. He’s angry because his father was killed in the war. The other “Choppers” are sort of like fugitives from a “Psychology 101” primer. One guy has the drunken, no-good father, etc., etc., etc.
Of course, The Choppers start chopping too many cars and the police start putting the heat on VeSota at his junk yard. He tells Arch to “cool it,” but that’s a no-go, and that’s when things start to go bad.

Arch Jr’s film debut in “The Choppers” can be compared to Elvis Presley’s debut in “Love Me Tender.” Both seem unsure and a bit unsteady, but give excellent performances. And like Elvis, Arch does warble three very cool self-penned rockin’ tunes (“Konga Joe” “Monkey In A Hatband” and one other ) in the film. They’re really about the same, except for the fact that Elvis sold about ten billion more records and movie tickets than Arch.

For more than twenty-plus years, Arch Hall Jr. was a professional pilot flying for Flying Tiger Airlines. He also wrote a successful suspense novel, The Apsara Jet (under the pseudonym, Nicholas Merriweather). He retired in 2003, but still flies for private clients. Around 2004, Arch was persuaded to appear at The Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans, along with his band, The Archers. He was a huge hit.

I saw Arch and The Archers play The Ponderosa Stomp in 2006 (in Memphis) and he and the band stayed on our floor at The Wyndam Gardens Hotel, along with Scotty Moore, James Burton, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, and The Hombres (“Let It All Hang Out!”). Arch is a wonderful man who’s extremely modest (i.e. honest) about the quality of his movies and does credit them for reviving his musical career. In concert, he performs songs from “Wild Guitar” and “The Choppers,” to wild acclaim and approval from his audiences.

Arch has remarked that, although his films received wide “drive-in” distribution and played heavily throughout the country, his father, Arch Sr., never made much money from them as they were cheated by crooked exhibitors, who would often send Hall Sr. a $15 check for a one-week booking of “The Choppers” or “Wild Guitar.” When I told Arch that European critics were comparing “The Sadist” to the works of Ingmar Bergman, he was amazed, as he always downplays his acting. Regarding my enjoyment of the cinema of Arch Hall Jr. over the years, and meeting the man and watching him rock in Memphis, I can only quote from the last line of The Choppers: “We had a ball!”