For some reason, I remember this as being the target of jokes and sneers when it was new.

Making sure to avoid prejudice, wanting to see it myself and know for sure, I recorded it when it premiered on Turner Classic Movies so I could watch in the right mood.

What a pleasant surprise it turned out to be.

To the best of my weakening memory, I don't believe I've ever seen Tom Laughlin and now I wonder why.

First, he was a really good-looking guy, and he was a very pleasant personality on screen. He should have become a major player.

Elizabeth James might not have been the best actress around in the '60s and '70s, but my gosh was she a looker. She had a fit, athletic presence, and just glowed on the screen, and she should also have been a major player.

And why isn't there more information about her? She seems a fascinating person.

Not such a surprise, but really deserving prominent mention, was Jane Russell's performance.

She has not been treated with the respect I think she deserves, having not completely recovered from the "wouldn't you like to tussle with Russell?" PR nonsense from her first movie, "The Outlaw." But she was, frankly, great in this small part. Actually, she had been turning in great performances for a long time, and she has been great because she made the effort to become an actress, and not just coast on her looks.

Jeremy Slate was so good in his villainous role, his character was almost admirable, almost likable. The man is a standout in any movie he is in. He's been gone a little more than two years now, and he left a void.

Let's be honest: The script could have used a good editor. There were some hokey moments that could have been fixed with just a little effort before production.

But all in all, this is a good movie, within the context of what it tried to do and be.

Now I look forward to seeing the other "Billy Jack" movies.

This is probably the least horrible (this isn't saying much) and first Billy Jack film. Instead of having Billy Jack defending his beloved hippie friends like he did in later films, a group of sadistic evil bikers invade a small town and Mr. Jack is the only one who can stop them. As a pacifist who turns maniac and dispenses justice to evil doers, this film is pretty watchable--despite its lousy production values and stilted acting. This isn't exactly a glowing review, but at least the film isn't terrible like the sequels. Its very similar to a lot of the biker films of the era, but perhaps a notch above them in watchability.

Note: It is pretty violent and full of rapes and sexual exploitation, so the kids should not watch.

This rather pedestrian film about motorcycle gang violence did serve to introduce the classical hero Billy Jack to the cinema. Tom Laughlin who directed The Born Losers then took his character and made an iconic 60s film with him and then some not as good sequels.

But Billy Jack starts here and we meet him tangling with Jeremy Slate and his motorcycle gang. This bunch makes Marlon Brando's crowd look like the kids from Covington. They take their pleasures from unwilling young women and have a whole Pacific coast town in terror.

Having seen Billy Jack's martial arts skills in the Billy Jack movie I was surprised to see how little was employed here. Left me disappointed.

Jane Russell looking a bit the worse for wear got a pay day out of this as Elizabeth James's mom. James was one of the rape victims and she is the love interest for Billy Jack.

From most humble beginnings a cinema masterpiece emerged as a sequel.