The Choppers (1961)

"The choppers call him 'Torch.'"

Many thanks to the The Isotope Guerrilla Cult Theatre for uploading this 1961 movie about a gang of kids who steal and strip down cars to turn into hotrods.

If you cool cats like classic hotrod cars, bad boys from the other side of the tracks, sexy blondes in tight shirts, insipidly catchy songs, goofy teen idol good looks, and the world's biggest cell phone... this one is for you!

Hot rods, hot rock, and hot hair are the jewels in the juvenile delinquency crown of THE CHOPPERS. This classic drive-in exploitation flick features the debut of sixteen year-old Arch Hall Jr. as Cruiser, the spoiled rich kid with a taste for crime and his band of troubled teens who call themselves cool names like Torch, Flip and Snoop, and specialize in stripping cars in record time. This is the movie that made you mom weak in the knees and your daddy worried about the crowd you run with.

Featuring the some exceptional less-than-hit songs from the awesome Arch Hall Jr, including non-classics like "Konga Joe" and "Monkey In A Hatband".

(Thanks, Brian!)

[#1 posted by nosehat, July 3, 2009 11:22 AM]

"debut of sixteen year-old Arch Hall Jr. as Cruiser" who went on to star (if you can call it that) in Eegah!!

I'm surprised the MST3K folks didn't get their hands on this one too. Thanks for the find!

[#2 posted by Anonymous, July 3, 2009 11:23 AM]

I love Arch Hall Jr. He is awesome.

[#3 posted by Anonymous, July 3, 2009 11:43 AM]

"The Choppers" is one of those vaguely un-copyrighted films that shows up at the 99-CENT STORE and the check-out line at KMART.

It's definitely one of the better pre-Easy Rider-youth-gone-wild films, with a lot of rebellious backroads action.

Two other Arch Hall Jr classics are "EEGAH!" (watch out for major poolside twisting!) and the ultra-cool "Wild Guitar" whose soundtrack features some strange singing and even stranger lyrics

The majority of Arch Hall Jr's films were written and directed by his good ol' dad (Arch Hall Sr, of course!) and made good money at the time (drive-ins, triple bills)

Arch Hall Jr. definitely had "the look" and a somewhat otherworldly air about him (those piercing blue eyes!) - and he still plays the occasional rockabilly festival

[#4 posted by doc_roswell, July 3, 2009 11:49 AM]

I'll add that the actual Isotope Comics Lounge in Hayes Valley, SF is well worth stopping by, for those folks who are comic-inclined or -enabled.

[#5 posted by stratojoe, July 3, 2009 4:11 PM]

Interested fans should also check out "The Sadist", my favorite Arch Hall Jr. movie. ..

[#6 posted by devophill, July 4, 2009 12:45 PM]

Is that Hollywood High?