Anne (Jailhouse Rock) Neyland turns in a great performance as the tough and feisty motorcycle-riding Terry. It’s easy to see why the leader of the local motorcycle gang Randy (Steven Terrell) falls head over heels for her. Trouble brews though when the gang’s former leader, Nick (John Ashley) gets out of prison looking for a fight. Things get increasingly tense between the pair when Terry begins dating them both at the same time.
Directed by Edward L. Cahn for AIP, Motorcycle Gang was obviously meant to cash in on The Wild One. However, the dramatics are a lot closer to Frankie Avalon than Marlon Brando. Overall, it’s an interesting near-miss. It came out a good decade before the biker movie craze of the ‘60s, so there wasn’t quite a blueprint for this sort of thing yet. Even though it hits a few bumps in the road, it makes for a good ride.
The film is at its best when the so-called gang are racing their bikes. The ending where Ashley (playing yet another Juvenile Delinquent hothead) and his gang terrorize a small town feels like it came out of another movie, and love triangle stuff between the three leads is a bit ho-hum, but Neyland is always fun to watch. The fact that the teenage characters speak in an unending stream of hip ‘50s jive talk helps keep what could’ve been boring dialogue scenes engaging.
The supporting cast is interesting too. This was the next to last film for Carl Switzer, better known as Alfalfa from The Little Rascals who plays Terrell’s buddy, Speed. He would sadly die two years later, shot in the dick. The film also boasts a rare non-monster role for special effects man Paul Blaisdell, and ‘90s action fans will also enjoy seeing Aki Aleong making his motion picture debut as the owner of the local hamburger stand/juke joint.
The movie really belongs to Neyland though. Her character’s opinionated, liberated, and bigger than life, something of a rarity in these films. Her performance alone (OK, her constant use of hilarious slang helps too) makes Motorcycle Gang stand out from similar movies from the era. It may not be the leader of the pack, but it’s far from bringing up the rear.
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