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50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A tight, crisp thriller set under the hot Arizona sun......., October 31, 2000
"Electra Glide In Blue" is easily one of my favourite "unknown" films of the 1970's. This was the first (and only) movie directed by rock producer James William Guercio, and in my book it is a top class effort.
Robert Blake ( from TV's "Baretta" ) plays ex-Marine now Arizona motorcycle cop, John Wintergreen, desperate to trade his Harley Davidson Electra Glide police motorbike in for four wheels and join the Stockman Motors detectives division. That opportunity presents itself soon enough, when Wintergreen comes across a gunned down corpse in an dilapidated shack and the puzzle of was it just suicide, or was it murder. Blinded by the supposed granduer of the detective's role, Wintergreen becomes sorely disheartened to find out that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the hill. Exposed to bigotry, hate and injustice, his lofty opinions of his police superiors quickly crumble as he realises the brutal and impersonal nature of their personalities.
The talented and versatile cast is what makes "Electra Glide in Blue" really crackle....Billy Green Bush plays Wintergreen's partner "Zipper" Davis...an abusive and arrogant police officer who is ultimately so insecure and lonely. The talented actor Mitchell Ryan plays head of detectives Harve Poole, another bombastic and narcisstic man seething with resentment and insecurities wracking his life. Jeannine Riley is the lonely, heartbroken waitress ?Joelene"....seeking warmth and affection in the arms of the local police officers....and the wonderful character actor, Royal Dano, is the tired and irritable Coroner. Plus, I can't leave out veteran character actor, Elisha Cook Jr., as the half witted desert loner, Willy. In the early 1970's, Guercio had produced several albums for rock group "Chicago" and he cast several band members in minor roles in "Electra Glide"....trumpeter Lee Loughnane is "Pig Man", singer/bassist Peter Cetera plays biker "Bob Zemko", guitarist Terry Kath is "Killer" ( Kath died tragically in Jan. 1978 from a gun accident ) and session musician David "Hawk" Wolinski as the harassed VW minibus driver.
Add to this fine cast some spectacular cinematography of the stunning Arizona landscape and a haunting and somewhat foreboding soundtrack...and you have an interesting, thought provoking and powerful film that keep's surprising you right up until the final frames.
A worthy addition to your collection of great 1970's films.....
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A really stunning, thoughtful movie., January 18, 1999
By A Customer
Robert Blake plays a diminutive motorcycle cop in the middle of Arizona. His ambition is to make detective, and wear "that brown suit and hat that says 'you get paid to think.'" When he discovers a suicide that may be a murder, he gets his shot at the bigtime. I haven't seen every movie Blake's done, but this is probably his best role, and he really makes the most of it. Director Guercio (who, to my knowledge never directed another movie) paints a beautiful, poignant picture of this little man surrounded by an awesome landscape. In a way the desert represents Blake's situation. He's this tiny guy who wants to play by a code of honor and to do the right thing, but all around him is this vast wasteland crawling with people who want to bend the rules. The final shot of this film, along with the beautiful closing song (written by Director Guercio) is one of the saddest, most awe-inspiring moments in the history of filmmaking. This movie's not a thrill-a-minute chase flick, but a thoughtful, sad and inspiring story of duty, honor, decency, and the price those virtues bear.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best movie you've never heard of..., August 8, 2001
By A Customer
I had vague memories of seeing this film years ago when I was probably sixteen that had haunted me for the following sixteen years of my life. Having just seen this gem again on cable I remembered why. The acting in this film is so far beyond most of the junk that is released today that the phrase, they don't make them like they used to should be changed to , they can't make them like they used to. While some aspects of a movie of this age might seem a little dated who could reasonably deny that the final scene of this film is the most stunning thing ever exposed to film. Hell I could watch that ending every day for the rest of my life and always be awed by the beauty and sadness of it.
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