I know this is a oldie but goldie and somehow I received the Billy Jack collection in the mail very recently. I remember seeing the cult classic in the 1970’s that starred Tom Laughlin as Billy and his real-life wife Delores Taylor as his girlfriend Jean. Everyone by now has either seen and/or heard of the films that were one-of-a kind. I will briefly revisit the story about the one tin soldier just wishing to keep the piece, with his hands and feet, protect the desert freedom school Jean ran to help runaways and save the wild horses from being slaughtered for dog food.
The film was made on a shoestring budget and made out sweetly in returns. It tells the story of Billy Jack (“Born Losers” 1967, where Billy Jack’s vigilante character was first introduced) and it’s one-hit wonder song “One Tin Soldier” preformed by Coven. The bullies of the town lead by Bernard Posner (David Posner) and encouraged by his harassed the mostly Indian kids and Jean. Billy and his hands and feet came to the rescue, the town was freed of the scrutiny.
The actual story came to mind when Tom met Delores in college in 1953 with her being a cheerleader and he being involved in football. Tom was from Wisconsin with Delores being a bordering neighbor in Winner, South Dakota with brutal winters where jobs were hard to obtain. Summers were the opposite with sweltering heat. Tom didn’t like that scenario. He decided on a change and twenty years later 4 films emerged from those experiences as part Navajo and war veteran.
Jean was non-Indian but her character was raped by Bernard with one of the Indian kids being murdered for eye-balling it all. Billy (with his trademark hat) already kicked the town’s ass to protect it and the hippie kids who resided there. Most of the kids were his real-life kids with one being a babysitter to one. But this time it was for vengeance and there was no talking him out of it. He hunts all responsible, kills some, gets arrested, goes to trial and goes to Washington in the follow-up sequels. Both Tom and Delores directed the films not knowing a $800,000 budget would yield so much more after he personally played distributer. By todays standards this would be even more cheesy and no-one can take two rattlesnake bits as did he in the movie and walk away.
Taylor reluctantly took on the leading lady role after Tom told her his first choice had quit. Tom originally had no martial arts knowledge up to six months before shooting. with the exception of his famous foot whooping he gave old man Posner (Bert Freed) in the park. That stunt was compliments of Tom’s hapkido grand master (Bong Soo Han) with Tom doing the rest.
Tom was born August 10, 1931 and passed December 12, 2013. Delores was born September 27, 1932 and died March 23, 2018. They were married from 1954-2013.
