. . . which isn't saying much, as besides this and the excellent "The Sadist," Fairway's output was nothing but Grade-Z trash. There are several factors, however, that raise this a notch or two above the usual Fairway garbage. One is that director Leigh Jason makes this film look better and more professional than it deserves. Jason, a Hollywood veteran who had been directing since the 1930s, had obviously fallen on hard times if he was reduced to working for Fairway, but he still knew how to put a film together, something that Fairway never seemed to quite get the hang of. Another factor in the film's favor is leading lady Marianne Gaba. While she's no great shakes as an actress, she is nonetheless competent, and also drop-dead gorgeous (as one would expect a former Playboy Playmate to be) and a welcome relief from the embarrassing attempts at acting from most of the rest of the cast (one odd thing, though, is her "romance" with Tom Brown, who plays her boss. Brown, who had been an actor since the 1920s, has to be at least 25 years older than Gaba, and that kind of age difference was seldom, if ever, seen in Hollywood films until relatively recently). Veteran heavy Bruno VeSota is his usual enjoyable if somewhat hammy self as the crooked owner of a junkyard. Whatever pluses the film has, however, are more than outweighed by the laughable, self-consciously "hip" dialog by writer/producer Arch Hall Sr.--some of the "slang" he writes for the teenagers is out of the 1940s, not the 1960s--and the almost non-existent production values. Most of the film is shot outdoors and the few interior sets are threadbare in the extreme. The "rock n' roll" score is, as has been previously mentioned, perversely enjoyable in its awfulness. A few neat old cars--especially an absolutely gorgeous '59 Cadillac convertible that is seen in the very beginning of the film and never shown again and a very nice early '50s Kaiser that is, unfortunately, stripped to the bones and trashed--and the beautiful Gaba make this a film that you might want to see once, but that's about it.
25 Reviews
Arch Hall, Jr. Debut Is Fun Junk!
shepardjessica-120 November 2004
Not in the league of THE SADIST or WILD GUITAR, this early Arch Hall, Jr. flick is fun, b/w, and low. Love Moose, junkyard mogul (great caricature of him on the sign as well). Whatever these guys were thinking when they made this type of exploitation film is okay with me. The slang dialogue is flowing and plenty of cheeseburgers to go around.
A 4 out of 10. Best performance = the guy who plays Moose. This is on DVD with WILD GUITAR so check it out, daddy-o! Lame songs which are perfect, chicks just good-looking enough to seem like they'd be around these guys, and nice locale where they filmed it. Arch Hall, Sr. must have been a strange dude, bankrolling his kid's career this way, but what the hey!
A 4 out of 10. Best performance = the guy who plays Moose. This is on DVD with WILD GUITAR so check it out, daddy-o! Lame songs which are perfect, chicks just good-looking enough to seem like they'd be around these guys, and nice locale where they filmed it. Arch Hall, Sr. must have been a strange dude, bankrolling his kid's career this way, but what the hey!
"Monkeys In My Hatband" ROCKS THE PLANET!
eminges29 November 2001
As bad as this should be, it's kind of fun, and you could actually find yourself watching it a second and third time. Arch Hall Jr. was 16 when this was shot, and even gets a writing credit.
What makes it work, kind of, is that the gang of car-stripping JD's are NOT stupid and embarrassing, but halfway interesting and believable. And it's got Bruno VeSota at his scintillating, stogie-smelling, sausage-fingered best. Continuity? Fageddaboudit. But it's got a simple little story to tell and does it well.
And it does feature the inimitable "Monkeys In My Hatband," which you'll play again and again with your jaw dropped, wishing that YOUR dad had put YOU in a movie when YOU were sixteen and let you play that absolutely dumbass song you made up on the crappy $39 guitar you got for your thirteenth birthday and drove everybody crazy with.
"The Choppers" IS available, but you'll have to hunt for it. Definitely worth tracking down if you're huge on beatniks, juvies, and playing chicken.
What makes it work, kind of, is that the gang of car-stripping JD's are NOT stupid and embarrassing, but halfway interesting and believable. And it's got Bruno VeSota at his scintillating, stogie-smelling, sausage-fingered best. Continuity? Fageddaboudit. But it's got a simple little story to tell and does it well.
And it does feature the inimitable "Monkeys In My Hatband," which you'll play again and again with your jaw dropped, wishing that YOUR dad had put YOU in a movie when YOU were sixteen and let you play that absolutely dumbass song you made up on the crappy $39 guitar you got for your thirteenth birthday and drove everybody crazy with.
"The Choppers" IS available, but you'll have to hunt for it. Definitely worth tracking down if you're huge on beatniks, juvies, and playing chicken.
Auto Parts for Sale
Uriah4314 September 2015
This movie essentially begins with five young men who turn to a life of crime by stripping cars which they find along the road and selling the parts to an auto salvage yard. Although they are quite good at what they do the problem is that they soon become a public menace and rather than laying low for a month or two they continue on at the same rate even though the police are getting closer to discovering who they are with each passing job. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this film was quite typical for its time and probably won't appeal to everyone. In that regard I suppose it's an acquired taste. The acting was adequate for the most part with the most annoying detail being the slang dialogue which just never seemed to stop. Even so, the plot was still interesting and the presence of Marianne Gaba (as "Liz") certainly didn't hurt this film in any way either. Again, some people may not like this movie for various reasons but I didn't think it was too bad and as a result I have rated it as about average.
How bad parenting leads to juvenile delinquency
wbswetnam30 July 2012
Here is one of Arch Hall Jr's movies which his dad (Arch Hall Sr) produced and cast him in. Strap yourselves in for some jive-talking, Monkey-In-A-Hatband singing, car chopping fun! Arch Hall Jr plays Cruiser, the hot-rodding leader of a group of teenagers called the "Choppers". The boys cruise around the county in a chicken truck (!!!??) looking for brand-new cars to strip. For some reason this particular stretch of highway is where many drivers of beautiful new cars always seem to run out of gas. Hmmm... Anyway when the boys in the chicken truck find a car, they strip it for parts in a matter of minutes, while Cruiser stands guard at a distance in his hotrod looking for the "fuzz". The boys use enormous walkie-talkies to keep Cruiser apprised of their progress. Afterward they sell the parts to a crooked junkyard dealer. The cops are pretty much clueless about how to stop them until they hit upon the idea of setting up a decoy vehicle (why hadn't they thought of that a long time earlier?).
No Arch Hall Jr. flick would be complete without a guitar tune by Arch Hall Jr himself and this one is no different. This one features Arch Hall Jr singing "Monkey In A Hatband" and don't ask me what the song is about because I couldn't get the MIAH part.
Finally the moral of this movie is about how bad parenting is to blame for kids going wild and becoming juvenile delinquents.
No Arch Hall Jr. flick would be complete without a guitar tune by Arch Hall Jr himself and this one is no different. This one features Arch Hall Jr singing "Monkey In A Hatband" and don't ask me what the song is about because I couldn't get the MIAH part.
Finally the moral of this movie is about how bad parenting is to blame for kids going wild and becoming juvenile delinquents.
Mildly entertaining exploitation trash.
planktonrules8 October 2009
This is Arch Hall, Jr.'s first film and it's strange that although he appeared a year later in WILD GUITAR that he looked a lot younger and less polished in THE CHOPPERS. Not surprisingly, his father, schlock film maker Arch Hall, Sr. was also in the film in a bit part as a radio announcer decrying the sad plight of youth run wild. Leigh Jason directed this film with enough style and grace to make me almost think that Hall, Sr. had done so--in other words, he, too, was a hack.
Despite the title, this film is NOT about motorcycles or helicopters but about youths who make money and get cheap thrills "chopping" cars. In other words, they strip cars illegally--selling the parts to an unscrupulous junkyard owner who resells them. The beginning appears to be narrated by Hall, Sr. and much of the film feels very stiff--like a much stiffer version of "Dragnet". The only performers who weren't stiff in their deliveries were the teens--who seemed like total stereotypes of the "youth gone wild" beatniks of the age. Also, I am pretty sure that at least one of the songs you hear in the background is one of Arch, Jr.'s--he sang in several of his films and I'd recognize that adequate voice anywhere.
There were a few interesting quality touches in the film. One occurred at about the 47 minutes mark. As the truck was driving down the highway, you see the driver turning the wheel back and forth in the closeup--like he's turning the corner. But when the camera pulls back, you see the road is straight as an arrow for miles! Another was the great acting by the drunk dad near the end--a terrible performance that stood out way ahead of all the other poor performances! Overall, a bad film that is worth seeing for a laugh. In other words, bad movie fans will enjoy it immensely--others probably won't be so impressed.
Despite the title, this film is NOT about motorcycles or helicopters but about youths who make money and get cheap thrills "chopping" cars. In other words, they strip cars illegally--selling the parts to an unscrupulous junkyard owner who resells them. The beginning appears to be narrated by Hall, Sr. and much of the film feels very stiff--like a much stiffer version of "Dragnet". The only performers who weren't stiff in their deliveries were the teens--who seemed like total stereotypes of the "youth gone wild" beatniks of the age. Also, I am pretty sure that at least one of the songs you hear in the background is one of Arch, Jr.'s--he sang in several of his films and I'd recognize that adequate voice anywhere.
There were a few interesting quality touches in the film. One occurred at about the 47 minutes mark. As the truck was driving down the highway, you see the driver turning the wheel back and forth in the closeup--like he's turning the corner. But when the camera pulls back, you see the road is straight as an arrow for miles! Another was the great acting by the drunk dad near the end--a terrible performance that stood out way ahead of all the other poor performances! Overall, a bad film that is worth seeing for a laugh. In other words, bad movie fans will enjoy it immensely--others probably won't be so impressed.
Young lives wasted.
michaelRokeefe19 February 2002
This movie is so bad it is fun to watch. Typical story about teens gone bad. A group of young men, with nothing better to do, steal cars to strip for parts. Attempts to even rock 'n' roll falls laughingly flat. No stars, but participating in this mess are:Arch Hall Jr., Robert Paget, Bruno VeSota and Marianne Gaba.
Hey "Daddy-O", Let's "Cruise The Scene"
Lechuguilla23 November 2010
What a hoot! Typical juvenile delinquency flick from the 1950s, "The Choppers" entertains as a campy and amusingly preachy movie about the horrors of teens gone bad. A pompous, middle-age "on the scene" reporter, played by Arch Hall, Sr., gushes in-your-face vigilance to parents, to keep their teen boys on the straight and narrow, lest they degenerate into hoodlums behind bars.
Bad B&W lighting, bad sound, bad acting, cardboard sets, and film direction slightly better than Ed Wood convey the impression that almost anyone can make a movie, if they have about twenty bucks. And dig that dialogue, daddy-o, straight out of 1950s hips-ville.
The "star" actor, Arch Hall, Jr. plays the leader of a gang of rowdies that steal parts off of abandoned cars. And at one point he sings a little tune called "Monkey In My Hatband", which is great in that the song helps distract us from the actual film.
In the first five minutes, we get to see a 1959 Cadillac convertible, with those huge tail fins and sleek fender skirts ... what a boat! And as the "plot" moves along we learn that in those days, you could buy a taco or tamale for 15 cents.
No, "The Choppers" is not a good movie. But it's kinda fun, if you watch it in the proper frame of mind. Viewers who pine for those awful 1950s drive-in flicks produced on a shoestring budget will find much to smile about with this one.
Bad B&W lighting, bad sound, bad acting, cardboard sets, and film direction slightly better than Ed Wood convey the impression that almost anyone can make a movie, if they have about twenty bucks. And dig that dialogue, daddy-o, straight out of 1950s hips-ville.
The "star" actor, Arch Hall, Jr. plays the leader of a gang of rowdies that steal parts off of abandoned cars. And at one point he sings a little tune called "Monkey In My Hatband", which is great in that the song helps distract us from the actual film.
In the first five minutes, we get to see a 1959 Cadillac convertible, with those huge tail fins and sleek fender skirts ... what a boat! And as the "plot" moves along we learn that in those days, you could buy a taco or tamale for 15 cents.
No, "The Choppers" is not a good movie. But it's kinda fun, if you watch it in the proper frame of mind. Viewers who pine for those awful 1950s drive-in flicks produced on a shoestring budget will find much to smile about with this one.
"Monkeys in my hat band?" What's up with that?
fartnik31 December 2000
A delicious little JD film about kids who strip cars for parts. Yes, our youth has gone wild! But what's up with that song Arch Hall Jr. sings? "Monkeys in my hat band. I can do a hand stand" Poetic genius.
Would you believe that a life of stealing parts off cars can lead to a violent death? Lives are thrown by the way side in a climatic shoot out in the junk yard. And who's to blame? The parents.
Would you believe that a life of stealing parts off cars can lead to a violent death? Lives are thrown by the way side in a climatic shoot out in the junk yard. And who's to blame? The parents.
Young hot-rodder becomes involved with car thieves.
bux20 October 1998
And yet another of those oh sooo bad affairs from Hall and son. In this one, a young hot-rod enthusiast becomes involved with car thieves working at a 'chop' shop-hence the title. There IS a neat game you and friends can play with this one: count how many continuity errors you can spot. You'll be high in double digits, IF you make it to the end of this one.(Hint:watch for a police cruiser that changes from a Ford to a Plymouth and back again!)
Buzz out Mister, we love them chickens!
InzyWimzy17 March 2004
The Choppers is a fun hour filled B movie of youth gone wrong genre. Led by Cruiser (Arch Hall Jr), it's fun seeing how the gang operates. Man, dig that huge cell phone! Plus, see Arch in his hot rod tapping to the beat of his own song playing on the radio! Another shameless plug from Arch Hall Sr. who reminds me of the poor man's Walt Disney. Bruno VeSota, one of my favorite B actors, is great as Moose: the stubbly junkyard owner who smokes a stogie, is involved in shady deals, and takes a nap now and then. And what's up with Cowboy and his ballad "Entertain your lawyers"? For more laughs, watch Gypsy's face during the chase scene (she's got a great scream!). There's even a corny moral thrown in thanks to Torch's drunk Pop. The stereotypical 50s/60s B movie drunk is always a hoot to watch.
With a lot of slang and teen lingo and Conga Joe (hee hee ha!), it's fun to look back at deviance of yesteryear in this not wholly serious, yet entertaining flick.
With a lot of slang and teen lingo and Conga Joe (hee hee ha!), it's fun to look back at deviance of yesteryear in this not wholly serious, yet entertaining flick.
Monkeys in my hatband
CLEO-83 June 2005
For a movie that rhymes "Monkeys in my Hatband" with "I can do a handstand" for the lead character's big song, this movie was pretty good.
It's a movie with a moral that if parents don't look out for their kids they will start stealing car parts and shoot a bunch of cops. Does anybody know what he meant by "Monkeys in my hatband"?
I don't get it. Perhaps watching this movie on the roof of a supermarket in center city Philadelphia made it a bit more entertaining.
I hope that Arch Hall Jr. is one day recognized as the genius he is.
It's a movie with a moral that if parents don't look out for their kids they will start stealing car parts and shoot a bunch of cops. Does anybody know what he meant by "Monkeys in my hatband"?
I don't get it. Perhaps watching this movie on the roof of a supermarket in center city Philadelphia made it a bit more entertaining.
I hope that Arch Hall Jr. is one day recognized as the genius he is.
First Attempt
bkoganbing11 July 2012
Arch Hall, Sr.'s first attempt to make his son Arch Hall, Jr. a star was with this tale of juvenile delinquency Choppers. The film sat on the shelf for two years before being released in 1961. That fact in and of itself should have convinced the senior Hall that his son was not destined for stardom other than in family made vehicles.
The junior Hall is a kid with a souped up hotrod and a gang who specializes in stripping cars. They're a real fine group of rejects and they've been taught the car stripping trade by Bruno Vesota and his sidekick Britt Wood who did a year as a sidekick for Hopalong Cassidy back in the day.
Tom Brown who also saw better parts in his career and in his salad days played juvenile in much better films than Choppers is the detective from the auto theft squad.
Shot on a G-string budget Choppers did not make Arch Hall, Jr. a star. But that didn't make dad give up. Even worse films than this followed.
And people get down on Ed Wood.
The junior Hall is a kid with a souped up hotrod and a gang who specializes in stripping cars. They're a real fine group of rejects and they've been taught the car stripping trade by Bruno Vesota and his sidekick Britt Wood who did a year as a sidekick for Hopalong Cassidy back in the day.
Tom Brown who also saw better parts in his career and in his salad days played juvenile in much better films than Choppers is the detective from the auto theft squad.
Shot on a G-string budget Choppers did not make Arch Hall, Jr. a star. But that didn't make dad give up. Even worse films than this followed.
And people get down on Ed Wood.
Surprisingly Solid Programmer
dougdoepke17 December 2017
Competently made jd film, with Arch Hall Jr. as the lead delinquent. Together, he and his teenage buddies mount a clever operation to strip abandoned cars along a deserted road. Their base is a rundown auto yard run by a cowboy clown and an escapee from a fat farm (VeSota). There, Moose and Cowboy run the operation and fence the goods, mainly for their own profit. Trouble is an insurance company has sent in an investigator to help out the cops who've hit a dead-end.
Still looking like the Pillsbury doughboy, actor Hall nevertheless delivers a pretty good performance, along with the rest of the cast that also includes former star Tom Brown as a cop. But it's really VeSota who steals the movie looking like a squatting toad. He's quite a commanding presence. Good thing whistle bait Gaba's along to furnish sexy eye relief from all the guys, especially VeSota. The action's filmed along barren LA-area roads making you wonder why anybody's there. Still, the meager budget is used wisely to deliver realistic results. Then too, Hall Sr. let a pro (Jason) direct, which may account for the uptick in quality from his other, often campy, productions.
All in all, the 70-minutes amounts to respectable drive-in fare that fans of the Halls can catch without embarrassment.
Still looking like the Pillsbury doughboy, actor Hall nevertheless delivers a pretty good performance, along with the rest of the cast that also includes former star Tom Brown as a cop. But it's really VeSota who steals the movie looking like a squatting toad. He's quite a commanding presence. Good thing whistle bait Gaba's along to furnish sexy eye relief from all the guys, especially VeSota. The action's filmed along barren LA-area roads making you wonder why anybody's there. Still, the meager budget is used wisely to deliver realistic results. Then too, Hall Sr. let a pro (Jason) direct, which may account for the uptick in quality from his other, often campy, productions.
All in all, the 70-minutes amounts to respectable drive-in fare that fans of the Halls can catch without embarrassment.
A film about stolen dentures might have been more interesting.
mark.waltz7 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The Choppers doesn't refer to teeth in this film, but a group of teenagers who go around stealing parts from cars to sell to a junk dealer who specializes in auto parts. Arch Hall Jr., the son of ac second rate movie producer of D grade drive-in films, is the only familiar actor in the movie, familiar that is to lovers of these bad 60's movies that are very funny in an unintentional way. The dialogue is cheesy and cliched, along with the characters which includes the junk dealer and his hick partner, loose living young women and of course law enforcement officials who through their dialog come off squarer than square.
One of the funniest scenes has several of the young guys being stopped by the police while in a pickup truck, questioned about a vehicle that other members of their gang were seen driving after being spotted with stolen auto parts. The two guys double talk their way out of being suspected of any wrong doing, contradicting each other until the cop becomes exasperated and just lets them go. Most of the scenes are filmed outside, but it looks like they are meant to be early in the evening so the print often looks dark and faded. Still, it's a pleasure to hear all the truly bad dialogue which includes such gems as "She can have my ranch and all my cattle!" Hall sings a bit, not badly, but his high pitched voice and even higher hair doesn't make him Elvis.
One of the funniest scenes has several of the young guys being stopped by the police while in a pickup truck, questioned about a vehicle that other members of their gang were seen driving after being spotted with stolen auto parts. The two guys double talk their way out of being suspected of any wrong doing, contradicting each other until the cop becomes exasperated and just lets them go. Most of the scenes are filmed outside, but it looks like they are meant to be early in the evening so the print often looks dark and faded. Still, it's a pleasure to hear all the truly bad dialogue which includes such gems as "She can have my ranch and all my cattle!" Hall sings a bit, not badly, but his high pitched voice and even higher hair doesn't make him Elvis.
Another "How To Be A Crook" Movie
boblipton4 March 2023
Four teenagers have a good racket stripping cars left on the road for parts, which they sell to junkyard owner Bruno VeSota. The insurance companies, in the person of Tom Brown -- teen star of the early 1930s -- are livid. The police are baffled. The kids are having a great time until the authorities catch up with them.
Arch Hall senior wrote, produced and appears in this as narrator and the radio reporter in on the police operation. His son, Arch Hall Jr., is the leader of the operation, commanding from his expensive, souped-up hot rod with a Ricky Nelson haircut, with occasional breaks to perform songs like "Monkey in My Hatband".
It's Leigh Jason's last time directing, Jack Ogilvie's last time editing, and Clark Ramsey's last credit as cinematographer. Their careers had collapsed along with the Hollywood system, and while they were all up-and-coming talent in the 1930s, this cheap independent production about how to organize a car-stripping gang is a sad coda to three careers.
Hall Sr. Would produce a few more comparatively poor movies, and continue to act for another decade and a half. He died in 1978, age 69.
Arch Hall senior wrote, produced and appears in this as narrator and the radio reporter in on the police operation. His son, Arch Hall Jr., is the leader of the operation, commanding from his expensive, souped-up hot rod with a Ricky Nelson haircut, with occasional breaks to perform songs like "Monkey in My Hatband".
It's Leigh Jason's last time directing, Jack Ogilvie's last time editing, and Clark Ramsey's last credit as cinematographer. Their careers had collapsed along with the Hollywood system, and while they were all up-and-coming talent in the 1930s, this cheap independent production about how to organize a car-stripping gang is a sad coda to three careers.
Hall Sr. Would produce a few more comparatively poor movies, and continue to act for another decade and a half. He died in 1978, age 69.
Chop this into small pieces and discard
scsu197524 November 2022
The film opens with Arch Hall Sr. (who wrote the screenplay) as a reporter/narrator. He tells us mournfully that "our greatest national resource was in danger. I wasn't thinking about oil or water or things like that." Hey genius, take a trip to the Gulf of Mexico.
The plot: a bunch of losers go into the car stripping business. They have names like "Cruiser," "Snooper," and "Torch." They all get caught or killed by the cops. The movie is done in 65 minutes.
This film is just weird. It has a veteran actor, Tom Brown, who was about 46 when he made this film. He looks 66. However, give him credit - he is the only one who can act. He plays an insurance investigator. His secretary/girlfriend/whatever is played by 20-year-old blonde Marianne Gaba. So give Brown even more credit. Apparently he can do something else.
Arch Hall Jr. Plays the brains behind the organization. As Groucho Marx would say, "that'll give you some idea of the organization." He drives a neat hotrod and keeps a lookout for cops, while the gang drives a poultry truck and strips cars. In one unintentionally hilarious scene, Hall barks orders to the gang using a giant walkie-talkie. "There are bandits approaching, and you are on a dead end street. Reverse!" "You turned the wrong way!" Hey genius, there is only one way to turn.
At least Hall does not have to carry the film, since the other non-actors get equal time. Unfortunately, he does his obligatory singing; it's some ditty called "Monkeys in my Hatband." (The next line is "I can do a handstand.") He also listens to himself singing on his car radio. The extra-large Bruno VeSota plays the owner of a salvage joint, where the gang fence their car parts. VeSota is bigger than most of the vehicles in his lot.
Brown discovers a chicken feather at the scene of one of the stripped cars, which helps unravel the mystery. He smokes a cigarette near an overturned car. Hey genius, there is gas in that tank.
The cops create a decoy car, and when the gang tries to strip it, the fuzz move in. As the gang drives off with the heat approaching from the other direction, Torch delivers the best line in the film. "Hang on, we're gonna play chicken." Hey genius, you're in a poultry truck.
Arch Hall Sr. Interviews Torch's father, who is obviously the product of in-breeding. After hearing the moron ramble, Hall Sr. Tells his audience "ladies and gentlemen, when you pick up your morning newspaper and read about some youngster getting into trouble and wonder why, I think you've heard one good answer."
For the finale, Hall Sr. Walks up to the captured Hall Jr. And asks "you got anything to say son?" "Yeah," comes the reply. "We had a ball ... a real ball." Viewers did not.
The plot: a bunch of losers go into the car stripping business. They have names like "Cruiser," "Snooper," and "Torch." They all get caught or killed by the cops. The movie is done in 65 minutes.
This film is just weird. It has a veteran actor, Tom Brown, who was about 46 when he made this film. He looks 66. However, give him credit - he is the only one who can act. He plays an insurance investigator. His secretary/girlfriend/whatever is played by 20-year-old blonde Marianne Gaba. So give Brown even more credit. Apparently he can do something else.
Arch Hall Jr. Plays the brains behind the organization. As Groucho Marx would say, "that'll give you some idea of the organization." He drives a neat hotrod and keeps a lookout for cops, while the gang drives a poultry truck and strips cars. In one unintentionally hilarious scene, Hall barks orders to the gang using a giant walkie-talkie. "There are bandits approaching, and you are on a dead end street. Reverse!" "You turned the wrong way!" Hey genius, there is only one way to turn.
At least Hall does not have to carry the film, since the other non-actors get equal time. Unfortunately, he does his obligatory singing; it's some ditty called "Monkeys in my Hatband." (The next line is "I can do a handstand.") He also listens to himself singing on his car radio. The extra-large Bruno VeSota plays the owner of a salvage joint, where the gang fence their car parts. VeSota is bigger than most of the vehicles in his lot.
Brown discovers a chicken feather at the scene of one of the stripped cars, which helps unravel the mystery. He smokes a cigarette near an overturned car. Hey genius, there is gas in that tank.
The cops create a decoy car, and when the gang tries to strip it, the fuzz move in. As the gang drives off with the heat approaching from the other direction, Torch delivers the best line in the film. "Hang on, we're gonna play chicken." Hey genius, you're in a poultry truck.
Arch Hall Sr. Interviews Torch's father, who is obviously the product of in-breeding. After hearing the moron ramble, Hall Sr. Tells his audience "ladies and gentlemen, when you pick up your morning newspaper and read about some youngster getting into trouble and wonder why, I think you've heard one good answer."
For the finale, Hall Sr. Walks up to the captured Hall Jr. And asks "you got anything to say son?" "Yeah," comes the reply. "We had a ball ... a real ball." Viewers did not.
"Dinner-schminner! We'll both be eatin' birdseed if I don't break up that chopper gang!"
moonspinner5513 August 2017
Five teenage boys--four from bad homes and the fifth a rich kid with an absentee mother--are wanted by a police lieutenant on car thief detail for stripping non-working autos left by the side of the road. The kids are fast and efficient at their work, using a poultry truck as a cover for slipping passed the cops, making their capture a headache for the authorities. Amateur juvie outing from low-rent producer Arch Hall and featuring the film debut of his son, Arch Hall, Jr. Not poorly-made exactly, though with spiritless performances and enervated pacing. The camp dialogue and pop songs almost make it tolerable. *1/2 from ****
Arch Hall
BandSAboutMovies10 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Arch Hall, Jr. appears in seven movies - all uniformly pretty rough going, to be honest - but I kind of love the guy. He's game for whatever comes his way, whether it's this film about chopping up cars, battling a caveman in Eegah, conquering the music industry in Wild Guitar, being a maniac in The Sadist or taking advantage of the Eurospy (The Nasty Rabbit) or Western (Deadwood '76) genres, Hall always seems just so happy to be there.
This time around, he's Jack "Cruiser" Bryan, part of a gang of poor teens who cruise the town and rip up cars and sell the parts for money. He's joined by Playboy September 1959 Playmate of the Month Marianne Gaba.
The Choppers will only take up sixty-six minutes of your life, which isn't a big commitment. It was made in 1959 but not released until 1961, because producer - and obviously, the dad of Arch Hall Jr. - Arch Hall Sr. was unable to get a distribution deal that could make him his money back. He was able to release this on a double bill with Eegah.
You also get two Arch Jr. songs! We should all be so lucky!
This time around, he's Jack "Cruiser" Bryan, part of a gang of poor teens who cruise the town and rip up cars and sell the parts for money. He's joined by Playboy September 1959 Playmate of the Month Marianne Gaba.
The Choppers will only take up sixty-six minutes of your life, which isn't a big commitment. It was made in 1959 but not released until 1961, because producer - and obviously, the dad of Arch Hall Jr. - Arch Hall Sr. was unable to get a distribution deal that could make him his money back. He was able to release this on a double bill with Eegah.
You also get two Arch Jr. songs! We should all be so lucky!
Cute And Adorable
johnstonjames9 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
whatta cute little movie. this has got my vote for one of the cutest things i've ever seen. the tougher this movie tries to be, the cuter the whole thing gets.
now i'm not advocating crime or anything, but lets face facts, it's cute when people do bad things. as long as it doesn't get too out of hand. remember Beavis and Butt-Head with the whole "breakin da law breakin da law" thing? cute. i always think people are really cute when they attempt to be bad. it's very existential and it shows healthy contempt for the barriers that restrict us. it's very healthy and well adjusted to be bad, as long as you don't go ballistic with that knowledge you'll probably be okay.
i'm a big fan of Archnik Hall. especially here when he was a cute little tyke. Arhchie baby can be scary no doubt. he was pretty menacing and creepy in the excellent 'The Sadist'. but not here. he's pretty darn adorable with his greaser hair cut and zooming around in his cute little mini hot rod. the effect is supposed to be bad ass tough, but it just comes off as so funny for some reason, i just can't take any of these cute little punks very seriously. especially when they start singing that little "monkey has a hat" song.
when they strip cars and menace people and then do stupid things and start fighting with each other, it just all seems to get funnier and funnier. i think it has a little to do with the fact that these guys are so clean cut looking and baby faced that they're just not scary.
i'm not saying all bad behavior is cool. some people do get carried away and are in serious need of a spanking. others wind up in prison or dead because they went too far with it.
basically life philosophy is pretty much do what ya babies like. just make sure you're smart about it and you know your limits. OW! ARCHIE HALL RULES AND THE CHOPPER BUNCH IS OOKY POOKY ADORABLE! OW!
now i'm not advocating crime or anything, but lets face facts, it's cute when people do bad things. as long as it doesn't get too out of hand. remember Beavis and Butt-Head with the whole "breakin da law breakin da law" thing? cute. i always think people are really cute when they attempt to be bad. it's very existential and it shows healthy contempt for the barriers that restrict us. it's very healthy and well adjusted to be bad, as long as you don't go ballistic with that knowledge you'll probably be okay.
i'm a big fan of Archnik Hall. especially here when he was a cute little tyke. Arhchie baby can be scary no doubt. he was pretty menacing and creepy in the excellent 'The Sadist'. but not here. he's pretty darn adorable with his greaser hair cut and zooming around in his cute little mini hot rod. the effect is supposed to be bad ass tough, but it just comes off as so funny for some reason, i just can't take any of these cute little punks very seriously. especially when they start singing that little "monkey has a hat" song.
when they strip cars and menace people and then do stupid things and start fighting with each other, it just all seems to get funnier and funnier. i think it has a little to do with the fact that these guys are so clean cut looking and baby faced that they're just not scary.
i'm not saying all bad behavior is cool. some people do get carried away and are in serious need of a spanking. others wind up in prison or dead because they went too far with it.
basically life philosophy is pretty much do what ya babies like. just make sure you're smart about it and you know your limits. OW! ARCHIE HALL RULES AND THE CHOPPER BUNCH IS OOKY POOKY ADORABLE! OW!
Neat Little Crime Melodrama About Auto Parts Theft
zardoz-136 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
"Eyes of the Underworld" director Leigh Jason and scenarist Arch Hall, Sr., have conjured up a polished but low-budget, juvenile delinquent crime thriller about a gang of youths who 'chop' cars. Clocking in at a succinct 66 minutes, "The Choppers" never wears out its welcome. Of course, the "crime doesn't pay" message is obvious, but this juvenile delinquent epic is better than most.
The filmmakers filter everything through the perspective of a conscientious journalist who doubles as the narrator. "That day when I walked out of the chief's office in city hall, I didn't feel so good. You see, I'm a reporter. Jim Bradford's my name. I broadcast on radio and television. I cover a lot of stories, but this one scared me a little. Our greatest natural resource was in danger. I wasn't thinking about oil, or water, or anything like that. Well, I was thinking about kids. Yours and mine. Youngsters are the future. I know that school, and church and government officials work hard to preserve this resource, not to mention the resources of mothers and fathers. But this story, it made me think. It was the story of five boys, ages 16 to 18." We watch Bradford (Arch Hall, Sr. of "Wild Guitar") as he exits city hall and climbs into his car. Thereafter, we are introduced to the teenage hooligans. As Jack 'Cruiser' Bryan, Arch Hall, Jr., plays the brains of this outfit. According to Bradford, 'Cruiser' has never met his father and his mother spends her time in Las Vegas, Palm Springs, or New York. To describe 'Cruiser' as unsupervised would amount to a vast understatement. He has everything down to science and maintains a time schedule when 'chopping' vehicles. Torch (Robert Paget of "Tank Battalion"), Snooper (Mickey Hoyle), Ben Shore (Charles Barnes), and Flip Johnson (Rex Holman of "Young Jesse James") are his accomplices.
As it turns out, Jack and his cronies are tops when it comes to dismantling cars during broad daylight. They cruise around in a large truck stacked high with poultry cages so they won't attract attention. In fact, the cages conceal two of the choppers and provide concealment for their contraband, too. When they find a likely car to strip, they carry out their operation while an attentive Cruiser keeps in touch with them by means of a walkie-talkie to warn them about any approaching heat. They conceal the stolen parts in the bed of the truck with cages of poultry to block the view on either side. No sooner have these teenage hooligans finished chopping the car than Mr. Snyder's tow truck with the owners arrives. Snyder refers to the hooligans as "the choppers." He elaborates, "That's the gang of thieves operating across the whole county." The crooked auto parts entrepreneur who fences their hauls, Moose McGill (Bruno VeSota of "Attack of the Giant Leeches"),at Big Deal Auto Salvage doesn't like it that Jack and company are so efficient. Eventually, when the two parties clash, the authorities show up and haul them all into custody after a couple of cops die from trying to take the felons in the salvage yard. This is an interesting juvenile delinquent movie from the early 1960s with more polish that you'd expect.
The filmmakers filter everything through the perspective of a conscientious journalist who doubles as the narrator. "That day when I walked out of the chief's office in city hall, I didn't feel so good. You see, I'm a reporter. Jim Bradford's my name. I broadcast on radio and television. I cover a lot of stories, but this one scared me a little. Our greatest natural resource was in danger. I wasn't thinking about oil, or water, or anything like that. Well, I was thinking about kids. Yours and mine. Youngsters are the future. I know that school, and church and government officials work hard to preserve this resource, not to mention the resources of mothers and fathers. But this story, it made me think. It was the story of five boys, ages 16 to 18." We watch Bradford (Arch Hall, Sr. of "Wild Guitar") as he exits city hall and climbs into his car. Thereafter, we are introduced to the teenage hooligans. As Jack 'Cruiser' Bryan, Arch Hall, Jr., plays the brains of this outfit. According to Bradford, 'Cruiser' has never met his father and his mother spends her time in Las Vegas, Palm Springs, or New York. To describe 'Cruiser' as unsupervised would amount to a vast understatement. He has everything down to science and maintains a time schedule when 'chopping' vehicles. Torch (Robert Paget of "Tank Battalion"), Snooper (Mickey Hoyle), Ben Shore (Charles Barnes), and Flip Johnson (Rex Holman of "Young Jesse James") are his accomplices.
As it turns out, Jack and his cronies are tops when it comes to dismantling cars during broad daylight. They cruise around in a large truck stacked high with poultry cages so they won't attract attention. In fact, the cages conceal two of the choppers and provide concealment for their contraband, too. When they find a likely car to strip, they carry out their operation while an attentive Cruiser keeps in touch with them by means of a walkie-talkie to warn them about any approaching heat. They conceal the stolen parts in the bed of the truck with cages of poultry to block the view on either side. No sooner have these teenage hooligans finished chopping the car than Mr. Snyder's tow truck with the owners arrives. Snyder refers to the hooligans as "the choppers." He elaborates, "That's the gang of thieves operating across the whole county." The crooked auto parts entrepreneur who fences their hauls, Moose McGill (Bruno VeSota of "Attack of the Giant Leeches"),at Big Deal Auto Salvage doesn't like it that Jack and company are so efficient. Eventually, when the two parties clash, the authorities show up and haul them all into custody after a couple of cops die from trying to take the felons in the salvage yard. This is an interesting juvenile delinquent movie from the early 1960s with more polish that you'd expect.
A fun & enjoyable low-budget early 60's JD hoot
Woodyanders11 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Five delinquent adolescents known collectively as "the Choppers" terrorize the countryside by stripping cars left by the side of the road with ruthless efficiency. The laughably clueless local yokel cops bumble, fumble and stumble around in fruitless circles until the discovery of a lone chicken feather at a crime site (!) steers them in the right direction.
Tautly directed by Leigh Jason, crisply shot in gorgeous black and white, further graced by hip slangy lingo ("square johns" for decent law-abiding citizens, "bandits" for the fuzz), groovy music (highly unlikely and sublimely geeky flash-in-the-pan wannabe teen scream idol Arch Hall, Jr. belts out a couple of endearingly goofy songs), solid acting, continuity errors aplenty, and snappy pacing, this funky little item sizes up as a good deal of trim, no-frills, mean'n'lean early 60's JD crime movie fun. Yummy blonde "Playboy" Playmate Marianne Gaba (Miss September '59) looks quite delectable in her tight sweater and form-fitting skirt. Rotund veteran sleaze film character actor Bruno Ve Sota has one of his best-ever roles as Moose, a greedy, grubby, no-count, cigar-chewing junkyard owner who fences stolen automobile parts on the side. Scrawny chopper Rex Holman also portrayed a member of the lethal highway gang in "Panic in Year Zero." Arch Hall, Sr., who both wrote and produced this picture, pops up in a sizable supporting part as a smooth-voiced radio reporter and does marvelously mellifluous vocal work on the film's nifty trailer. Moreover, this flick scores bonus points for depicting the choppers as toxic products of messed-up families: Musclehead Torch has a pathetic drunk for a dad, Holman was raised by an aunt and uncle after his original parents dumped him when he was just a baby, and cocky ringleader Hall, Jr. is a spoiled rotten rich brat who's hungry for kicks. Those fine folks at Something Weird Video offer this baby on a terrific DVD double bill with the equally excellent and entertaining Arch Hall, Jr. rock'n'roll star vehicle "Wild Guitar." Can you dig it, daddy-o? I sure can -- and certainly did.
Tautly directed by Leigh Jason, crisply shot in gorgeous black and white, further graced by hip slangy lingo ("square johns" for decent law-abiding citizens, "bandits" for the fuzz), groovy music (highly unlikely and sublimely geeky flash-in-the-pan wannabe teen scream idol Arch Hall, Jr. belts out a couple of endearingly goofy songs), solid acting, continuity errors aplenty, and snappy pacing, this funky little item sizes up as a good deal of trim, no-frills, mean'n'lean early 60's JD crime movie fun. Yummy blonde "Playboy" Playmate Marianne Gaba (Miss September '59) looks quite delectable in her tight sweater and form-fitting skirt. Rotund veteran sleaze film character actor Bruno Ve Sota has one of his best-ever roles as Moose, a greedy, grubby, no-count, cigar-chewing junkyard owner who fences stolen automobile parts on the side. Scrawny chopper Rex Holman also portrayed a member of the lethal highway gang in "Panic in Year Zero." Arch Hall, Sr., who both wrote and produced this picture, pops up in a sizable supporting part as a smooth-voiced radio reporter and does marvelously mellifluous vocal work on the film's nifty trailer. Moreover, this flick scores bonus points for depicting the choppers as toxic products of messed-up families: Musclehead Torch has a pathetic drunk for a dad, Holman was raised by an aunt and uncle after his original parents dumped him when he was just a baby, and cocky ringleader Hall, Jr. is a spoiled rotten rich brat who's hungry for kicks. Those fine folks at Something Weird Video offer this baby on a terrific DVD double bill with the equally excellent and entertaining Arch Hall, Jr. rock'n'roll star vehicle "Wild Guitar." Can you dig it, daddy-o? I sure can -- and certainly did.
Tommy Ivo's T Bucket?
JOHNBATES-18 July 2002
Not sure. But that looks a lot like Tommy Ivo's Buick powered T bucket street rod that Arch Hall, Jr is zipping around in.
The somewhat business-like pace of the story keeps this film from being completely laughable. There's a kind of sincerity of effort to 'The Choppers' that makes you stop laughing long enough to pay attention. The ex-Playmate of the Month in the role of the insurance guy's always hungry secretary provides another reason to pay attention.
The somewhat business-like pace of the story keeps this film from being completely laughable. There's a kind of sincerity of effort to 'The Choppers' that makes you stop laughing long enough to pay attention. The ex-Playmate of the Month in the role of the insurance guy's always hungry secretary provides another reason to pay attention.
Cool T-Bucket!
dansfakeemail25 November 2006
This movie contains a cool t-bucket. It is the star of the movie in my opinion. (Sorry Arch!) The shifter was about neck-high. It had six carburetors. The slicks were all of 6 inches wide! I wonder where I could find some of those today. It was interesting to see the huge walkie-talkie "technology". Although the music was horrible and boring(includes monkey sounds!!!), it was a fun movie and worth the time to watch. I've enjoyed it 3 times. The '50's slang was fun to try to decipher. I don't think the junk yard dog nor any chickens were injured in the production of this movie, although a minimum of two feathers were plucked. They may have been the same feather, filmed at different angles.
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