Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Endangered List (Case File #10)

THE LIMIT (1972)

CAST
Yaphet Kotto (Mark Johnson)
Quinn Redeker (Jeff McMillan)
Virgil Frye (Kenny)
Corinne Cole (Judy)
Ted Cassidy (Big Donnie)
Pamela Jones (Margret)
Gary Littlejohn (Pete)
Irene Forrest (Delores)
Nancy Ashe (Waitress)
John Bellah (Pickup Truck Driver)
Frank Belt (Man in Restaurant)
Ed Cambridge (Police Captain)
Vic Canupe (Bartender)
Bobby Clark (Man in Bar Fight)
Douglas Forward (BMW Driver)
Richard Hale (Man in Park)
Stuart Herschman (Messenger on Beach)
Joyce Hutton (Girl in Park)
Peaches Jones (Woman in Station Wagon)
Richard Kennedy (Man in Bar Fight)
Natascha Kotto (Carol Southern)
Fred Krone (First Drunk)
Buddy Panisary (Gas Station Attendant)
Jack Perkins (Second Drunk)
Frank Roh (John Woods/Mr. America)
John Roh (Boy with Kite)
Diane Regis (First Virgin Girlfriend)
Uma Tresoff (Second Virgin Girlfriend)

CREDITS
Producer/Director: Yaphet Kotto
Assistant Director: Hansen
Associate Producer: Frank Roh
Assistant to Producer: Douglas Forward
Production Coordinator: Kelly White
Original story: Yaphet Kotto
Screenplay: Sean Cameron
Director of Photography: Fenton Hamilton
Camera Operators: Manny Whitaker, James Edwards
Camera Assistants: Franko Guerri, William Forte
Film Editor: Norman Schwartz
Assistant Film Editor: Freeman Davies, Jr.
Sound Technician: Jack Reed
Script Supervisor: Patricia Motyka
Lighting Gaffer: George Rumanes
Lighting Assistant: Canton McMillian
Best Boy: Skip Troutman
Key Grips: William Raleigh, Bud Schindler
Grip Technician: William Leven
Costumer: Nancy Brown
Action Coordinators: Gary Littlejohn, Troy Melton

Chrysler Automobiles courtesy of Chrysler Corp.
BMW courtesy of Ocean View Motors, Santa Monica, Ca.
Mr. Kotto's wardrobe furnished by Mr. Guy, Beverly Hills.
Miss Jones' wardrobe furnished by Gazebo, Beverly Hills.
Hospital sequence made possible through the cooperation of Parkwood Community Hospital

Running time: 90 mins.
Color
MPAA rating: PG


PLOT

High tension builds from the outset when Mark Johnson (Yaphet Kotto) and Jeff McMillan (Quinn Redeker) have their first encounter with the chopper gang, the Virgins.

Mark, black and Jeff, white, are Los Angeles motorcycle police officers, close friends both on and off duty. But Mark has no way of knowing that this chance meeting with the Virgins will one day nearly cost him his life.

The Virgins, like most motorcycle gangs, are a motley group. Their leader, Big Donnie (Ted Cassidy), has been riding a long time and beginning to feel, inwardly, that there is a better way of life. With him on his chopper is his pregnant girl friend, Judy (Corinne Cole). Most hostile of the group is rebellious Kenny (Virgil Frye) who is scheming to replace Big Donnie as the Virgin's leader.

Mark is an extremely strong person who seldom loses his cool. When, during their first confrontation, Mark advises Judy to give up riding or risk endangering her unborn child, Big Donnie senses Mark's gentleness as well as strength and begins to look at him in a different way and with a new respect.

Big Donnie's respect for Mark becomes more evident after each encounter between the Virgins and the two cops. He finally confesses to Judy, who has taken Mark's advice and stopped riding, that he would like to quit the gang.

However, as Big Donnie's admiration for Mark grows, so does Kenny's hostility. This, coupled with his envy of Big Donnie's position as gang leader, finally manifests itself and endangers both Mark's girl friend Margret (Pamela Jones) and Judy.

With some of the gang members, Kenny breaks into Margret's house looking for Mark. When he doesn't find him, he vents his anger and frustration by beating Margret. He follows this up by persuading Judy to break her promise not to ride a chopper until after her baby is born. Rashly, she seats up behind Kenny, who roars off at full throttle.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

In addition to working behind the scenes on EASY RIDER, Virgil Frye was one of the wax zombies in one of my favorite crap horror films, NIGHTMARE IN WAX. I'd really like to see SONNY BOY (2004), the documentary made by his daughter, Soleil Moon Frye, about their relationship and his struggle with Alzheimer's.

Ganso said...

I'm looking for this very hard to find movie, any of you have a link? Please, tell me if you have or where I can buy it? Thanks!

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