RIP Michael Parks

Yamadude,
I watched a bunch of those episodes some time ago, and I thought, wow, somebody back then was trying to change the public opinion of motorcycles riders from ruffians (like "The Wild Ones") to regular, righteous people, who just want to live a lifestyle that's perceived as 'different'. And, if I recall, Bronson was a Viet Nam vet, back in the world, only to find his best Bro' passed... He was a true gentleman. A rider, and a knight of the road. RIP Michael Parks.
 
59Tebo said:
Yamadude,
I watched a bunch of those episodes some time ago, and I thought, wow, somebody back then was trying to change the public opinion of motorcycles riders from ruffians (like "The Wild Ones") to regular, righteous people, who just want to live a lifestyle that's perceived as 'different'. And, if I recall, Bronson was a Viet Nam vet, back in the world, only to find his best Bro' passed... He was a true gentleman. A rider, and a knight of the road. RIP Michael Parks.
Click to expand...
Good point. TCB ('69) came on the heels of Hunter Thompson's '66 Hells Angels" book, and 1967's "Hell's Angels on Wheels" (with the actual HA's, and Jack Nicholson), both which were popular and to some extent glorified biker-related senseless violence. I imagine that Hollywood was interested in changing the image. "Easy Rider" came out at the same time as TCB, adding to the softening of the biker image, and in fact presenting the riders as victims of an intolerant society. Intolerant of those who sought Freedom outside the ordinary bounds of our culture.
 
Now who would not want this TCB series film bus today?
Imagine going camping in it.
620_Page_3_4.jpg
 
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xjwmx said:
I'm pretty sure it was a disguised H-D Sprint. Imported from Italy. My brother bought one to restore and kept it in his barn for a year but sold it before he got around to it. Could be a fun bike to ride around town. College student commuter bike or something -- the only one I've seen running was exactly that :)
https://i2.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/harley-davidson-sprint-5.jpg
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Yup, it appears that you are correct. Found it on a forum.
Quoted from Bud Ekins himself: "Dave said that Bud commissioned Him and Jack Krizman to build two Sportsters, and two H-D 350's for the road shots, and the stunt scenes. The hillclimb bike was a CZ 250, which was Buds personal bike. Co-incidentally, in the hillclimb sequence..."

Here is someone's re-creation:

P1010299-1.jpg
 
LOL. That picture reminds me of my hill climb up to Wounded Knee cemetery on my XS. About 2/3 of the way up it dawned on me that I had a couple hundred lbs of stuff strapped to the bike and top heavy and rear heavy as well. Just after that I stalled but e-started it again immediately and in the nick of time. When I came over the top an NA sitting there said "You almost didn't make it" in that accent. There was a road up but it was pure ruts so I knew I didn't have a chance on it. I found a road down that was less rutty but still rutty enough to crash me at a particular point in time. I started unloading the bike to make it light enough to stand up again, when a car full of NAs speed up the hill and dust me off. One very strong woman basically lifted up the bike herself like it was nothing, while I was talking to someone else. Then they sped off...
 
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We watched this again last night, and I then watched the hill climb again on the computer so I could do some screen grabs:

Bud Ekins goin up the hill, CZ right side:
TCB%20CZ%20right%20-%20Bed%20Ekins.jpg


Bud going down, CZ left side:
TCB%20CZ%20left.jpg


Great period hardware in that hillclimb segment. Beautiful Rickman Triumph 650 in blue; which also got dumped going up the hill B4 Bronsen tried:
TCB%20Rickman%20and%20Viewfinders.jpg


Sorry for the cr@ppy grab - it is not a high res video to start.

Several of the folks in the scene were wearing yellow jackets with "Viewfinders" logo imprinted. I read somewhere that they were from the Hollywood stuntman riders association. Strangely enough, both Bud and Michael died at 77. Weird.

For some more background stuff:
https://classictvhistory.wordpress.com/tag/michael-parks/

Another Michael Parks role, albeit shorter... Remember the opening of From Dusk Till Dawn?
Bennys.jpg
 
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pago cruiser said:
We watched this again last night, and I then watched the hill climb again on the computer so I could do some screen grabs:

Bud Ekins goin up the hill, CZ right side:
TCB%20CZ%20right%20-%20Bed%20Ekins.jpg


Bud going down, CZ left side:
TCB%20CZ%20left.jpg


Great period hardware in that hillclimb segment. Beautiful Rickman Triumph 650 in blue; which also got dumped going up the hill B4 Bronsen tried:
TCB%20Rickman%20and%20Viewfinders.jpg


Sorry for the cr@ppy grab - it is not a high res video to start.

Several of the folks in the scene were wearing yellow jackets with "Viewfinders" logo imprinted. I read somewhere that they were from the Hollywood stuntman riders association. Strangely enough, both Bud and Michael died at 77. Weird.

For some more background stuff:
https://classictvhistory.wordpress.com/tag/michael-parks/

Another Michael Parks role, albeit shorter... Remember the opening of From Dusk Till Dawn?
Bennys.jpg
Click to expand...
Great screen shots.

Watched Dusk Til Dawn again a few nights ago; more blood and tits than you'll ever want in a movie :laugh2:

There was a repeating theme in Park's cameo roles: he gits all blowed up.
 
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I saw the Harley Italian Sprint 350 Bronson model briefly in an episode I was watching last night where he returns to the newspaper business. He's got a young precocious girl on the back of the bike. Like the CZ, it wasn't very well disguised.
 
"...more blood and tits than you'll ever want in a movie."
LOL! Very apt and succinct review. There should be a website with movie reviews so short and to-the-point...

Thanks jabcd for posting that site: I was trying to remember where I got my stuff a few years ago, but had not had time to search. For any interested folks who do not have time to plow through the site, take the time if you were a fan. There is a really good long interview with Michael under the title "Wordly Remains"; rather poignantly titled at this particular point in time. He was in a great many movies, some starring and most not.

Here is another site:

http://www.jimbronson.com/

with a wealth of data, including a good index to each of the episodes, with actors/actresses within. Handy to have printed out while you are watching an episode. Kurt Russell must have been about 17 in his role...

There is also a great "On Location" section with details of some of the more interesting locations. And from the "Pilot Movie Location Schedule", some astute future looking gent saw fit to list some cool historic stuff:

upload_2017-5-14_10-5-47.png


For whatever reason, I believe the "1 girl tall thin hippie" must have been cut from the scene...
And they ended up using bottles of beer, not cans. But I can't quite make out the brand.
upload_2017-5-14_10-12-5.png
 
I love it ! : "One girl tall thin hippie" ! :lmao:

Big Kudos coming to the person who figures out what beer that was.
 
I just noticed the "unavailable" page from the Yamaha site features the Bixby bridge, injected into motorcycling consciousness by the opening credits (I suppose). I doubt the symbolism is lost on them.
https://yamaha-motor.com/asdf.html

Screenshot from 2017-05-17 21:33:58.png
 
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