Actor William Read, who played "Bingo" in the incredible motorcycle drama SAVAGES FROM HELL, recently contacted THE WONDER WORLD OF K. GORDON MURRAY, and was kind enough to take time to offer some memories of his participation in this remarkable film. So, without further adieu...
BINGO SPEAKS!
WR: Hey!
KGM.COM: How did you get chosen for the role of "Bingo"?
WR: I was working with Bill Kelly ("High Test") at Studio M Playhouse in Coral Gables, playing his right-hand man, a drug dealer, in a production there. He put me in touch with K. Gordon Murray's company about auditioning for a movie he was going to star in.
I did the audition, and was accepted right away when they found out I had my own motorcycle. They asked if I had a sissy bar, which I didn't, and they said I would need one for the film, so I went home and reconstructed my 500 BMW into a biker machine.
They also asked me if I knew any local bikers, and I thought of a 300 lb. guy named Tiny who worked at a local gas station. He was a South Dade Nighthawk, and gave me a number for some of his friends who might be interested. I gave the number to the casting department. I didn't actually meet Fuzzy until just before the production started. He was the biker that brought the rest of them in. Fuzzy was the one that kept pouring beer all over himself in the film.
KGM.COM: Was the shooting pleasant? Difficult?
WR: Generally, it was pretty much fun. The bikers were always partying. K. Gordon Murray put us all up in a motel in the Everglades for the Monroe Station shots, and took us out for supper every night, letting us order whatever we wanted. I was a hippie living in Coconut Grove, and the bikers lived in shacks in South Dade. To most of us, it was carte blanche, except we had to buy our own beer.
Bobby Byers ("Lucy") and Vi Lloyd ("Teresa") used to hang out with Murray, Prieto, and the cleaner members of the cast and crew, but Bill Kelly would bounce back and forth between them and us, and I was occasionally invited.
I don't remember any difficulties from my point of view. The schedules were always right on, and most of us would have liked for the whole thing to go on for weeks. I think it lasted 10 days to 2 weeks.
Bobby did actually stomp on my foot after the catfight, and I really was in pain when I came on to her in that scene.
KGM.COM: Did you do all of your own riding and stunts?
Oh, yes. I did all the riding and fight stunts and so on. I was a wiry, nineteen-year-old actor, and I was ready for anything. Actually, I was the only actor that could really ride. They gave Bill Kelly this raked, extended, show Harley and he had obviously been on motorcycles before, but that bike took practice. He had learned to ride it by the end of the shoot, though. They put Bobby Byers on a little Honda with a big helmet, and I doubt if she ever got out of second gear.
Of course, the bikers did all their own riding stunts at no extra charge.
Cyril Poitier ("Reuben") and I discussed our fight scene at the end briefly before the shot. It was a "you do this, and I'll do that" sort of thing, and I doubt if we spent more than fifteen minutes filming the whole scene. I got applause from the crew for when he picked me up and dropped me, face down, at the end of the fight. I remember hitting the ground, and dust flying up all around me. I just about knocked myself silly.
KGM.COM: Did you ever meet Mr. Murray?
Yes. He was fairly accessible on the set. He was happy and friendly, and if you had a question, you could approach him. He was a very enjoyable person.
I wasn't aware of his prowess in moviemaking at that point. My impression at the time was that he was just a guy with money who wanted to make movies. He seemed to be having fun the whole time he was on the set.
KGM.COM: Do you have any memories of Jose Prieto, the director? He's somewhat of a "mystery man".
WR: I remember him with a thin mustache and a beret. He usually spoke Spanish unless he was talking directly to the actors, and didn't seem all that accessible.
I think he gave the actors a lot of room for their creative expression, and we rarely had more than two takes on any shot. To me, he was part of the Inner Circle that I didn't really get to know.
KGM.COM: What was your fondest memory of the shooting of the film?
There seemed to be a lot of friendliness and camaraderie amongst the people on the sets, and for me, it was my breakthrough from stage to professional film. I had the Vietnam War breathing down my neck, so the film was a welcome break, but that's a whole 'nother story...
I also like the pie scene, which would have been an outtake in a higher-budget film. I just gestured with my hand, and then the look on "High Test's" face... Then my recurring line, "Hey! Gimme another beer!"
KGM.COM: Hopefully, you were adequately compensated for your work in the film?
WR: I was paid $500, and in 1968, that was good money for a few weeks work for a teenager, plus I was doing what I wanted to do. I still have the original contract.
I was doing college theater and local theater, and some underground films at the University of Miami. Money was scarce, and this was a real breakthrough.
KGM.COM: Did you see SAVAGES FROM HELL when it came out?
WR: I missed the release of SAVAGES, and always wondered about it until one day when my wife was browsing the Internet Movie Data Base and asked me the name of the film I did. It was still "BIG ENOUGH 'N OLD ENOUGH" when I lost track of it.
We were really excited to find it, but my name wasn't listed in the cast. My wife submitted it, and now I have my own page there under Bill Read.
I have a friend who's interested in biker flicks, and he found us a site where we could buy a copy. That was in 1999. We spent the whole first part of the movie going... "Is that me? No." Then, I popped out of the sand, and there I was, nineteen again. I felt a huge grin spread across my face.
I was surprised by how much screen time I had, and all the close ups. I think I could have done a lot more with the role, but we were hired, then the whole thing was over before I knew what was going on.
(In addition to work in theatrical productions, Bill was also featured as a stunt player in the 1987 Mickey Rourke film ANGEL HEART. Bill now works as a charter boat captain, and resides in Florida with his wife Karin. Many thanks to Bill and Karin for contacting us and taking the time to compile this rare peek into the making of one the most beloved cult biker films of all time!)
