We were recently contacted by Ricky Carpenter, who features prominently in K. Gordon Murray's bizarre Grade-Z motorcycle opus, SAVAGES FROM HELL.
Ricky, an ex-marine who has traveled the world several times over, and studied religion with the Dalia Lama, shared with us some extraordinary history and memories of this most unusual exploitation picture.
KGordonMurray.Com: So, how did you get involved with SAVAGES FROM HELL, considered by many to be the world's weirdest motorcycle picture?
Ricky Carpenter: I was working in a gas station, general maintenance, near a motorcycle shop. I had found an old three-wheeler buried in the bushes in Miami Beach. I asked the guy what he wanted for it, and he said 'That old thing, here's the title, take it away!' It was a 1948 'Server Car', used by service stations to go out to fix stalled cars on the road. I stripped it down, and replaced the tool box with a beer keg!
So a guy comes in to the shop one day in 1968, and introduces himself as Sheldon Schermer, associate producer to K. Gordon Murray. He asks, 'I heard you have a chopper. Wanna be in the movies?" I said sure. He said "See you Monday morning". I said the bike wasn't finished yet; there was still chrome work, it would never be ready. He said never mind, I'll pay for everything, just have it ready. So I called my friends and we worked all weekend.
Monday morning I show up at Murray's production studios on 54th Street in Miami. And I'm waiting by the curb on my chopper, and this dapper man in a nice suit walks up to me and says "Who the fuck are you?" And I was cocky back then, so I said, "I give up, who the fuck are you?" And the man in the suit says "I'm K. Gordon Murray. Are you here to be in the motorcycle picture?" I said, "Shit, yeh!"
He laughed and shook my hand and I apologized. "Sorry, I've been up for 3 days working on this motorcycle." Murray countered, "Come on in, I think I've got a part for you" We got along famously throughout the whole picture. He was always taking me aside and asking me stuff; he was very open to suggestions.
KGM: So you are in the picture, as well as supplying the 3-wheeler?
RC: Oh yes! I was the third biker, after High Test and Bingo. My name was Ernie. I was the guy with the conscience, the guy who always said, 'Gee maybe, we shouldn't!' Sheila, my ex-wife was in the picture too; she was the girl in the beach scene in the black and white stripped minidress and platinum blond hair.
The director was Jose Prieto, but everyone called him "Pepe". Sweet guy. He used to direct the old Donna Reed TV shows. Marty Hines made the big "Wild Thing" Corvette.
KGM: What else did you contribute to this most unusual biker fick?
RC: I also got all the girls for the movie! Murray said, "I need girls. Can you get some?" I said sure, and I went to Fort Lauderdale, and passed out his business cards, and said to the girls, "I know this sounds like a line, but if you want to be in a movie, show up at the studio Monday morning at 9 am." And damn if about 12 girls didn't show up! (to see a sample of "Ricky's Girls", visit our SAVAGES FROM HELL: THE GIRLS ON THE BEACH page!)
KGM: So, did everybody ride their own bikes and do their own stunts?
RC: Well, I did, 'cause I was a rider from way back when. Now the female lead, Bobbie Byers, couldn't ride a motorcycle at all! They got her this little Honda, and jeez I think they just pushed her, and she coasted through all her scenes!
Then, Murray brought me over one day to show me two hogs sitting on a flatbed truck. They had real extended forks. He said "Are these the real McCoy?" I said, "Oh yeh, these are choppers!" So he rented one for Bill Kelly. Now, Bill Kelly wasn't real comfortable riding the bike. Once, he flipped it, and I think he broke his leg. He wore a cast at the end of the picture. By the way, Bill Kelly's claim to fame is THE FROZEN ASTRONAUT.
The real bikers that were in the movie were, to my recollection, The
Commancheros. Snake, Bone, and Fuzzy. Fuzzy was wild. Once, he shot a hole in my car, just for kicks. Murray saw the gun, and just said, "Put it away, Fuzzy!" Wild!
KGM: Any other memories of production? Locations? Budget?
RC: Some stuff was filmed at the Florida Lighthouse Park. Most of the biker scenes were filmed at Monroe Staion, as you know. The guy who owned it was real nice to us; he gave us beer, a wild boar barb-b-que, sandwiches, anything we wanted. Murray paid the tab.
The interior scenes with the migrant workers were filmed at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse at Coral Gables, and at the actual migrant camp.
The budget, I recall, was originally $125,000, but Murray said he had to go over about $35,000. He was mad about it too. I'm sure the film was shot in 16mm, and blown up. The camera was so small! Filming took about 3 weeks.
KGM: Was filming the biker scenes particularly difficult? A lot of takes?
RC: Takes? One take! Two takes, tops!
The shots of the gang tooling down the highway were filmed from the back of a station wagon. I was in the front in the early scenes, but later you notice I'm in the back. That's because the damn bike was falling apart! The beer keg fell off, almost killed me!
Then there's a scene where the gang is leaving, and I have to walk my bike out after them. I had been doing stunts on the beach, and I sheared the pin! I think I said, "Hey, guys, wait for me!" and crawled along after them!
KGM: So, did you see the film when it was done?
RC: Oh, boy! Did I! The world premiere of BIG ENOUGH AND OLD ENOUGH (SAVAGES FROM HELL's original release title) was at the 79th Street Movie Theatre, a drive-in in a bad neighborhood. We all showed up and set up our bikes on display, and signed autographs and everything! Then we saw the picture! Jeez! It was so dark and crummy-looking, you could barely see it! I mean, this wasn't a B-movie, it was a C-movie!
I got into a fistfight in the bathroom at the premiere. Somebody said, "Hey, you look one of the guys in the movie," and I said "I am in the picture", and he said, "Don't bullshit me, Jack!", and one thing lead to another.
KGM: Did you do any movie work after this?
RC: I wish! Pepe and I got along famously. After SAVAGES, he said give me your number and I'll call you for another film. I waited two or three weeks, and my wife said get a regular job, he ain't calling. So I got a job, and the next week Pepe called me up and said I got work for you, and I just cried, "I can't! I'm working now!" And the film was LADY IN CEMENT, with Frank Sinatra! Oh, well!
KGM: Well, we think you did a swell job with SAVAGES FROM HELL, and we thank you for taking the time to speak with us!
RC: My pleasure!
entire contents © copyright 2004 Ricky Carpenter, all rights reserved.
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