RIP Peter Fonda

[JJ]

R.I.P. "Captain America"...and Godspeed...





Back in 1969, after returning home from watching the movie "Easy Rider", my buddy Mike and I, (we were 15 years old), we took the exhaust pipes off our Honda S-90's, and blasted around neighborhood, making noise, in memory of both Captain America and Billy...for what happened to them at the end of the movie! 

[oldbike54]

 Legend has it the original script was different than the ending that made the final cut . Remember , this was really Dennis Hopper's movie , he had control over the day to day filming and script changes . Apparently they filmed at least two separate endings , maybe more . During editing Hopper went with the death scene , mostly because he was so upset with Fonda that he decided that killing the two characters would make damn sure no sequel was possible .

 Dusty

[twowheeladdict]

Makes me think about retiring earlier than later.  Sure would be nice to know the day the music dies. 

[frozengoose]

Makes me think about retiring earlier than later.  Sure would be nice to know the day the music dies. 

Well the money you make by working a few extra years won't do you much good after the reaper knocks. I took early retirement a while back and while I've questioned it at times, we don't live a high lifestyle, so don't really miss the extra money it'd brought.

As far as the movie goes, saw it in college, most everybody watching was high, one way or another, and it was pretty cool until the end. Everybody was getting off on it, laughing and joking, until suddenly it was dead quiet. That ending was something nobody expected and really brought you down. But that's what made it the movie it was. Haven't seen it since, so no idea how I'd react now. but it certainly left an impression on me back then.

[LowRyter]

I'd like to know Hopper's alternative ending?  Perhaps riding into the dawn at Key West?

[oldbike54]

I'd like to know Hopper's alternative ending?  Perhaps riding into the dawn at Key West?

 Dunno , where were they headed ? Once again , haven't ever watched the movie from beginning to end , tried renting a copy some years ago and about 15 minutes in it stopped playing . Most of what I do know has come from reading about the movie , the still somewhat baffling nonsense about the bike that Fonda rode , did the first one get stolen as legend has it requiring a 2nd bike ? Who really built the 1st bike , who built the 2nd bike if it existed ? Did that sorta famous actor really own one of the bikes ? The only certain bit of info is that Hopper and Fonda had a huge falling out over the money .

 One thing I did notice watching some video , the pair was riding very slow all of the time , one of you experts can probably do an analysis based on time to distance , but it looks like about 30 MPH .

 Dusty

[Sheepdog]

Karen Black looked great in "Easy Rider," but Jack Nicholson stole the show.

[Dharma Bum]

The original bikes were built by Cliff Vaugh, a black LA biker and civil rights activist.  His backstory is probably more interesting than anything in the movie. Somewhere in the Vintagent archives is his full story and his contributions  to the movie.

[LowRyter]

Dunno , where were they headed ? Once again , haven't ever watched the movie from beginning to end , tried renting a copy some years ago and about 15 minutes in it stopped playing . Most of what I do know has come from reading about the movie , the still somewhat baffling nonsense about the bike that Fonda rode , did the first one get stolen as legend has it requiring a 2nd bike ? Who really built the 1st bike , who built the 2nd bike if it existed ? Did that sorta famous actor really own one of the bikes ? The only certain bit of info is that Hopper and Fonda had a huge falling out over the money .

 One thing I did notice watching some video , the pair was riding very slow all of the time , one of you experts can probably do an analysis based on time to distance , but it looks like about 30 MPH .

 Dusty

I think in the beginning they said they were going to retire in Florida.   Very middle class.

So far as the riding, after the first couple of days on the chopper, Fonda was so stiff he couldn't move.

[LowRyter]

The original bikes were built by Cliff Vaugh, a black LA biker and civil rights activist.  His backstory is probably more interesting than anything in the movie. Somewhere in the Vintagent archives is his full story and his contributions  to the movie.

Yeah, that guy had first hand experience riding a chopper in Ala-bam.

[Rick in WNY]

Honestly, if Henry hadn't been his daddy, Pete never would have had a chance in Hollyweird.

His dad was one helluva actor. Him... not so much. Sorry, but I always thought his acting was rather wooden, he always seemed to be just a guy reading a script, and that he was riding on Dennis Hoppers' talent in Easy Rider. JMHO, YMMV.