Title: C.C & COMPANY
Year of Release: 1970
Director: Seymour Robbie
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Synopsis: C.C. Ryder is a motorcycle mechanic who becomes a member of a biker gang, but falls for a fashion journalist, this complicating his relationship with them, especially, the gang's leader.
Within a film history context: Films about motorcycle biker gangs were at their height during the 1960s, but there were several examples of these on screen in the 1950s. The first major film about bikers, THE WILD ONE (1953), directed by Laslo Benedek, starred Marlon Brando in one of his signature roles. In this movie, two motorcycle gangs go head to head, and when one of their leaders is placed in jail, taking out their anger on a small town. Interesting to note that this was made by a major Hollywood studio, and seminal at the time for its view of events. Later films were made by smaller studios, with lesser known actors and directors. In Edward L. Cahn's MOTORCYCLE GANG (1956) a biker rails against being part of a more legitimate motorcycle club, his actions causing trouble with the other members. In a similar exploitation vein, DRAGSTRIP RIOT (1958), directed by David Bradley, a young man and his girlfriend are thought to have killed a biker from a gang, the gang's other members seeking revenge, but the crime was committed by someone else. The mid to late 1960s brought forth a plethora of biker gang themed movies for film audiences.
Director Russ Meyer heralded a more violent brand of biker movie with MOTORPSYCHO! (1965). With this film, revenge was the order of the day, as a man whose wife was raped by bikers, and a woman whose husband was killed by the same bikers, unite to seek retaliation on this gang. In 1966, Roger Corman's THE WILD ANGELS was released. Starring Peter Fonda who would later appear as a biker in EASY RIDER (1969), it was about a San Pedro motorcycle gang causing trouble in California. Another notable entry was THE BORN LOSERS (1967). Both directed and starring Tom Laughlin, it followed a young man who takes on a motorcycle gang at their own game. It spawned four sequels over time, and was a major box-office success. Somewhat different in nature from previous films was Herschell Gordon Lewis' SHE-DEVILS ON WHEELS (1968). In this instance, a female motorcycle gang causes problems in a small town, par for the course for many films in the genre, and also, take on a male biker gang.
With 1969 the most famous example of a biker movie exploded on screens, capturing huge audiences in its wake. EASY RIDER (1969), directed by Dennis Hopper, was about two bikers roaming the countryside on their motorcycles, but never finding real happiness along the way. While not part of a gang as such, it is of interest as the bikers were not out to cause problems, but found trouble from various individuals. This was in complete contrast to the previous entries where the bikers incited mayhem. The most poetic of all the biker movies, it is fondly remembered for its fashionable quirks and downbeat ending. C.C. & COMPANY both contained elements of the biker films, but also, had its own distinguishing characteristics.
While C.C. & COMPANY featured a motorcycle gang, in this film the gang consisted of both men and women, unlike the other films which had either all-male, or all-female members. A man was the leader, as was the case with many of the previous films, who lorded it over the other members. In comparison to the other movies, it had a much lighter tone, preferring to keep away from the heady violence which marked films such as THE WILD ANGELS. While there were some scuffles and antics, these were of a decidedly softer, more benign nature. C.C. & COMPANY was concerned with the competition between members through racing and the like rather than thoroughgoing violence. The spectacle of motorcycle riding was the main ambition of this movie, teamed with a rock soundtrack, as with EASY RIDER. The film, though, had nowhere near the same depth or tragic pull as EASY RIDER, preferring to treat narrative events on a superficial level. This has both negative, and positive consequences for C.C. & COMPANY.
One never finds out how, and why these people ended up in a motorcycle gang, as this is never revealed in the movie. Everyone has a story to tell, but, this has been neglected in the film. The assortment of wacky characters could have been teased out more, which would have added to viewing pleasure. Ann-Margret's character is the only one who seems to have a back story, but even this is not fleshed out. Other questions are also posed when watching the film. How does the gang make money? It may be through some illegal means, but this information is kept from the audience. It does not appear to be drug-based, as there are no references to, or scenes of substance abuse. What this points to is that C.C. & COMPANY has no aspirations to be deep in any way. It looks good as a movie, has great music and locations, and, has a ribald spirit that is contagious. It is a feel-good experience that seeks to take viewers on a rollicking journey of harmless entertainment that not does not require much thought, just an open mind.
Within a film history context: Films about motorcycle biker gangs were at their height during the 1960s, but there were several examples of these on screen in the 1950s. The first major film about bikers, THE WILD ONE (1953), directed by Laslo Benedek, starred Marlon Brando in one of his signature roles. In this movie, two motorcycle gangs go head to head, and when one of their leaders is placed in jail, taking out their anger on a small town. Interesting to note that this was made by a major Hollywood studio, and seminal at the time for its view of events. Later films were made by smaller studios, with lesser known actors and directors. In Edward L. Cahn's MOTORCYCLE GANG (1956) a biker rails against being part of a more legitimate motorcycle club, his actions causing trouble with the other members. In a similar exploitation vein, DRAGSTRIP RIOT (1958), directed by David Bradley, a young man and his girlfriend are thought to have killed a biker from a gang, the gang's other members seeking revenge, but the crime was committed by someone else. The mid to late 1960s brought forth a plethora of biker gang themed movies for film audiences.
Director Russ Meyer heralded a more violent brand of biker movie with MOTORPSYCHO! (1965). With this film, revenge was the order of the day, as a man whose wife was raped by bikers, and a woman whose husband was killed by the same bikers, unite to seek retaliation on this gang. In 1966, Roger Corman's THE WILD ANGELS was released. Starring Peter Fonda who would later appear as a biker in EASY RIDER (1969), it was about a San Pedro motorcycle gang causing trouble in California. Another notable entry was THE BORN LOSERS (1967). Both directed and starring Tom Laughlin, it followed a young man who takes on a motorcycle gang at their own game. It spawned four sequels over time, and was a major box-office success. Somewhat different in nature from previous films was Herschell Gordon Lewis' SHE-DEVILS ON WHEELS (1968). In this instance, a female motorcycle gang causes problems in a small town, par for the course for many films in the genre, and also, take on a male biker gang.
With 1969 the most famous example of a biker movie exploded on screens, capturing huge audiences in its wake. EASY RIDER (1969), directed by Dennis Hopper, was about two bikers roaming the countryside on their motorcycles, but never finding real happiness along the way. While not part of a gang as such, it is of interest as the bikers were not out to cause problems, but found trouble from various individuals. This was in complete contrast to the previous entries where the bikers incited mayhem. The most poetic of all the biker movies, it is fondly remembered for its fashionable quirks and downbeat ending. C.C. & COMPANY both contained elements of the biker films, but also, had its own distinguishing characteristics.
While C.C. & COMPANY featured a motorcycle gang, in this film the gang consisted of both men and women, unlike the other films which had either all-male, or all-female members. A man was the leader, as was the case with many of the previous films, who lorded it over the other members. In comparison to the other movies, it had a much lighter tone, preferring to keep away from the heady violence which marked films such as THE WILD ANGELS. While there were some scuffles and antics, these were of a decidedly softer, more benign nature. C.C. & COMPANY was concerned with the competition between members through racing and the like rather than thoroughgoing violence. The spectacle of motorcycle riding was the main ambition of this movie, teamed with a rock soundtrack, as with EASY RIDER. The film, though, had nowhere near the same depth or tragic pull as EASY RIDER, preferring to treat narrative events on a superficial level. This has both negative, and positive consequences for C.C. & COMPANY.
One never finds out how, and why these people ended up in a motorcycle gang, as this is never revealed in the movie. Everyone has a story to tell, but, this has been neglected in the film. The assortment of wacky characters could have been teased out more, which would have added to viewing pleasure. Ann-Margret's character is the only one who seems to have a back story, but even this is not fleshed out. Other questions are also posed when watching the film. How does the gang make money? It may be through some illegal means, but this information is kept from the audience. It does not appear to be drug-based, as there are no references to, or scenes of substance abuse. What this points to is that C.C. & COMPANY has no aspirations to be deep in any way. It looks good as a movie, has great music and locations, and, has a ribald spirit that is contagious. It is a feel-good experience that seeks to take viewers on a rollicking journey of harmless entertainment that not does not require much thought, just an open mind.
Overview: Seymour Robbie was a director who made only two feature films in his career, but had a multitude of television credits to his name from the early 1950s, until 1990. His second film, MARCO (1973) was a family movie about Marco Polo, with action and musical trimmings, starring Dezi Arnaz Jr. in the lead role. Mr Robbie's debut movie, C.C. & COMPANY, was possibly the most entertaining, irreverent of his two movies. It follows the exploits of C.C. Ryder, the eponymous biker and mechanic who joins a biker group, but runs foul of them when he falls in love with a fashion journalist, taking his slice of the money with him. While this film is not high art, it obviously has not been intended to be such. It is pure escapism and entertainment, with plenty of motorcycle action scenes and comic interludes. These are the best parts of the movie, and what make it a watchable, fun experience. There are, though, certain features of the movie that are notable for dissection.
While the male characters are well-drawn and have a definite purpose in the narrative, the same cannot be said about the female characters. As the film is in the biker genre, and some clichés are to be expected, or come with the territory, the female characters in C.C. & COMPANY are not in the same league as the male protagonists. They largely exist as either 'eye candy' for the male characters (and spectators), as biker molls or floozies, to use the term, and are only present to be saved by the male characters. They have, apart from Ann-Margret's role, no real purpose, and are actually more vulgar in their actions and language from the men, which is a surprising choice on the part of the writers and director. Maybe this was to show that women were sexually freer in both their choices and language than beforehand, but it does not leave a sweet taste in the mouth. Hardly a positive view of emancipated femininity. Other lapses exist in the film which are not satisfying for the movie as a whole.
There is no clear tying up of loose ends at its conclusion which is a little frustrating. While it is obvious that the movie at the end is seen from C.C.'s perspective, riding off on his motorcycle, the fate of Moon is not explored in any way. This may have been intentional, but the lack of investment in this character, who dominates the screen whenever he is on, is a let down. Facile answers and solutions to problems are another feature of C.C. & COMPANY which could have been overturned, bringing more authenticity to the film. Something that was not investigated in any manner was exactly why was Moon the way he was, and how did he manage to round up the number of followers he did. William Smith is a charismatic performer and this is obvious in one way, but a little more depth in areas such as these would have been good. Apart from this, the movie did not capitalize on having William Smith and Ann-Margret onscreen together in more scenes. Having Moon, for instance, fall for Ann would have complicated matters, giving the C.C./Ann pairing more complexity. Alas, this was not to bear. This lack of attention to some details, though, points to the intention of the movie, which cannot be faulted. Whatever its deficiencies, C.C. & COMPANY is a movie that exists to entertain with its thrills and spills, in a mindless, carefree manner, and successfully achieves this aim.
While the male characters are well-drawn and have a definite purpose in the narrative, the same cannot be said about the female characters. As the film is in the biker genre, and some clichés are to be expected, or come with the territory, the female characters in C.C. & COMPANY are not in the same league as the male protagonists. They largely exist as either 'eye candy' for the male characters (and spectators), as biker molls or floozies, to use the term, and are only present to be saved by the male characters. They have, apart from Ann-Margret's role, no real purpose, and are actually more vulgar in their actions and language from the men, which is a surprising choice on the part of the writers and director. Maybe this was to show that women were sexually freer in both their choices and language than beforehand, but it does not leave a sweet taste in the mouth. Hardly a positive view of emancipated femininity. Other lapses exist in the film which are not satisfying for the movie as a whole.
There is no clear tying up of loose ends at its conclusion which is a little frustrating. While it is obvious that the movie at the end is seen from C.C.'s perspective, riding off on his motorcycle, the fate of Moon is not explored in any way. This may have been intentional, but the lack of investment in this character, who dominates the screen whenever he is on, is a let down. Facile answers and solutions to problems are another feature of C.C. & COMPANY which could have been overturned, bringing more authenticity to the film. Something that was not investigated in any manner was exactly why was Moon the way he was, and how did he manage to round up the number of followers he did. William Smith is a charismatic performer and this is obvious in one way, but a little more depth in areas such as these would have been good. Apart from this, the movie did not capitalize on having William Smith and Ann-Margret onscreen together in more scenes. Having Moon, for instance, fall for Ann would have complicated matters, giving the C.C./Ann pairing more complexity. Alas, this was not to bear. This lack of attention to some details, though, points to the intention of the movie, which cannot be faulted. Whatever its deficiencies, C.C. & COMPANY is a movie that exists to entertain with its thrills and spills, in a mindless, carefree manner, and successfully achieves this aim.
Acting: The acting in C.C. & COMPANY largely takes a back seat to the stunts and motorcycle action presented on screen, but, nevertheless, is worthy of discussion. As the main character, C.C. Ryder, Joe Namath does an admirable job in the film. While not a trained actor but an athlete, he has an easy charm and affable nature which works well in the movie. He is physically correct for the role, and does not have an aura of self-love or egotism which would have damaged his performance. His pairing with Ann-Margret is quite good, and they are an agreeable chemistry. Ann-Margret's performance in this film, though, is not as great as her other appearances. She is an actress who has provided excellent acting in her other films, with CARNAL KNOWLEDGE being a wonderful victory for her, but in C.C. & COMPANY, unfortunately, the role is inadequate for her talents. It does not take advantage of her spunkiness and vulnerability, and renders her part as colourless. In comparison, William Smith does a brilliant job as Moon, self-appointed leader of the biker gang. Just seeing Mr Smith mouthing his dialogue, strutting his stuff with sleeveless shirts and tidy beard, is a delight. It is the most entertaining, humorous, and excellent portrayal in a biker film ever.
Soundtrack: C.C. & COMPANY has a varied and eclectic soundtrack. The vast majority of tunes are rock music in nature, especially during the plentiful motorcycle sequences. These do not detract from what is taking place onscreen, only enhancing the action. Exceptions to this include the more romantic music during C.C and Ann's love scene, and also, softer pop songs in the scenes where they are together by the pool. There is also a nightclub scene featuring the song 'I Can't Turn You Loose' performed by Wayne Cochran, which is the sole example of diegetic music in the film.
Mise-en-scene: The locations in C.C. & COMPANY give the film a thrust that provides excitement and veracity for the viewer. Rugged landscapes only emphasize the rough and tumble nature of motorcycle racing, the camera intimately tracing every step, as if the spectator was there. The opening credits with its jivy music and multi-screen images perfectly embodies the freedom and spirit that the film wanted to express to audiences.
Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Joe Namath, William Smith.
Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Joe Namath, William Smith.
Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent coarse language, female nudity, adult themes, low-level violence.
Overall Grade: C
Link: IMDB Page
Trailer
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