Bill Ray and his time with the Hell's Angels in 1965

[John E]

Hi, all. Haven't posted before, but I thought some might find this story and the accompanying photos interesting. Bill Ray spent time with a group of Hell's Angels in 1965, on assignment for Life magazine. The story and his photos were eventualy nixed by an editor, and never ran in the mag. However, the photos he took are now being released on the site Life.com. I ran across the story (with a short video) on CNN, and found the photos fascinating. Hope you do too.

LINK:
http://www.life.com/image/ugc1129811/in-gallery/47471/never-seen-hells-angels-1965


John

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

That's a very impressive series. It's good that we can finally see them.

Eric

[Rob C]

Hi, and thanks for the link.

Enjoyed the photo-trip - two-sided experience, though, because I can understand the sense of fear towards them and also their sense of not belonging to society as a whole. I have a feeling you don't choose the life - it picks on you.

The difference with Easy, the movie, is that as far as I can remember it, the two pals had a lot of saving graces, sensitivities and such that I wonder about the real ones being able to feel. I would hate the life, myself; rather than being about freedom I suspect it's more like in the song: freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose.

But don't the bikes look small!

Rob C

[Roger Calixto]

But don't the bikes look small!

Rob C

HA! I thought the same! Compared to today's , monsters at least =)
Very nice set of pics, my favorite would have to be one of the last. The Night shot along the wall. Great shot!

Cool story too. Thanks for the share!

Roger

[feppe]

HA! I thought the same! Compared to today's , monsters at least =)
Very nice set of pics, my favorite would have to be one of the last. The Night shot along the wall. Great shot!

Cool story too. Thanks for the share!

Roger

You mean this? My favorite, too.

I would have liked more photos of the bikes. The panheads of the time are much smaller in engine size and also physically.

Interestingly enough this was shot well before Easy Rider (which had nothing to do with Hells Angels or outlaw gangs) and the Altamont concert which both were pivotal moments in creating the cult of the big American motorcycle and Hells Angels.

[Rob C]

You mean this? My favorite, too.
I would have liked more photos of the bikes. The panheads of the time are much smaller in engine size and also physically.
Interestingly enough this was shot well before Easy Rider (which had nothing to do with Hells Angels or outlaw gangs) and the Altamont concert which both were pivotal moments in creating the cult of the big American motorcycle and Hells Angels.

Absolutely right - Easy had nothing to do with Angels, a badly written post at best; the ending (of the movie) was so sad...

Rob C

[John E]

Glad you all enjoyed the story and pics. It got me thinking about the old movie 'The Wild One', with Brando and Lee Marvin, which was released in the early fifties. Oddly, the cap Brando wore in that movie (apparently inspired by a bike rally in Hollister, California in the 40's) is very similar to the one shot in the Bill Ray series, of the AMA members taking photos of the gang. He describes these AMA members as "self satisfied, smug, but still obviously envious".

Also found it interesting (found this info on IMDB.com) that Brando's gang in the movie mostly rode British bikes, while Marvin's gang were on Harleys. Perhaps a subtle attempt to paint the Marvin gang as the 'bad guys'?


John

[feppe]

Absolutely right - Easy had nothing to do with Angels, a badly written post at best; the ending (of the movie) was so sad...

Don't ever watch Bambi...

[Rob C]

Don't ever watch Bambi...

Feppe, I shall put it on my avoid list along with Gone With The Wind, which I have managed to duck at every possible screening, which with a wife and equally besotted daughter, has not been easy! I think they both knew all the parts.

Rob C

[Rob C]

Actually, I forgot to say that something that did strike me about the story (the HAs) was that none of the photographs were at all threatening. It just didn't project menace. Maybe that's why it didn't get printed? I think he was taken into the gang's heart and robbed of the outsider's fear. On the other hand, perhaps they really were just misunderstood souls who looked uncomfortably fierce, much as a wolf would to a sheep, though I do grant you, unless the wolf was really well-fed...

Rob C