One part murder mystery to three parts intricate character study, James William Guercio’s Electra Glide in Blue makes some bold cinematic points but ultimately is less than a sum of its parts.
The Production: 3/5
One part murder mystery to three parts intricate character study, James William Guercio’s Electra Glide in Blue makes some bold cinematic points but ultimately is less than a sum of its parts. Produced during the turbulent first half of the 1970s when the counterculture and the establishment were constantly at odds with one another, Electra Glide narrates its tale from the establishment side of the line painting a not too pretty picture of either half while tonally staying true to the nihilistic worldview that characterized so many films of that era.
Dedicated but diminutive Arizona highway patrol officer John Wintergreen (Robert Blake) dreams of leaving his Electra Glide highway cruiser and becoming a homicide detective, the exact opposite of his highway partner “Zipper” (Billy ‘Green’ Bush) who loves the open road and fresh air. He gets his chance when he discovers a dead hermit in a desert shack and convinces detective Harve Poole (Mitchell Ryan) that it isn’t the suicide that it appears but rather a murder. Subsequent investigation turns up a stash of pills on site and an alleged five thousand dollars missing from the cabin directing the investigators to a hippie commune nearby to whom the hermit may have been dealing. But there are quite a few twists and turns along the way before John stumbles upon the truth, a revelation that pulls the rug out from under all of his personal and professional relationships.
Robert Boris’ screenplay and James William Guercio’s direction are at their best in the film’s first half as we get to know all of the characters (often through elaborately penned monologues that sometimes smack of writery pretension) as they go about their day-to-day jobs. Wintergreen is a by-the-book professional who doesn’t harass hippies but also doesn’t cut a speeding L.A. police detective any slack thus sealing the viewer’s admiration for him. Guercio cleverly shows us Wintergreen dressing for his day’s work as a motorcycle patrolman with all of the accompanying paraphernalia and then brilliantly contrasts it later on as the newly named detective dresses in fancier duds for his new day job. The murder mystery is a puzzling one, but the subsequent investigation cuts too many corners, doesn’t explain process and motivation, and is ultimately handled rather shoddily even with a crackerjack chase on motorcycles that’s quite exciting. Narrative pacing meanders and halts in the movie’s second half as Wintergreen solves the murder (no evidence, just a hunch that pays off) but pays the price over and over again for his dedication. Coming from the music industry, producer-director Guercio stops things cold to take us to a rock concert (ostensibly to show us John demoted to street cop status serving as auditorium security) and then indulges in a several minute climactic backward dolly shot while his own composition “Tell Me” mournfully fills the soundtrack.
Robert Blake’s stature may be small but his charisma is anything but as the ambitiously driven John Wintergreen. Whether dallying in bed with a former starlet (Jeannine Riley who gets a mammoth drunken monologue that turns the tables on both men she’s dating and scores big with it) or maintaining his professional demeanor with everyone he encounters, Blake’s talent is ever-present but unassuming. Billy ‘Green’ Bush as the more untamed “Zipper” steals all of his scenes as a cop the polar opposite of Wintergreen. Mitchell Ryan as the veteran detective who attempts to show his young protégée the ropes also offers a standout performance. Elisha Cook as a wild-eyed desert dweller and Royal Dano as the no-nonsense coroner make the most of their limited amounts of screen time. David J. Wolinski as a hippie van driver at the mercy of the highway patrol, Peter Cetera as Bob Zemko, the lead suspect in the murder, and Jason Clark as the exasperated L.A. police detective all contribute notable cameos.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
The film’s original Panavision aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is faithfully presented in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Filmed by Oscar winner Conrad Hall, the movie’s burnished look and feel of the Arizona desert is palpable throughout the presentation. While the image is rarely razor sharp, it’s a legitimate replica of the way the film looked in theaters. Colors can be bold or subdued depending on the mood the director wishes to establish (images transition from sepia to color on several occasions), but the age-related dust specks are sometimes present but reasonably minimal. The movie has been divided into 8 chapters.
Audio: 3/5
The soundtrack presentation is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo, but there are odd phasing problems with the dialogue which seems to drift from the center to the full soundstage throughout. Director James William Guercio’s music score is ably presented with good fidelity, but the sound effects, like the dialogue, seem to turn up in various speakers without any proper placement.
Special Features: 3/5
Audio Commentaries: there are two on the disc: screenwriter Robert Boris (with assistance from film historian Alex Van Dyne) and producer-director James William Guercio which has been ported over from the original DVD release. While each man has interesting and pertinent things to say, the commentaries are very laid back, and there are silent gaps in both of them.
Mitchell Ryan Interview (9:47, HD): the actor shares comments on several of his fellow actors though he gets his continuity wrong thinking Blake’s series Baretta preceded the film (it was actually produced two years after this film’s premiere).
Robert Boris Interview (13:44, HD): the writer discusses how he came to write the film, makes some comments on the cast, and describes a particular edit that hurt.
Introduction by Director James William Guercio (9:36, SD): ported from the DVD release, the producer-director shares memories of pulling the film together and making it for under $1 million.
Publicity Trailers: TV spot ad (1:02, HD), radio music spot (0:31), theatrical trailer (3:37, HD)
Kino Trailers: Busting, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Mr. Majestyk, Gator.
Reversible Cover Art
Overall: 3/5
For a first film, James William Guercio’s Electra Glide in Blue is a noble effort but is occasionally done in by his own inexperience and some lapses in plotting the narrative. The Kino Lorber special edition offers some worthwhile new bonus material for fans of the movie.
Electra Glide in Blue (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
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Matt has been reviewing films and television professionally since 1974 and has been a member of Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2007, his reviews now numbering close to three thousand. During those years, he has also been a junior and senior high school English teacher earning numerous entries into Who’s Who Among America’s Educators and spent many years treading the community theater boards as an actor in everything from Agatha Christie mysteries to Stephen Sondheim musicals.
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