Wild Guitar

At times the marriage between the Arch Halls and Ray Dennis Steckler seems to have been a bit rocky. This movie may rank as Ray's most `coherent,' (or least experimental) because of the heavy hand of Arch Sr. as producer, or because of Steckler's insecurity, or Arch Jr.'s need for more guidance, or some combination of all three. Arch Jr.'s frustration shows through in certain scenes, such as the one in which he plays opposite the criminal `lemon grove kids' and seems to be asking `what, am I supposed to direct this thing myself?' It's too bad, because everyone here does some of their best work, but never in unison with what anyone else is doing.

Arch Jr. never wanted to be in show biz – that was his dad's idea. It turned out that, while he didn't sing or write music especially well, he actually did have a talent for acting (as proven in `the Sadist'), but the roles his dad lined up for him were a poor school for a young actor. `Wild Guitar' may have been one of his best opportunities – he plays a young kid who winds up manipulated into being a star by a devious producer played by: his dad! One of the reasons this movie manages to ring true in spite of its campiness and naivete (and typical Steckler ad-libbing) is because Arch Jr. as Bud is truly playing himself. The fact that the world in which he moves is bizarre and unreal just makes the real part of the story – Arch himself – seem that much more compelling.

Ray Dennis Steckler, who later went on to direct such classics of surrealism as `Rat Fink a Boo Boo' and `The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Died and Became Mixed-Up Zombies' was obviously kept on a leash for this film, but not so much that he didn't manage to sap it of the kind of drive-in sensibility that characterized `Eegah' and `The Choppers.' He plays a typically Steckleresque character in `Steak:' a psychopathic thug employed by the villainous producer who only eats Steak. Steckler sneers so much in this film his face must've hurt at the end of each shooting day. I'm still not sure whether Harvey Keitel's character in `Mean Streets' was consciously imitating him with the `match trick' or not, but Steckler did it first. Other Steckler influences include the above-mentioned criminals, whose grasp of English and crime are equally weak, the extended Carolyn Brandt dance-sequence and the leggy `Daisy,' brought in by Steak to help Bud forget his girl troubles.

Less easy to place is the responsibility for the quite convincingly sweet (and noticeably cross-eyed) love-interest, Vickie Wills, portrayed by the obscure Nancy Czar. Nancy must have been an Olympic skater, because the main `love scene' of the movie is an extended skating sequence, with Arch Jr. hobbling helplessly along as Nancy literally skates circles around him. Nancy never worked for Steckler again, but was in the painful `What's Up Front' with Arch Sr., so may have been a friend of the Halls. I think the young couple manages more chemistry than we see in any other Arch Hall film, with the possible exception of the demented `Sadist' and his gal.

`Wild Guitar' is a must-see for fans of classic low-budget `naïve cinema.' While it never plumbs the incoherent depths of Steckler's later work, nor soars to the heights of the best films of the period, it manages to hold interest, to entertain, and at times to surprise with its fresh and honest approach to filmmaking. It manages to flip back and forth from startlingly `bad' to rather `good' and doesn't make the mistake of laughing at its audience when it should be laughing at itself. On the whole, a very enjoyable film – for the right people.

This was the historic collaboration between Arch Hall, Sr, who wrote the script, and first-time director Ray Dennis Steckler. It's not on the level of Steckler's future bizarre works, but still has enough strange artistic choices to keep Stecklerites interested.

Lunk-headed Bud Eagle (Eegah's scrunchy-faced teen dream Arch Hall, Jr), spastically rides his motorcycle into Hollywood to become a star and before the night is over he's stumbled onto a variety show, played his guitar, and gotten tons of offers to cut records, be on TV, and sleep with comely starlets. Unfortunately, he gets signed by crooked agent Mike McCauley (played by Arch Senior) and his evil henchmen Steak (Steckler) who sets Bud up in the house from `Eegah', the one with the oven in the living room. They also give him a new guitar to replace his crummy one, but I'm not sure which guitar is the titular wild one. Mike goes about getting Bud some gigs: `Bud Eagle? For five hundred dollars? You're talking- you're crazy! Five THOUSAND is more like it! He's the hottest thing in the country!'

The weird thing is, Mike and Steak insist on doing shady business deals to make Bud a star, like creating fake teenage fan clubs and trying to start an `Eagle feather' fad. But what the hell? They're doing all these under-handed things to make money, but they don't have too. I mean, Bud got all those offers, right? So why don't they just take the offers and make money? They also constantly try to sabotage Arch's relationship with weird-faced diner-denizen Vicki. Bud's response it to squeeze out the love ode `Vicki' as heard in `Eegah'. While he sings, Steckler's wife Carolyn Brandt `dances' around the stage.

Steckler's next movie was his `Citizen Kane', `The Incredibly Strange Creatures who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb', while The Halls continued their downward spiral, with Hall, Sr, insisting his son was star material in flicks like `The Sadist', `The Nasty Rabbit', and `Deadwood ‘76'.

This was featured on `Teenage Theatre', a video series produced by Johnny Legend (who sings the Teenage Theatre song) and hosted by antediluvian `teen' Mamie Van Doren, who more recently frightened movie goers in `Slackers'.

Incredible-looking drive-in item with Arch Hall Jr. playing a singer-songwriter-guitarist from South Dakota who comes to Hollywood hoping for his show business break. The story is naïve, the continuity and writing have problems, a sub-plot involving three stooges who hang out at a coffee shop is dire, and yet this generally unpolished picture really does look fantastic. The assured black-and-white cinematography is by Joseph C. Mascelli, who even gets a wistful teenage moment out of an ice-skating sequence wherein the rink's spotlights are shining directly into the camera lens. Arch Hall Jr.'s notorious father co-wrote the screenplay under a pseudonym, but Arch Sr. doesn't have a good ear for give-and-take dialogue, nor does the sluggish direction by Ray Dennis Steckler (a.k.a. Cash Flagg) ease up on the awkward hesitations. However, one can almost believe a kid like Arch Jr. could be a star; with his bottle-blonde pompadour and dimply semi-smile, he looks like Michael J. Pollard's kid brother. Arch has a not-bad singing style patterned after the teen idols of the day (such as Ricky Nelson) and he downplays the goofy general handling for a winning effect. The plot attempts to give the woeful a-star-is-born formula a modern spin--and it surprises by being not half-bad, especially for fans of 1960s underground cinema. ** from ****

This fun filled romp about overnight sensation Bud Eagle, played not too well by Arch Hall Jr, is another contribution from Fairway International. The movie tries to be a musical comedy; I repeat "tries". Steak, played by Ray Dennis Steckler, does his role so serious that his loathsome presence made him the most interesting to watch. Mr. McCauley....I mean Mike, plays the unscrupulous typical agent. Ironically, this was probably an attempt to launch Arch Hall Jr's music/movie career by his dad, but it really didn't pan out as planned. Ah, Arch's song "Vickie" is here and makes more sense as opposed to being in Eegah where Arch's gal is named Roxie. Was anyone else holding their lunch down in the sappy rink scene. Too much Arch Hall face there! There are 3 Stooges wannabes and I cringe at every scene on how phonetic and unfeeling their delivery is. Have you ever seen a holdup with a branch? You will. I really wanted Steak to pistol whip these dolts.

Arch Hall Jr goes to town lip-synching at least 4 numbers here. There's "Twist Fever" where Arch embarrasses himself with in that white suit and some song with the words "I'm gonna be a big boy" which had me laughing with those kooky camera angles and the band and gals trying to pretend to be interested (watch the girl singing silently to the song – so FUNNY!). And why did this song make me start singing "You keep on knocking but you can't come in"? More fun with Vickie's obsession over Bud and her glassy eyed, maniacal, stalker-like stare. When she watches Bud from home in her more than formal dress, notice her completely different outfit during her running scene. I guess the living room attire wasn't good enough for him. Don't miss the exciting fight climax which involves an empty truck which looks similar to the PDS truck from "The Choppers"! Also, those really lame mummies from "Eegah" show up for no apparent reason in a run down shack. All in all, a typical Halls production, but it's a hoot to watch.

I'm worried. You see, after seeing this movie, I've just decided that Arch Hall, Jr. is my role model, and frankly I don't think that's a very healthy thing.

The thing is that I've never been known for my looks and personality. But Arch Hall, Jr. is as ugly as a canker sore, and has a personality (at least in this film) that grates like a table saw cutting through a nail. But he gets to play the teen idol singing star (even though he plays guitar like a gibbon wearing boxing gloves and sings like he's just stubbed his toe) and _he gets all the chicks_! Wow! Maybe there's hope for me yet.

Of course, it didn't hurt that his daddy was the producer and screenwriter, and that he acted under the sure and steady hand of director Ray Dennis Steckler (of TISCWSLABMUZ fame). Nor did it hurt that he was surrounded by actors so insanely moronic as to render young Arch suave and sophisticated-looking.

Aww, who am I kidding? I'm many things, but I'm no Arch Hall, Jr.